COOKIE COUNTDOWN #7 CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE AND FROSTING RECIPE

SUGAR COOKIES

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sugar-cookies-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Frosting:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/animal-sugar-cookies-recipe/index.html

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water, plus extra, as needed
• Assorted food coloring Cook's Note: If using natural food coloring (such as Seelect brand), be sure to shake the bottle before adding the coloring to the frosting
   

For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup water. Beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is smooth, adding more water, as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is spreadable. Divide the frosting between 3 small bowls. Color the frosting by mixing in 1 drop of food coloring at a time, until the desired color is reached. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies and decorate.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE COUNTDOWN #6 AND CINNAMON ORNAMENT

http://printable-coupons.blogspot.com/2008/02/michaels-coupons-arts-craft-store.html  Save 25% off your entire purchase of martha stewart crafts and arts.***  Michaels has great products to package up these cookies for holiday gifts!

Surprise Cookies

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/surprise-cookies?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/kids-favorite-christmas-cookies#slide_1

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally
• Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.
3. Using a tablespoon or 1 3/4-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begins to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
5. Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Surprise Cookies - Martha Stewart Recipes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments                                        

http://crafts.kaboose.com/cinnamon-dough-ornaments.html Difficulty: Easy

What you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups ground cinnamon
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup white school glue (like Elmer's)
• Bowl
• Plastic food wrap
• Rolling pin
• Wax paper
• Cookie cutters or a knife
• Ribbon or yarn for hanging
• Straw

How to make it:

1. Mix cinnamon, applesauce, and glue together in a bowl. The dough should be as thick as cookie dough. Add a bit of water if the dough is too stiff.
2. Remove from bowl and knead. Put it back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for at least a half hour.
3. Remove the dough, knead again to make sure it's smooth. Flatten/roll the dough between waxed paper until it's between 1/4" thick and 1/8" thick.
4. Cut out desired shapes, use a straw to punch a hole for the ribbon to hang. The circle of dough will pull out with the straw.
5. Gently place the shapes on a piece of clean wax paper. They will take 3-5 days to dry, and you will need to turn them over a couple of times a day for them to dry evenly and flat.

Don't be surprised to see that the ornaments get smaller during the drying process. Keep this in mind when you pick out the cookie cutters for your designs. You will also notice that if you do not turn the ornaments over often enough while they are drying, the edges of the ornaments will curl.

When dry, thread a piece of ribbon or yarn through the hole to hang.

SHAPE IDEAS: Tree, Apple, House (gingerbread), Bell, Heart, Goose, Gingerbread Man, Star...

Optional Painting ideas - use acrylic paints or fabric paints to paint details, like white 'frosting' on a gingerbread man or gingerbread house, or eyes on a goose.

Parental supervision is recommended

COOKIE COUNTDOWN: #5

servings:24

http://www.food.com/recipe/soft-snickerdoodle-cookies-97496Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
  Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

1. 1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. 2 Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.
3. 3 Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.
4. 4 Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture.
5. 5 Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge.
6. 6 Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. 7 Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture.
8. 8 Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture.
9. 9 Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 10 minutes.
10. 10 Remove from pan immediately.

Brought these to a holiday party last year, gone in 5 minutes flat!

COOKIE COUNTDOWN: RECIPE#4

http://thestir.cafemom.com/food_party/1820/peppermint_puffs_for_the_holidays

Peppermint Puffs
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1/2-3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces white chocolate, melted
1/2 cup cup finely chopped candy canes or sprinkles
Sift flour and salt in bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg. Beat in peppermint and vanilla extracts. On low speed beat in flour mixture. Refrigerate dough 15 minutes to 1 hour.
Grease baking sheets. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool completely. Brush with melted white chocolate and top with candy canes or sprinkles.
This is a great recipe for the kids to help out with!