Christmas Cookies Galore! -Part I

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The cookie baking/decorating season is in full swing! I have armed myself with cookie cutters and am up to my elbows in flour, sugar and butter!! Ready or not, here is my tutorial on baking and decorating some cute and creative sugar cookies...

First, you gather up the cookie cutters you are going to use. 

Next, you need a really good sugar cookie recipe. I just happen to have one for you! -Courtesy of JENNY COOKIES (www.jennycookies.com)

Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
6 cups flour

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375F. In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside. 

2.  In a large bowl, blend together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients. 

Beat together your butter and sugar

Dry ingredients blended

 3. Divide dough into two halves. Shape each half into a ball. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Then mash each ball into a patty about 1-inch thick. Put dough patties in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Use the waiting time for clean-up and set up your work area for the next step.

Separate dough into two halves and wrap in plastic

Mash each ball into a patty

4. Sprinkle flour on a flat surface. Flour keeps the dough from sticking. I pile a little extra flour on my work area so I can grab more when I need it. 

5. Remove one of the dough patties from the fridge. Unwrap it and put it on the flat, floured surface. 

6. Rub flour on your rolling pin. Don't be stingy!

Dough patty and a floured surface

7. Starting in the middle of the dough patty and pushing away from its middle, befin rolling out the dough. Roll dough until its approximately 1/4-inch thick.

8. Cut out cookies from dough. Squish up the scraps of remaining dough, roll it out again. Continue until you have used all your dough. 

Cut out your cookies

9. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes. I put my oven on confection so the heat circulates evenly and if I have two sheets of cookies in at the same time I don't have to worry about uneven baking or turning the sheets half way through. Let cookies stand on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to cool on a rack. 

Next Friday, I will post Part 'Deuce' in which I show you different decorating techniques and designs! Check us out Monday because I think JJ will have some pics up from her Ugly Sweater Party -can't wait to see those!

Have a great weekend! ~Amy