Christmas Sugar Cookies

One of our family’s Christmas tradition is baking and decorating sugar cookies. I started this tradition with my son when he was 5 yrs old. It is something he looks forward too every year. That and making the gingerbread house that we started last year. We’ll make the latter sometime this week.

I started prepping this at about 6pm yesterday. I was really tired from all the errands that day that all I wanted to do was stretch my legs and read a book. I did that four about 30 minutes and decided I must get up and start getting the cookies done. My son was able to help with cutting the different shapes but  by 8pm, which is his bedtime, as much as he didn’t want to, went to bed. So it was Dad’s responsibility to help me out. He would’ve rather done something else like read his own book or watch TV but I TOLD him we were decorating cookies so he didn’t have a choice. We did watch Mission Impossible 3 while decorating so we had fun .

FYI : I’ve posted this Christmas sugar cookies recipe which I follow from my copy of The American Family Cookbook at Forks.ca last year so I’ll copy and paste it here :

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

ROYAL ICING and Decorations ingredients:
2 egg whites
4 cups confectionary sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar

Multi-Color Sprinkles
Colored Sprinkles
Food Coloring

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Mix until smooth and well combined.

Form dough into a ball and wrap in saran wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

After the refrigeration process………

Preheat the oven 375F degrees. Divide the dough into parts. Roll out one ball at a time with a floured rolling pin, 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Flour the cookie cutters and cut out different shapes. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 7 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies in a rack before decorating.

FOR THE ROYAL ICING:
Beat the egg whites lightly, add the confectionary sugar and cream of tartar. The latter will make the icing hard so it gives that crunchy glaze on the surface. Mix everything together in spreadable consistency.

Use different colors to add to the icing, place in different bowls, prepare the sprinkles, and anything else you want to decorate your sugar cookies. This year I bought an 18-piece Christmas cookie cutters so we have variety. I didn’t use the Santa hat, reindeer, sleigh and angel though but I think we have enough.

I actually filled another cookie jar with the decorated cookies besides the Santa Clause. I made a lot. And a pat in the back for Daddy for helping me out. .

Addendum : This is also my entry for LaPiS’ Holiday Goodies Theme.