Bake of a batch of these sweet cookies and throw a cookie-decorating bash!
Baking up sweet treats is one of the best parts of the holiday season. Looking for a new recipe to try with your loved ones? Then whip up a batch of traditional sugar cookies and make homemade icing to decorate with! Everyone—including Santa—will be fighting to get a taste!
Traditional Holiday Sugar Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cookie Directions:
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a second large bowl and mix well. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Chill the dough for 3 to 4 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the dough and cut it into shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. Place the shapes on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
- Remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, use the royal icing to decorate the cookies as desired.
Royal Icing Ingredients:
- 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons meringue powder (egg white powder)
- Food coloring, as desired
Icing Directions:
- Combine the confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl.
- Mix slowly with an electric mixer until stiff enough to form peaks; the icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. If the frosting is over-beaten, it will get aerated which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the frosting sit to settle, and then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the frosting.
- Add up to 1 tablespoon of food coloring and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. Gels are best with royal icing. You don’t want to thin them with liquid colors. Be careful not to add too much color; it reduces the sheen of the frosting and can break down the consistency over a couple of days. Store the icing at room temperature, covered, with plastic wrap on the surface.
Bake up these tasty cookies and decorate them with your loved ones to create holiday memories that will last a lifetime! If you are looking for insurance coverage this holiday season, contact the experts at Phocus Insurance in Phoenix, Arizona. Our dedicated professionals are always ready to assist you with all your coverage needs.
