Sugar Cookies - A Family Tradition

Making and decorating Sugar Cookies have long been a favourite holiday tradition. I still have the Robin Hood Junior baking set with child-size oven mitts and matching apron and baker’s hat that the girls used when they were small.  And, I have a plastic box full of assorted Christmas cookie cutters and we don’t skimp on the decorations. At first I made a double batch, but as the kids grew I needed more so now I make a quadruple batch and that will last a week or two. 

This image is a jigsaw puzzle. Click on it to play.

But this year, we're partway through December already and we haven't started baking yet. Because this year is different. For the first Christmas ever, Jessie won't be home because she's flying to Vietnam to replace missionaries at an orphange so they can be home for Christmas. Then on New Year's Day, we'll pick her up at the airport and she'll visit for 2 weeks.

Every year, Crystal is torn between coming home and sharing Christmas with her long-standing boyfriend and other roommates. When I discovered Jessie wouldn't be home, I let Crystal know this would be a good year to stay home if she wished. She did. Now, she's coming out to visit during the time Jessie will be home. So in essence, our Christmas will be at the beginning of January.

So there's no rush for baking an overabundance now when I can do it during the holidays - when the boys can practice,  as well.  And I'll admit, I don't only have Christmas cookie cutters, I have them for all seasons and then some because I collect them. The plan then is to see if the boys want to make the sugar cookies before Christmas using only Christmas cutters, or after and use a variety of them. Hmm... snowflakes are nice. :)

Sugar Cookies

Double                         Basic                                                   Quadruple
1 1/3 cups         2/3 cup shortening                                     2 2/3 cups
1 1/2 cups         3/4 cups sugar                                              2 1/2 - 3 cups (I use 2 1/2)
2 tsp                     1 tsp vanilla                                                   4 tsp 
                                                *    *    *
2 eggs                   1 egg                                                                 4 eggs
8 tsp                      4 tsps milk                                                     5 tbsp 
                                                *    *    *
4 cups                   2 cups sifted all-purpose flour              8 cups
1 tbsp                    1 1/2 tsps baking powder                        2 tbsp
1/2 tsp                 1/4 tsp salt                                                     1 tsp

Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar and vanilla.

Add egg; beat till light and fluffy.

Stir in milk.

Sift together: flour, baking powder, and salt.

Blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture.

Divide dough into portions. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and smooth into a flat brick shape. Chill one hour.

Traditional way is to roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface.

My way:  Unwrap one brick but leave it between the plastic. Roll it out, turning and flipping the dough with plastic so it won’t stick to rolling pin or to the table.

When dough is rolled to 1/8” thickness no less, cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on greased cookie sheets.

Decorate before baking. To ensure decorations stay on, press lightly with pad of index finger so sprinkles won’t roll off. Press decorations lightly into dough. It’s okay if decorations land on cookie sheet – just hard to clean after.

The younger kids have a tendency to push too hard and flatten the dough allowing it to cook faster and then burn before the rest are done.  

Nick took his time decorating the trees. Click to play jigsaw puzzle.

Bake decorated cookies at 375° for 6-8 minutes.

Baked sugar cookies. Click image to play jigsaw puzzle.

This is the same cookie sheet Nick was decorating in the image above this one. If you look at the cookie in the bottom left before it went into the oven, you can see the difference in dough thickness beside its neighbor - probably because it was cut from another roll-out of dough. Cookies are done when the bottom of the outer edge begins to brown. 

Cool slightly and remove from pan. Continue cooling on rack.

For best use of space, I use the stacking cooling racks. Click to play jigsaw puzzle.

Basic recipe makes 2 dozen cookies.

Quadruple batch fills our cookie jar. Click image to play jigsaw puzzle.

All the images on this page were taken December 2011. They are all jigsaw puzzles.

If you want to see more of my jigsaw puzzles, click on the FUN tab in my menu bar and pick Jigsaw Puzzles from the drop-down menu. You'll have choices of Flora, Fauna and Christmas although I'm working on more pages like scenery, texture, objects, people, etc.

Or, you could click here - Jigsaw Puzzles.