Simple Christmas Sugar Cookies

I've been making the same Christmas cookies for years.  These Sugar Cookies are one of our yearly traditions. They are simple to mix up, chill, cut out and bake; and if you so desire ... decorate.  

The cookies in the photos were baked and decorated by my daughter, which is why they are lovely and decorated nicely.  Mine often don't look nearly as pretty as hers, but they still taste great, and as a bonus, my husband prefers them without icing, so I get away with making at least one batch of 'plain' sugar cookies! 

Simple Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup softened butter (I use salted butter)

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla 

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mix together powdered sugar, butter, egg and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.

Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.  I usually mix the dough one day and leave it in the fridge overnight and bake the next day.  

Preheat oven to 375.  

Divide dough in half.

Roll out to 3/16 on a lightly floured surface.  

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets until edges are light brown, about 7 to 8 minutes. 

Cool on rack.

Decorate as desired, if you desire!

Note: You can decorate before baking with sprinkles and such if you prefer.  

Decorator Frosting

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1-2 tablespoons water

Mix the above together until smooth and spreadable.  

Add food coloring to obtain desired colors.

What is your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

Love,

Catherine Ann

Simple Holidays

It is time for holiday crafting and baking at our house. 
I've marked lots and lots of goodies at Pinterest that I'd like to make.  Obviously, time and energy won't allow for all these, but I hope to create a few of them this year, if not there's always next Christmas!  I am determined to keep it simple this year.

Here is a link to  my favorite simple Christmas cookie recipe:
Simple Christmas Cookies (Scotch Shortbread)

Also on the To Bake list are:

Ginger Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Fudge Crinkles

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?  (I'm always looking for new recipes for the Recipe Pile!)

And now ... back to Pinterest to add more goodies to my Christmas board! 

Blessings,
Catherine :)

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

 A simple tasty treat from my Recipe Pile to suit the season.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Makes two dozen cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon cinnamon
½ nutmeg
1 ½ cup butterscotch chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the butterscotch chips, mixing gently. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a well-greased cookie sheet. (You can also use parchment paper.) The cookies will not flatten while baking, so press them down with your fingers.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Allow cookies to cool for one minute before moving them to baking rack.      

Simple Christmas Cookies

I'll be baking lots of cookies over the next 3 days, 20 dozen or so to take to the local shelter for our annual Christmas Eve Cookies & Coffee, and then more for friends and family ... not to mention the ones that will get devoured by my eager baker's helpers! 

The following recipe is so simple, it is always on my cookie list.  It also is fun to dress up for the holidays with a bit of melted chocolate, dried fruit or nuts. 

SCOTCH SHORTBREAD


1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar


Preheat oven to 300. Mix ingredients with pastry blender until crumbly. Work with hands until it makes a large lump. Press flat into a 9x9 pan, about 1/2" thick. Prick with a fork thoroughly. Bake for 50-60 minutes until set and very pale gold. Cut while warm into 36 squares. Enjoy!
*I tweaked the original recipe just a tad by using Cane Juice Crystals and Organic Unbleached flour..

This simple recipe in my mind just begs to be dressed up a bit for Christmas! Perhaps with a drizzle of melted chocolate, or by adding some finely ground nuts and/or dried cranberries to the dough, maybe a bit of dried lavender, lemony herbs and a drizzle of lemon glaze... Yum!

Please share your favorite Christmas cookie recipe with me, I love to add new things to my recipe pile (and yes it is a pile rather than a file, though someday I hope to remedy that)!

A photo from last year's Christmas cookie marathon ... and no, I don't put Tabasco sauce in cookies, I have no idea why that is there, other than the fact that it seems to always be present on the dining table!