Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Epic Sugar Cookies

Oh, yeah, you know you want 'em!  These are super easy and turn out alot like those big, soft grocery store cookies.  Best part...no chilling or rolling.




Big Soft Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon extract (or other flavor)
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together shortening, butter and sugar.  Mix in eggs, vanilla, and other flavoring, if desired.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together.  Do not over mix.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll in sugar.  Place them on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes, until bottom is light brown.  Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.  Frost when completely cooled.

Icing for Sugar Cookies

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 t.  other flavor to match cookies
1 egg white
1/4 cup milk or cream

Combine egg white and milk, set aside.
Beat together powdered sugar, butter and flavorings.
Add small amounts of the milk mixture until icing is spreading consistency.
Tint with desired colors.
Hint: using the egg white will give the icing a nice finish, the butter will keep it soft on the inside.
The cookies can be stacked once icing is set.  Use a sheet of  wax paper between cookie layers.
We like to use lemon flavoring or almond extract.  We're going to try peppermint on our next batch.
Of course we doubled the recipe!

This is Ben's own pan.  I rearrange before baking...  : )
These are for a Christmas party.  Everybody pitched in.
(Please ignore the fake brick paneling...I seem to attract weird kitchen decorating. )

That is Noah's hand.  Even teenage boys get into making these cookies!


Yummm!!!

2 comments:

  1. Oh Yum! I'm going to make the peppermint flavor and top them with crushed candy canes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love mint anything! Gotta try that.

    ReplyDelete

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