Holiday Cookies?

Question

How do you make homemade sugar cookies and icing? Thanks!

Answer 1

His recipe was for a ridiculous quantity. here is one more reasonable!
Check out this link. It's for a recipe on Foodnetwork.com. I also included the recipe but you can look for more ideas here if you'd like.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31961,00.html?rsrc=search

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Coarse sugar, aka sanding or crystallized sugar
Royal Icing, recipe follows

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Beat the butter and both sugars in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest mixing until fully incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture, and continue beating until the dough comes together, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

For rolled cookies: Roll about a tablespoon of dough by hand into a ball. Dip 1 side of the balls into some coarse sugar and place them sugar-side-up on an ungreased baking sheet, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.

For sliced cookies: Divide dough in half, roll by hand into 2-inch-wide logs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Cut the logs into 1/4-inch-thick cookies and place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies.

For cutout cookies: Divide dough in half, pat into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Roll dough between lightly floured parchment, or waxed paper, until about 1/3-inch thick. Transfer sheets to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into desired shape using a cookie cutter, place them on ungreased baking sheets, leaving about 1-inch between cookies. (Gather the dough scraps together, pat into a disk, chill and reroll.)

Refrigerate cookies while preheating the oven to 375 degrees F, for at least 30 minutes.
Bake the cookies, until the bottoms are golden, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on shape. Cool on sheets until firm enough to transfer to a rack to cool. Decorate as desired and serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.


Royal Icing:
5 tablespoons meringue powder (egg white powder)
6 tablespoons water
1 pound confectioners' sugar (about 3 3/4 to 4 cups or 1 box)
Food coloring, as desired
Combine all the ingredients, except the food coloring, in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix slowly until stiff enough to form peaks. The icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. If the frosting is overbeaten, it will get aerated which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the frosting sit to settle, then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the frosting.

Alternatively, combine ingredients in a large bowl, and beat with hand beaters on low speed until the frosting thickens to stiff peaks.

Add up to 1 tablespoon food coloring and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. (Adding too much color reduces the sheen of the frosting and can break down the consistency of the frosting over a couple of days.) Store icing, covered, with plastic film on the surface of the icing.

Yield: 1 pound royal icing (1 2/3 cup)

Answer 2

Homemade Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
** ** ** ** ** ** **
1 egg
4 teaspoons milk
2 cups shifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt


Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add egg; beat till light and fluffy. Stir in milk. Sift together dry ingredients: blend into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Chill one hour.

On lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8 inch thickness.* Cut in desired shapes with cutters. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375 about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Makes 2 dozen.

*Chill other half till ready to use.

For the icing
Add light cream to 2 cups of shifted confectioner's sugar for spreading consistency. Add dash of salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla, stir. Spread on cookies and decorator.

Answer 3

100 Dozen Sugar Cookies
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Keys :
Ingredients :

12lbshortening
11qtsugar
72xeggs, well beaten
1qtmilk
24qtflour
2cupand 1 Tbsp. baking powder
1cupsalt
1cupvanilla

Method :

* Cream shortening and sugar until light, using medium speed. Add eggs and milk. Add flour sifted with baking powder and salt and vanilla. Keep mixture in refrigerator, rolling a small amount at a time. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch cutter. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 360 degrees for 10 minutes.



Almond Butter Cream Icing
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Keys : Nuts
Ingredients :

3cup10X sugar
4xEgg yolks
2xEggs
1/3cupAlmond paste, softened
1/4tspSalt
1cupHeavy cream
1tspVanilla
2cupButter, at room temperature

Method :

* 1. Combine sugar, egg yolks, eggs, almond paste and salt in medium size saucepan. Beat with electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in cream and vanilla until blended.
* 2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 6 minutes until mixture just comes to simmering. Strain into large bowl. Refrigerate fo 1 1/2 hours or until chill.
* 3. Beat in butter with electric mixer until fluffy. (Icing can be made up tp 1 week in advance; cover airtight and store in refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature until good spreading consistency.)
* Makes 6 cups.
* Servings: 6