Makes Great Cut Out Christmas Cookies
-This cookie recipe has always been a family favorite. As a kid, I use to love frosting these after mom would bake them. I have not mastered that perfect feel for the dough my grandmother and mother had, but with practice I’m sure I will one day. The cookies still turn out wonderful, but could be shaped nicer.
These cookies are soft and tender and oh, so good. Not very difficult to make either. I like to make nice big cookies with this recipe. Great cookie for the holidays, any holiday. Give it a try, tell me what you think.
Here’s What You Need To Make the Dough
Heat oven to 375 degrees- You will need a rolling pin and dough will have to chill for at least an hour. Bake time 8-12 mins.
1 cup shortening- I prefer Crisco
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder
1 cup cultured buttermilk in a 2 cup container
5 cups flour
add 1 tsp salt to first cup
(Usually takes me about 15-20 minutes to prepare my dough, don’t rush it.)
Cream together your sugar and shortening very well (it will still have sugar grit), then add eggs and vanilla. Continue mixing until mixed together very well.
When measuring out your buttermilk use a measuring cup that has some extra room. You need to dissolve the baking soda and baking powder in the buttermilk, it will begin to foam up. I add the dry ingredients to the top of the buttermilk and begin mixing all together. Once it begins to foam to at least 1.5 cups you can add it to your shortening mixture. Begin adding flour once your mixture is mixed well. Mix the salt into your first cup of flour, to insure it gets blended well into your batter. Add flour one cup at a time. You can usually continue using your mixer for the first 3-4 cups of flour, then it is pretty hard on your mixer and should be mixed in by hand (unless you are using a stand mixer and begin to use a dough hook).
Cover and chill for at least an hour. I like to lightly coat plastic wrap with a dusting of flour and place it directly over the dough. If the dough is quite tacky and sticks to your fingers, if you try to shape a piece, add about a half cup of flour or more if needed to keep if from being tacky. Keep in mind as you roll out the dough you will be incorporating more flour into your dough. (splitting it will help keep the last batch from being to dry).
Divide dough in half and place one half on a well floured surface. Roll out your dough and be sure to keep your roller floured as you do it. You can use cutters or a roller cutter to make your cookies. Using as little additional flour is the key to keeping these cookies so tender. I like my dough about 1/4 inch thick. Use a nice floured thin (metal) spatula to lift cookies off surface and place on your parchment paper or cookie sheet. I personally love using parchment paper to make these cookies. You can cut out cookies and load the paper sheets, while cookies are baking. Do not place them close together they do grow and puff out. Try to bake similar size cookies per batch. Baking time is usually about 10 minutes, depending on size of cookie. I do not recommend air bake cookie sheets for these cookies. Bottoms will be light brown and bottom edges will be light brown, but tops should not be brown at all.
These are awesome un-frosted with your coffee in the morning 🙂 I like to cut them with a pizza cutter into approx. 1.5 x 3 inch strips, separate and bake. They freeze nicely too. pop in toaster to warm….yummy
I use simple powder sugar frosting to frost these cookies
Powder sugar, milk, vanilla and margarine. I do not really have a recipe, I just mix it up, adding my milk very slowly after I’ve added vanilla and margarine. About 1 tbsp margarine and a tsp vanilla, per box of powder sugar or about a half bag. You do not want a runny frosting and you do not want it to go on too thick either. When I make my frosting, I divide into four bowls. I can now color them red, green, yellow and white, for Christmas anyway. Be sure to use any sprinkles before the frosting begins to set. Use a toothpick to make lines or stripes of colored frosting.
ENJOY!