This article is part of St. Louis' Holiday Guide 2008
Baking with the kids: Holiday cookie cut-outs
The arrival of fall is also a sign of the upcoming holidays, and well, the arrival of a bigger waist line. While as parents we may dread the fattening holiday food, our children are about to be in a sugar filled wonderland. While you may want to limit how much sugar they are actually getting, you can also use this opportunity to set aside some time and create some yummy treats with your kids. One of the most popular holiday treats is the cut-out cookie. Decorating cookies is a fun and delicious way to spend time with your children during the holidays.
The most popular cookie type is the sugar cookie. There are many out there, and a simple search on the web will produce multitudes of results. This search is also likely to produce less than stellar results. The sugar cookie search is one that I have also embarked upon, and year after year, recipe after recipe, I am never satisfied. That is I was never satisfied until this year. I have finally found the most scrumptious and simple sugar cookie recipe, and I owe it all to Alton Brown.
Moms, your search is over. Take my advice and give Alton's sugar cookie recipe a try and you won't be disappointed. His royal icing recipe is also the best I have come across for decorating these sweet treats. The icing drys hard and allows you to stack your decorated cookies in holiday tins for the perfect gift. Happy Baking!
Alton Brown's sugar cookie's:
Ingredients
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- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Directions
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
Alton Brown's royal icing:
Ingredients
- 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners' sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Note- Follow his directions exactly as there is always a good reason for everything Alton does in his recipes (at least most of the time).
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