Okay, okay-- we admit it. We're a small fish in a big pond of blogs authored by baking nuts like us who just want to spread a little sweetness in the world... and we're really late to the party. But that didn't stop us from finally pulling the trigger and joining the mix. So here we are. Welcome to Sarmie Sister Sweets' inaugural blog post. Brace yourself.
Anyway...
Ahh, Christmas. 'Tis the season of warm fuzzies, celebrating the nativity, and rapturously destroying the kitchen to prepare Instagram-worthy sweets for office cookie exchanges and family get-togethers. Pretty sure we can all agree that the quintessential piece of every Christmas cookie collection is the tried-and-true rolled sugar cookie. Pretty? Yes. Pain in the butt? Sometimes.
Process-wise, this trusty standby won't kill you. We've stood by a recipe we randomly found about 12 years ago in an old cookbook. Among pages of vintage recipes (think meats in ring molds or entrees masquerading as dessert items) sat the cookies we've made our own in the past decade.
With a few tweaks, like adding almond extract, shortening the bake time to retain a softer texture and decorating with Betty Crocker cookie icing, you, too, can have the power.
Behold:
Sarmie Sisters' Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 1/4 c. sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Betty Crocker cookie icing, for decorating
- Cream butter and add sugar and vanilla gradually, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- Sift flower, baking powder, and salt together; add to creamed mixture in fourths, mixing until blended after each addition, Chill dough for at least an hour (or overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough 1/4-inch thick; cut into a variety of shapes with cutters. Transfer to parchment-lined cookie sheets.
- Bake 5 - 7 minutes, or until the centers lose their sheen and a faint golden brown appears on the edges.
- Transfer baked cookies onto cooling racks; once at room temperature, get decorating!
