It’s the holiday season, and I love baking sweet treats for my friends and family. Baking cookies and cakes for friends and family are like giving them a homemade gift made with love. This week, I would like to share another one of my favorite recipes from my kitchen to yours. About three years ago, I discovered a new way of making Christmas sugar cookies even more delicious. These cut-out cookies are tender and buttery, and also keep their shape while baking if you follow my little trick, which I will share later on. The cookies are the perfect vessel to put as much frosting and sprinkles your little heart desires.

Destiny’s Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies

Cookie Ingredients: Makes about 3 dozens cookies, depending on the size of shapes.

• 6 cups of unbleached, all-purpose flour. (Replace with King Arthur’s Measure for Measure if you need Gluten-free).
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cup (4 sticks) salted butter, cold & cut into chunks
• 2 large egg
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pure almond extract

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 min. Add the egg and extracts and mix to incorporate fully.
3. Switch to low speed. Gradually add the flour mixture in 2 batches, beating just until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Do not overbeat.
4. The dough will be a bit crumbly; use your hands to form the dough into a smooth ball for rolling.
5. Before rolling out the dough, line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

6. Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick and cut into shapes. Flour your rolling pin and cookie cutters to prevent the dough sticking to the surfaces. Baking tip: If your cookie dough becomes dry and crumbly, put it back in the mixer and add 1/2 teaspoon of heavy cream until it comes back to together.
   

   Photo by Destiny Constantin

7. Do not place the cookies in the oven right away; place them in the freezer for about five minutes. Do not leave the cookies in the freezer for more than five minutes because they will become frozen.
8. While the cookies are in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
9. Take the cookies out of the freezer and immediately place them on the middle rack of the oven — Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes.
10. Let cookies cool before eating or decorating them.

Royal Icing

Ingredients: (You may need to double the recipe if you’re making a lot of cookies).

• 4 cups of Powdered Sugar
• 4 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until fluffy.
3. Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add the powdered sugar until it’s completely incorporated.
4. Then add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and beat on high speed until the icing becomes thick and forms stiff peaks, about 5 to 10 minutes.
5. At this point, you may add gel food coloring for decorating. Separate the frosting in different bowls if you are using more than one color and stir.
6. Now your royal icing is ready to decorate your yummy in the tummy cookies.

I hope your family and friends enjoy this recipe as much as mine do. Happy Holidays!

Photo by Destiny Constantin

Pumpkin Sugar Cookies from Thanksgiving

Photo by Destiny Constantin       2018 Christmas Cookies