Christmas Cookies

 

Ingredients

• ▢225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened (or use salted, skip salt)
• ▢1 cup caster/superfine sugar (granulated/ordinary white sugar ok too)
• ▢1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢1 large egg (55-60g / 1.9-2oz)
• ▢3 cups flour , plain / all purpose
• ▢3/4 tsp baking powder
• ▢3/4 tsp salt

Icing for Sugar Cookies

• ▢Icing for Sugar Cookies

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Instructions

• Preheat Oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy (1 minute on speed 5)
• Add egg and vanilla, beat until completely combined.
• Add flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Start mixing slowly, then beat until the flour is incorporated – it will be clumpy.
• Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Pat together then cut in half, then shape into 2 discs.
• Roll out to 0.3cm / 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 0.6cm / 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies), sprinkling with flour under and over the dough so it doesn't stick.
• Use cookie cutters to press out shapes and use a knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets. (Keep dough that doesn’t fit in the oven in the fridge).
• Bake for 12 minutes, swapping trays halfway (Note 2), until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.
• Allow cookies to cool completely on trays (they will finish cooking on the trays).

Decorating options:

• Icing – see Icing for Christmas Cookies recipe.
• Melt chocolate then dip the surface into chocolate.
• Dot with icing sugar and decorated with silver balls
• Dust with icing sugar
• Serve plain! They are sweet vanilla biscuits so they are wonderful eaten just as they are!

Add sprinkles before baking, or use icing after

Icing:

• ▢500g / 1 lb PURE icing sugar / powdered sugar , sifted (plus extra for adjusting) (Note 1)
• ▢1/4 cup egg whites (~3 eggs) (Note 2)
• ▢2 tbsp corn syrup (or 1.5 tbsp glucose syrup, Note 3)
• ▢1 – 1 1/2 tbsp water , plus more as needed

Colouring:

• ▢Food Dye – liquid or gel , go by eye for quantity (Note 4)

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Instructions

• Place Icing ingredients in a large bowl, starting with 1 tablespoon water, and beat for 1 minute on speed 5 until smooth and glossy (start on low then speed up).
• Divide icing into different bowls for colouring. Add food dye and mix – keep adding colouring until you achieve the colour you are after. If icing gets too thin, add more icing sugar.
• Icing consistency test: Should be able to draw a figure 8 on the surface and you can see if for 2 seconds before sinking in and disappearing. Should be thick enough to pipe details but thin enough to spread smoothly on surface of cookie. ADJUST icing – thinner with water (1/2 tsp at a time), thicker with more icing sugar.

PIPING:

• Transfer icing into disposable piping bags or ziplock bags.
• Snip the TINIEST bit off the corner. Smaller hole = better detail in icing. Remember: You can cut hole bigger, but not smaller! OR using very thin piping nozzle.
• Pipe decorations on cookies as desired.
• Decorate with sprinkles etc while wet (so they stick). Or dry completely before piping on details.
• To fill a large surface, use toothpick to spread.