Thursday, December 20, 2012

Absolutely "Must-Have"







Cookies are made of butter and love...



Our family loves Christmas goodies, and most of what I make for them are treats like Chex Mix, dipped pretzels, Yurtles, things like that, but the ONE THING my family INSISTS on as a must-have for Christmas it is sugar cookies cut out and frosted.

I don't get fancy on the frosting, I just make SURE that the frosting tastes good, and the frosting goes on for taste only.  8)

I hope you enjoy these good old-fashioned sugar cookies, our family sure does!






Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Oven @ 350 for 8-10 minutes
(I prefer mine MORE done, you might prefer yours softer and less done.  I like my edges browned and a crunch when I bite into the cookie.)

5 c. flour
1/4 t. soda
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. nutmeg 
(or a pinch more!)

Sift these ingredients and set aside

In your Kitchen-Aid mixer bowl, with the dough paddle on, cream together:

2 c.sugar
2 sticks of butter, 
softened to room temp
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
6-8 T. milk

Mix to fluffy stage and then start adding flour a little at a time, then mix to correct consistency for rolling out and cutting.  Spread flour and roll out dough and cut into shapes.

I have to make at least four batches to have enough for everyone!  This is a family project, I get everyone in on it, cutting out, baking and frosting.  I generally do all the mixing.

Then I make a batch of frosting using butter, almond flavoring as well as vanilla, and beat in powdered sugar with alternate glops of milk and let it go in the Kitchen-aid until it's a smooth consistency and no longer tastes gritty.  

Then I make all of us sit ourselves at the table with trays full of cookies and we all frost!  Otherwise, this would take a whole day and night to get done!




Never throw out those gorgeous burned-out C-7's or C-9's.
I collect mine in a enamelware bowl in the middle of the table at Christmastime,
for a colorful Christmas centerpiece.
They support a glittery snowflake, just pushed down in the center.







Old-fashioned bubbles lights gurgle away on my dining room windowsill.



Tell me...

WHAT are your FAVORITE Christmas goodies?  




3 comments:

Mary Ann Potter said...

Frosting! Always. I love some of the canned stuff but have to be careful with the surreptitious spoon-dipping! My favorite Christmas goodies include an old fashioned Dutch pastry that my grandmother used to make, crispy and flaky dough filled with almond paste.

Laurie said...

Hi Joni, I just came to visit your blog, and love it.
Our Christmas tradition always included Grandma's sugar cookie and date stick recipes. My mother had a crock that all the cookies and date sticks were put in. I miss going through that crock to pick out Christmas goodies.

Deanna said...

May you have a super Christmas!
God bless,
d