SUGAR COOKIES FOR DECORATING

I love a decorated cookie… there is just something so festive and fun about a shaped cookie decorated in holiday colors. Now, I will say some of these cookies are not always delicious and once you eat the icing, you toss the cookie. This cookie recipe is delicious with or without icing. I love them with a cup of tea in the afternoon as I’m sitting at my desk, just the perfect treat.

Here is a recipe I have been using for quite a long time and I’ll tell you honestly, I do not remember where I originally got it. I’ve tweaked it over the years and have reduced the sugar to only 1/2 cup because icing is so sweet. When I bake them and don’t intent to decorate them, I’ll add a drop of almond extract or sometimes a pinch of cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg. Also, if I am not going to decorate them, I’ll dust them with a little Confectioners sugar while they are warm.

I do not add anything if I plan to decorate them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

SUGAR COOKIES FOR DECORATING

YEILD: 12-20 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Parchment Paper

DIRECTIONS:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES FARENHEIT WITH THE RACK IN THE CENTER OF THE OVEN.

In the bowl of a mixer, add the room temperature butter and beat it on medium for 30 seconds. Slowly, add the sugar and beat at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and the vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds. It will appear broken- it isn’t. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula and stir until it comes together. Bear for another 30 seconds or so on medium.

Add the flour, salt and baking powder to a bowl and whisk it together to incorporate all of the ingredients.

With your mixer on low, add the flour, a little at a time, scraping down the bowl at least once during this process. Once the flour is fully incorporated, increase the speed a bit for about 15 seconds. The dough should be in a ball at this point. Make certain all of the flour is incorporated.

Turn the flour out onto a piece of parchment paper which has been lightly floured. Flour the dough and a rolling pin. Shame the dough into a rectangle using your hands and then roll it out to 1/4-inch thickness.

Slide the parchment onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

Prepare another baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the parchment paper with the dough back to your counter. Cut cookies using your favorite cutter- be sure to flour them lightly before each use. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper- about 1/2 -inch apart. You can re-roll the scraps and repeat the process.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to cool on a wire baking rack for at least 1 hour before you decorate t hem.

NOTE: these cookies should not be brown on the top. They are done when the sides are slightly golden in color.

TO DECORATE: I always use royal icing made with meringue powder. You can usually find it at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Wal-Mart or wherever they sell baking supplies. I simply follow the instructions and recipe on the package. I do find that gel color works better than any other kind of color- you need less and it is more vibrant. BUT note that it absolutely will stain EVERYTHING you touch so be certain to cover up your beautiful white countertops with kraft paper before using it.

RECIPE: S'MORES SKILLET PIE

National S’mores Day! It is the perfect day to make this recipe which has all the components of backyard s’mores complete with homemade graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. If you want to make this recipe faster- just use store bought graham crackers— but let me assure you that these graham crackers are worth the work and you might want to ;make them on their own.

Smores Skillet Pie.jpg

SKILLET S’MORES PIE

For the homemade graham crackers:

2 cups whole wheat flour plus more for dusting (not stoneground or white whole wheat flour)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons butter -softened

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3 tablespoons whole milk

1/3 cup honey

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 For the pie:  

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 large egg (room temperature)

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/3 cups milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

2 full-sheets homemade graham crackers

1/2 cup miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together.

Increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until incorporated and a soft dough forms, about 2 minutes.

Add the milk, honey and vanilla extract. The dough should be sticky and soft.

Divide the dough in two discs and wrap both in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

To roll and bake the dough:

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper and place one ball of dough in the center.

Pat into a 5-by-6-inch rectangle, sprinkle with flour, flip, and dust again, Working from the center out and adding more flour as needed, roll the dough until roughly 15-by-11 inches and very thin.

Slide onto am aluminum baking sheet and brush away excess flour. Repeat with remaining dough.

For grocery store look-alike, score each sheet of dough into twelve 2 1/4-by-4 3/4-inch rectangles and dock with a bamboo skewer or the narrow end of a chopstick. Otherwise leave the dough uncut.

Bake until crackers and firm and darkened, about 10-12 minutes. Immediately cut along the prescored lines with a knife or cut into free-form shapes using a pizza wheel. Cool to room temperature directly on the baking sheets.

In an 8 or 9-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.

Remove from heat and allow the skillet to cool for 5 minutes.

Add in the vanilla and egg. Mix until combined. Add in the flour, baking soda, salt, and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Mix until combined. Smooth around the skillet making the center higher than the edges.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove and crumble the graham cracker sheets into crumbs and place on top. Add the reserved 1/3 cup chocolate chips. Press the miniature marshmallows into the cookie. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cooked through and golden around the edges (it should still be soft and slightly under-baked in the center).

Remove and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge and loosen the pie from the skillet. Remove to a platter or cake plate. Slice and serve warm.