Edited: Because I did these posts so far apart, I forgot to go back and see what I put in part 1. I duplicated the rolling/cutting of the cookies so I have now deleted that
Frosting:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Crisco (Shortening)
1 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Salt
2 cups Powdered Sugar
3-4 Tbsp Milk
Cocoa Powder (if making chocolate frosting)
1.) Mix shortening, vanilla and salt in mixer
2.) Alternately add in sugar and milk (I generally use more milk than called for, depends on the consistency you want)
3.) Once all ingredients added, mix on medium speed for 30 seconds to fluff the frosting a bit
4.) Divide out frosting into smaller container if you will be making colors. If making chocolate frosting, add in cocoa powder until desired color/taste.
5.) If making colors, add in food coloring to white frosting and mix well until desired color is reached (NOTE: it will take A LOT of 'red' color to get red. It will still look kind of pink though)
6.) Use a knife and start frosting your cookies! There is no right or wrong way to decorate! Use sprinkles too!
***I did make Christmas cookies, but this post was originally meant for Thanksgiving time***
This post is a 2-parter because cut-out cookies require more time and effort. I will post the recipe and baking of the cookies in one post, then the frosting recipe and decorating in another post. So get comfy, this is going to take awhile!
Making the Dough
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 cup Crisco/Vegetable Shortening
1 cup Milk
1 tbsp Vanilla
5 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1.) Mix dry ingredients together; set aside
2.) Mix on low-medium speed Sugar, Egg, Crisco/Shortening, Vanilla and Milk
3.) Slowly add in dry ingredients
4.) Once thoroughly mixed/blended together, cover mixing bowl (or transfer to another container) with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (3-4 hours would be good too, but I always do overnight due to time constraints)
Making the Cookies
When you are ready to start rolling out the dough, be prepared before you take the dough out of the fridge.
1.) Clear off a decent section of your counter and wipe it down. Also prep your cooling/decorating area. I use my kitchen table, I put down old towels to prevent heat transfer and cover them with wax paper
2.) Get out a nice pile of flour, rolling pin and selected cookie cutters
3.) Line your baking pans with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 375*
4.) Get out your bowl of dough and lightly sprinkle it with flour (the dough will be a little sticky, the flour makes it less sticky and easier to roll)
5.) Pull out a decent sized ball of dough (softball size is good) coat your hands with flour and just work the dough a little bit
6.) Spread some flour into the rolling area from the pile, and rub some flour onto your rolling pin
7.) Start rolling out your dough ball, sprinkle more flour as needed (it shouldn't be sticky/sticking to your rolling pin)
8.) Once half rolled, sprinkle with flour and flip over, continue rolling until desired thickness
9.) Take cookie cutter and dip into flour pile, then cut cookie into dough, re-dip cutter into flour, repeat until no more room on dough for another one
10.) Peel away the out-side dough and carefully pick up/used spatula to place cookies onto baking pan
11.) Scoop up dough scraps, get more from bowl and repeat until all dough is used up
12.) Bake 6-8 minutes on 375*, changing racks halfway through
13.) Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to cooling/decorating area that was set up in step #1
14.) Once all cookies are done and cooling, clean up your mess and get ready to make frosting to decorate these yummy sugar cookies!
Sorry for the long hiatus. It has been ridiculously busy at work (tis the season to work in retail) and I just finished up my 2nd to last semester at school. I have a couple posts I will be working on in regards to my holiday baking so stay tuned!
In the meantime, here is some holiday cheer for you!
