Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor
Once the holidays come around, my household becomes filled with various sweets and treats for family dinners. An easy and fun recipe that I do with my mom is Christmas themed sugar cookies. Here’s the recipe she uses — try it out with friends or family members during this holiday baking season.
CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
Start to finish: 4 hours and 30 minutes
For the classic sugar cookies: 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cups (or 1 ½ sticks) unsalted, softened butter
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
⅔ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the basic royal icing: 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
MAKING THE CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dust a work surface with a sprinkling of flour. Unwrap the chilled dough, and put it directly on the work surface. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut shapes in the dough, and transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, until they are set but not browned. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
MAKE THE BASIC ROYAL ICING
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg whites and lemon juice until the mixture is completely smooth. The mixture should have the texture of a glaze. If the mixture is too thin, add a bit more sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of lemon juice. You can add a few drops of food coloring if desired, or you can divide the icing among many mixing bowls if you need more than one color.
The best way to ice sugar cookies is with a pastry bag fitted with a small or medium tip. First, outline the cookie or design, then fill it in. Let the icing harden before serving.
The cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days.
Recipe from “BAKED: New Frontiers in Baking” by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito.
Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu
