Christmas Cookies Round 1

The first batch of Christmas Cookies for this year has been baked and is ready to go! I found the tins at Value Village for a dollar each and they match the colours seen on the cookies. These cookies are sugar cookies decorated with royal icing, sanding sugar, lustre dust, and dragées.

Brown Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

There are a number of people in my family who aren't big fans of sweets. However, they all love these brown sugar cookies. They are only lightly sweet and are a bit heavier and crisper than my other sugar cookies.

Makes about 72 cookies

1 cup	225 g	Butter or Margarine
2 cups	290 g	Brown Sugar
2	2	Eggs
1/4 cup	60 mL	Milk
1 tsp	5 mL	Vanilla Extract
5 cups	625 g	All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp	5 g	Baking Soda
1/2 tsp	3g	Salt

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until well blended. Chill dough for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 6 minutes in preheated oven.
6. Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire racks.

Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies

3/4 cup	170 g	Butter or Margarine
1 1/4 cups	250 g	Granulated Sugar
1	1	Egg
1 1/2 cups	190 g	All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup	65 g	Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp	2 g	Baking Powder
1/8 tsp	0.8g	Salt
		Confectioners Sugar

1. In a large bowl combine butter, sugar and egg and stir until light and fluffy.
2. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until well blended. Chill dough for one hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix cocoa powder and confectioners sugar into 50/50 mixture and use mixture to dust dough while rolling. Roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 8 minutes in a preheated oven.
6. Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire racks.

Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

Fresh out of the oven. Yummy!

These sugar cookies are lightly sweet and literally melt in your mouth. The dough is super easy to work with when chilled.

Makes about 60 Cookies

1 cup	225 g	Butter or Margarine
1 cup	200 g	Granulated Sugar
2	2	Eggs
1/2 tsp	3 ml	Vanilla Extract
3 1/4 cups	405 g	All-Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp	1 g	Baking Powder
1/4 tsp	1 g	Baking Soda
1/4 tsp	1.5 g	Salt

1. In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
2. Combine flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
3. Gradually add flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Chill dough for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place 1/2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 6 minutes in preheated oven.
6. Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire racks.