Very Basic Sugar Cookie

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

frosting and nonpareilis for decorating

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth, about two minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. On low-speed, beat in flour mixture until just combined. Divide dough in half and form each half into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk to order inch thickness. Using a 2 inch tree shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes and tell lightly golden around the edges. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining half of dough gather scraps and refrigerate reroll and cut into additional trees. Bake in cool as above. Decorate the frosting and nonpareilis when dry cookies may be stored in an airtight container up to two weeks.

makes three dozen

Peanut Blossoms

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

½ cup peanut butter*

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

60 Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375°. Combine flour, ½ cup granulated sugar, Brown sugar, baking soda, salt, shortening, peanut butter, milk, vanilla, and egg. Eat a low speed until dough is still. Shape dough into 1 inch balls role in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until Golden Brown immediately top each cookie with a Hershey's kiss, pressing down firmly so that the cookie cracks round edges remove from baking sheets to rack to cool. 

makes five dozen

*~*Allergy Nut Warning: Contains peanut butter.

Peppermint Mittens

You will need mitten shaped cookie cutters for these.

Ingredients

Cookies

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup finely crushed starlight mint candies (approximately 22)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

Frosting

1 box (16 ounce) confectioner sugar

5 tablespoon warm water

food coloring, sparkling sugar or nonpareils for decorating

Directions:

 Cookies

In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, crushed candies and sugar until blended. Beat in egg. On low-speed, beat in flour mixture. Gather dough with your hands and divide in half. For each half into a desk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate overnight.

Oven to 350°. Let go stand 10 minutes at room temperature. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a floured surface roll out one disk to 1/8-¼ inch thickness. Cut out mittens with cookie cutters. Transfer to prepare sheets. Re-roll scraps cutting out as many men as possible. Bake at 350° for 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; repeat with all dough.

Frosting

In a bowl, combine confectioner sugar and water beat until smooth. If desired transfer ¼ cup of frosting into each of two bowls. Tint to desired colors. Spread a scant 2 teaspoon frosting onto each cookie top with sparkling sugar (colored sugar) or nonpareils, or decorate with colored frosting. Let dry completely before stacking cookies.

Happy Thanksgiving

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

~ Anonymous