It is Christmas cookie baking season at our house again. The Betty Crocker cookbook is open and the counters are filling with treats. Both girls took cookie boxes to their ballet teachers this year and also to the piano teacher. The piano recital for Bels also required a dozen piano shaped sugar cookie cutouts frosted with Nutella and topped with sprinkles. For fun, we also made guitar shaped cutouts for my husbands guitar students' recital.
We have baked thumbprints and butter pecans, Nutella blossoms with candy cane kisses, and sugar cutouts and chocolate chip cookies. I still want to make Christmas mice, cereal wreaths, peppermint flavored candy cane cookies and fudge. There are gingerbread houses waiting to be built and last, but certainly not least, a birthday cake for our Lord and Savior, Jesus.
This year, I experimented a bit and now I have a new sugar cookie cutout recipe. This recipe rolls easily, is not sticky and lifts well from the counter and the pan. It also tastes delicious! I do all the mixing by hand. It makes for a better cookie.
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
1c Butter, softened but not melted
1/2c Shortening
2c Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
5 1/2c All Purpose Flour
1c Powdered Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. Cover and chill at least one hour in the fridge. You can also leave it overnight.
Preheat over to 400 degrees. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. I prefer to use half flour and half powdered sugar. Roll to 1/2 to 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool on sheet a few minutes before removing for best results. I like to use a pie server to pop them off. The pointed tip often works better than a wide flat spatula.
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