We Be Cookin’

This is a basic but delicious sugar cookie recipe. If you have time, you can make cut outs and decorate them. If you have a cookie press and are in a rush, this dough works just as well in a press on it’s own. I got fun little Easter themed cookie cutters at target the other day so I decided to make cookie cutouts the other day. Without further ado,

You will need:

2/3 cup butter, softened (i’ve melted it when using the press but I advise against doing that if you’re doing cut outs)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tbls milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups AP flour

Red Kitchen-Aid Mixer – Okay, you don’t really need the mixer, I just wanted to show mine off (and if you’re looking for flour in the picture, it’s in the yellow thing. The milk is behind the sugar and you can’t see it. Lactaid works just fine in case you were curious.)

Beat the butter in the mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, baking powder and salt then beat until combined.

Next, add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat until combined (scraping the sides if necessary)

Finally, beat in as much of the flour that you can. It’s OK to mix the last bit in by hand.

I wanted to chill the dough to make it easier to manage. You should chill the dough at least a half hour but I threw it in the fridge while I made dinner (the earlier posted lentil soup!) To chill the dough, I rolled it up in some parchment paper and then put it in a ziploc and stuck it in the fridge.

After the dough is nice and chilled, take half of it out (keep the other half in the fridge while you work so it will be easy to handle). Preheat the oven to 375. Use a bit of flour and roll out the dough

You want the dough to be about 1/4 thick and even throughout so that the cut outs are all an even thickness. Use the cookie cutters and decorate!

I’m using my Silpat mat so that the sprinkles don’t stick to my cookie sheet. Put the cookies in the oven for around 7 – 10 minutes. I usually go by when the cookies are golden brown on the edges. I rolled the dough a bit thicker than usual so these cookies took about 12 – 15 minutes a batch for some reason.

Once the cookies are done, take them out and let them cool on the sheet for a bit, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Voila! you’ve got delicious sugar cookies!

Notice the bite in that one cookie? That’s because they’re so yummy that I couldn’t wait!

Though my boyfriend claims to not like sweets, there are a few things that I make that he will eat a lot of – those include sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, angel food cake, and banana bread. I made snickerdoodles not too long ago and decided to capture the moment for my other blog. So, here is the recipe for some very easy, very delicious snickerdoodles (made by hand here as this was before I got my beautiful Red Kitchen-Aid Mixer):

You will need:

1/2 cup butter (softened)

1 Cup Sugar (I use C&H Bakers Sugar)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbls sugar (I use organic sugar from Trader Joe’s)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

First, beat the butter on med to high for 30 seconds (or stir it by hand like crazy). Then add the sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. I use the C&H Bakers Sugar because it’s fine and mixes well with the butter. However, I know that granier sugar cuts into the butter more so it’s really up to you.

Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Next, beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Then beat in the flour (if using a mixer, beat in as much as you can then add the rest by hand).

Cover and chill the dough for an hour so it’s easy to handle. I only chill it for a half hour cos I’m impatient. When you take the dough out, pre-heat the oven to 375.

Combine the 2 tbls of sugar and the cinnamon. I like using the organic sugar from Trader Joe’s because it’s grainer and more like old fashioned sugar crystals. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls (ha! I said balls), roll them in the cinnamon sugar mix and then place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 11 miutes or until the edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool (or eat when warm if you’re a piggie like me)

Snickerdoodles Recipe