Although I make a wide variety of sweets during the holidays, there is no cookie that I make in such mass quantity as my Rolled Sugar Cookies. Every year I have at least seven people request them, make them for about four Christmas parties which I cater, and then lets not forget the ones used to for the family Christmas party. But, the funny thinig is, I wouldn't have it any other way.
The origin of this cookie is very complicated. Most likely, it is a relative of the German heart shaped Lebkuchen, which would put its founding around the 13th century. Unfortunately so many European countries have different claims to the sugar cookie. So the true story of who made this Christmas miracle will always be left to legend.
Though my mom is a great cook and baker, the recipe which she used till I was the age of seven was like so many other kitchen mistakes. They spread out to far, they burned to easily, and the taste was just never there. When I started getting committed to baking I quickly found the problem. Unlike most cookies, you should never use baking soda in rolled sugar cookies. Baking powder is a must since it does not produce as much oxygen as soda. Also, you should use real vanilla extract. Imitation vanilla extract never has the right flavor.
(These cookies can be made as thick as you like, however, you should make sure that you cream the butter very well unless you want large bubbles which you can kind of see in the non-iced cookies show above.)
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar beating until very smooth. Mix in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the flour incorporating small portions slowly into the batter (do not use a mixer it never turns out right if you do sorry). After half of the flour mixture has been incorporated add in the vanilla and continue incorporating the remaining flour.
Once the cookie dough has been well mixed, divide it into two equal parts and then wrap it separately with plastic wrap. Chill the dough overnight.
Divide each dough half in half once more and roll the dough onto a generously floured surface to about 1/2 inch thickness (don't worry the dough never expands outward just upward so thick cookies are not your enemy). Using your chosen shapes cut out the shapes form the dough putting using as much dough as possible to avoid having to re-roll scraps.
Place the cookies on a ungreased cookie sheet and bake in a 350* oven. Bake for about 7 minutes or until bottom of cookies begin to turn golden brown. Remove the cookies immediately from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Decorate the cookies with method of choice, some of which are shown below.
Makes 5 to 6 dozen (depends on the shape of cutter)
(The time of year that I make the most sugar cookies is surprisingly not Christmas but Valentines Day. I probably get on average 50 orders engraved with special messages in Royal Icing, one special order from this year was a question of "Will You Marry Me?")
Cream Cheese Icing
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla
Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto cookies, gently smooth over with the back of a spoon or a metal spatula. Decorate with colored sugars, sprinkles, or royal icing
Glossy Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 teaspoons light corn syrup.
In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar, milk vanilla, and corn syrup. Divide the icing into two portions and add enough food coloring to gain desired color. Start off light as you can never get the color to become lighter. Dip each cookie slightly in the icing, and allow 10 minutes on a cooling rack for icing to harden. Decorate with piped royal icing.
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