Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s
almost Christmas time. Why not bake some
cookies for Santa. The secrets to making perfect cookies are few. Read the recipe carefully, assemble all
ingredients, use proper tools and measure accurately. Chill the pastry board, rolling pin, cutters
and dough for at least 1 hour. Change the flavor of the dough by adding fruit
juice or extracts such as orange, lemon or almond. For decorating use icings, gels and/or
sprinkles. In a tightly covered
container, prepare tinted sugar by placing a drop of food gel into 1/2 cup
sugar. Shake!
Preparation time
of dough: About 20 minutes.
Equipment you’ll
need: Electric mixer, solid (nested)
measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowl, sifter, turner, spatula, pastry
board, rolling pin, nonstick cookie sheet and cookie cutters.
Safety: Use dry potholders to put cookie sheet into
oven, remove and transfer cookies to cooling rack. When using electric mixer,
ask for adult supervision.
1 stick unsalted
butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1. In a large bowl sift together flour and
baking powder; set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and
sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and
vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed
until smooth.
4. Divide dough in half and flatten to the size
of a very large pancake;
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1
hour. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
5. Remove 1 package of dough from refrigerator and
place on a lightly floured
pastry
board. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness.
6. Dip Christmas
cookie cutters lightly in flour and press down to cut. Use a small
turner to transfer
cut outs to baking pan covered with parchment paper.
7. Place cookie
sheet in oven and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly brown.
8. Remove sheet
from oven and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes before placing cookies on
Cooling rack. Decorate!
Yield: 2 dozen cookies.
Clean up: Turn off oven immediately after use. Wipe off
counters to remove traces of flour or dough. Be proud of your clean kitchen!
Carolyn Gass Hardimon, M. S.
Family and Consumer Science
Home Economist