This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes. All opinions are mine alone.One of my favorite cookies to bake and decorate is a cut out sugar cookie! I have been making them for a long time, and I love giving them away in my cookie tins for Christmas! For today’s Cut Out Sugar Cookie I used an ornament cookie cutter, courtesy of yum google, and it was so much fun making this cookie!
This is the fourth cookie I am making this week for the cookie tins I’m sending out this holiday season. I chose a vintage looking ornament because there is so much you can do with it! I decided to give it a old time vibe, but it would also look great in modern colors, a solid color, or maybe with a design on it!
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
(printable recipe at end of page)
5 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 cups Butter
2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon Salt
Royal Icing
6 ounces Warm Water
5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
2.25 pounds Powdered Confectioners Sugar
Mix the dry ingredients together, then set aside.
Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and extract, and continue to mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, to the butter mixture. Mix until the flour mix is incorporated and the dough comes together.
Cut a piece of parchment paper 2 times the size of the cookie sheet. Fold it in half. Place some dough on the parchment, fold the paper over and roll the dough to a 1/4″ thickness. Place the dough on the cookie sheet, and do it again until all the dough is between parchment paper and on the tray. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The dough will become solid, making it easier to cut out the cookies. This system works great if you are using an intricate cookie cutter too. It cuts the edges and corners perfectly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use the cookie cutter to cut out the design. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Then remove cookie from cookie sheet and let it cool on a cooling rack. Once you have cut the cookie from the dough, let the rest of the dough soften a bit and then reroll it and refrigerate all over again.
Make the frosting by pouring the warm water in a mixer and add the meringue powder. Whisk by hand until frothy for 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds again. Pour all the confectioners sugar into the mixer bowl, and mix using a paddle attachment for 10 minutes. Frosting should be thick and creamy. Cover with plastic when not using.
I decided to decorate the ornament cookie with some old time gold and silver decorating sugar. Start by outlining where you want to put some of the same color sugar. It is easier to decorate when the parts you are working on are separate from one another. After outline the area, spread the white icing lightly through the space. Add the sugar, a bit heavy in the spot, and let it dry for 30 minutes. After the time is up, it will still be wet, but you are able to work near the other color. Outline the top of the bottom part and the very top hook area. Add the silver sugar to those areas.
Add the silver to the bottom of the second area from the bottom. Use a piece of wax paper as a shield when applying the color close to another.
Apply the icing as the glue to the big section just above and below the circle. Let dry. Place the star in the center of the circle to see where you want it. Use the pastry bag with the frosting in it and outline around the star. Spread frosting in the area around the star, and sprinkle the gold and silver mix in that area. Let dry, and remove star cutter. If necessary, use a small dry paint brush to get rid of sprinkles that don’t stick. Wrap a ribbon through the hole and hang on a tree, or add it to your cookie tin!
Don’t forget to check out these yummy cookie recipes from my blogger friends!:
#ChristmasCookiesWeek Thursday Recipes
- Celebrating Sinterklaas with Speculaas by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Chocolate Gingerbread Bars by Daily Dish Recipes
- Chocolate Mint Thumbprints by Family Around The Table
- Chocolate Shortbread by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Cinnamon Spice Sugar Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Cream Cheese Buttons with a Dark Chocolate Drizzle by Kate’s Recipe Box
- Cut Out Sugar Cookies by The Freshman Cook
- Empire Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Frosted Chocolate Cherry Almond Bars by YumGoggle
- Iced Peppermint Cookies by Jonesin’ For Taste
- Lemon Shortbread Sandwich Cookies by Palatable Pastime
- Mexican Wedding Cookies by House of Nash Eats
- Mint Chocolate Thumbprints by Family Around the Table
- No Bake Bourbon Balls by Girl Abroad
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cereal Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Peppermint Brownie Bites by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Soulfully Made
- Peppermint Patty Bars by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Red and White Pinwheel Cookies by Hardly A Goddess
- Truffle Filled Cookie Tarts by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- White Chocolate Peppermint Kiss Cookies by The Saucy Fig
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Author: The Freshman CookPrint Recipe
CUT OUT SUGAR COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
5 cups Flour
3 teaspoons Baking Powder
2 cups Butter
2 cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon Salt
Royal Icing
6 ounces Warm Water
5 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
2.25 pounds Powdered Confectioners Sugar
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Mix the dry ingredients together, then set aside.
- Cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and extract, and continue to mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time, to the butter mixture. Mix until the flour mix is incorporated and the dough comes together.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper 2 times the size of the cookie sheet. Fold it in half. Place some dough on the parchment, fold the paper over and roll the dough to a 1/4″ thickness. Place the dough on the cookie sheet, and do it again until all the dough is between parchment paper and on the tray. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate. the dough will become solid, making it easier to cut out the cookies. This system works great if you are using intricate an cookie cutter too. It cuts the edges and corners perfectly.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use the cookie cutter to cut out the design. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Then remove cookie from cookie sheet and let it cool on a cooling rack. Once you have cut the cookie from the dough, let the rest of the dough soften a bit and then reroll it and refrigerate all over again.
- Make the frosting by pouring the warm water in a mixer and add the meringue powder. Whisk by hand until frothy for 30 seconds. Add Cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds again. Pour all the confectioners sugar into the mixer bowl, and mix using a paddle attachment, for a 10 minutes. Frosting should be thick and creamy. Cover with plastic when not using.
- I decided to decorate the ornament cookie with some old time gold and silver decorating sugar. Start by outlining where you want to put some of the same color sugar. It is easier to decorate when the parts you are working on are separate from one another. After outline the area, spread the white icing lightly through the space. Add the sugar, a bit heavy in that spot, and let it dry for 30 minutes. After the time is up, it will still be wet, but you are able to work near the other color. Outline the top of the bottom part and the very top hook area. Add the silver sugar to those areas.
- Add the silver to the bottom of the second area from the bottom. Use a piece of wax paper as a shield when applying the color close to another.
- Apply the icing as the glue to the big section just above and below the circle. Let dry. Place the star in the center of the circle to see where you want it. Use the pastry bag with the frosting in it and outline around the star. Spread frosting in the area around the star, and sprinkle the gold and silver mix in that area. Let dry, and remove star cutter. If necessary, use a small dry to brush away sprinkles that don’t stick. Wrap a ribbon through the hole and hang on a tree, or add to our cookie tin!
