Sugar and Everything Nice

Remember when I boldly stated that I had a list of fifteen things to bake this holiday season?  Yes, I’m a nutter.  I think I pulled off five of the fifteen recipes.  Who was I kidding?

Sugar Cookies aren’t even a usual thing on my Christmas baking list.  I normally make them for Valentine’s Day (who doesn’t love a pink sprinkled heart on V-Day?!), but for whatever reason I had them on this year’s recipe list and they made the cut for actual cookies baked.

Basic Rolled Sugar Cookies with Egg Nog Icing

*yields approximately 4 dozen cookies depending on the sizes you cut

Cookie Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Cookie Directions:

1. In a large bowl (or stand mixer) cream together butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt.  Carefully add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix until combined.
3. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (or wrap more tightly and chill overnight).
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
5. On a floured surface, roll dough out with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut desired shapes and continue to reroll excess dough and keep cutting until all cookies are cut.
6. Place cookies one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 6-8 minutes.  Watch carefully…cookie bottoms should NOT brown.  Cool a few minutes on baking sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Icing Ingredients:

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tbsp egg nog
• 2-3 tsp brown rice syrup (light corn syrup works too)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of nutmeg
• food colouring (optional…I never bother)
• festive sprinkles

Icing Directions:

1. Stir together sifted icing sugar and egg nog until smooth. Whisk in syrup, vanilla and nutmeg until icing is smooth and glossy.  If icing is too thick, add more syrup and/or egg nog.
2. If using food colouring, divide icing into separate bowls and add colourings.
3. Dip cooled cookies into icing, or paint on icing with a pastry brush (I find this the easiest).  Sprinkle with festive sprinkles while icing is still wet.
4. Let set at least an hour before storing in an airtight container.

I made two and a half dozen large cut cookies and used the rest of the batter to make one large flat pan cookie which I then pulverized and turned into Sugar Cookie Truffles.

Say what?!  Yes.  Sugar Cookie Truffles.  Stay tuned.  :)