Baking is an important part of Christmas traditions in many households and the sweet fragrance of cookies or spiced cakes, fresh out of the oven, is something most people associate with the festive season.
Today, I am sharing the recipe for one such sweet treat - Christmas special sugar cookies - that my family has been making for years. To make this year's Christmas bake even more special, I had my little helpers assisting, and they were more than happy to help me decorate these special treats. These cookies make a great Christmas gift and are a fun activity to engage your little ones.
Sugar cookies recipe
This is a simple and stress-free recipe for sugar cookies that you will find. It is easy to follow and yields the crispiest yet most decadent buttery cookies. Both kids and adults love the flavour and texture of these cookies. You can enjoy them on their own without any icing. To make the dough, you only need to mix the ingredients, roll it in a thin sheet, cut it into desired shapes and bake. That’s it!
The icing is even easier to prepare. All you need to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl, and it’s ready. You can colour the icing as you like and decorate the cookies however you want, as the icing is easily spreadable and dries out quickly.
Step-by-step recipe guide
Preparation time - 1 hour
Baking time - 20 minutes
Serving - 20 to 25 cookies
Ingredients
For the sugar cookie
85 gms butter (room temperature)
170 gms all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder (or vanilla essence, optional)
100 gms powdered sugar
1 egg
For the icing
100 gms icing sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence (optional)
1 pinch green food colour
Sprinkles (for garnish)
Method
Take the butter in a clean bowl and add the flour, baking powder, vanilla powder, and sugar. Rub the butter with your fingers into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles grated parmesan cheese. Work quickly to prevent the butter from melting. Create a well in the centre of the bowl and add an egg. Gradually incorporate the butter-flour mixture into the egg using a spatula. Stop mixing once the egg is completely blended with the mixture and the dough comes together. Do not over-knead the dough. Wrap it in cling film and refrigerate it for at least 2 to 3 hours, preferably overnight.
After the dough chills, roll it out on a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out 10 cookies, then place them on a lined baking tray with at least 2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 160°C for about 20 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Rotate the baking tray after 10 minutes for even baking.
Gather the remaining dough and roll it out again to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into triangle shapes resembling trees and place them on a lined baking tray with at least two inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway to ensure even baking. Remove the tray from the oven once the cookie edges turn golden brown.
Let the cookies cool down for a bit, then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies cool, prepare the icing by mixing the icing sugar, milk, and vanilla essence in a clean bowl until smooth. Transfer about 1/3 of the icing into a piping bag, cut a small hole at the tip, and pipe the icing on the star-shaped cookies. Decorate the star cookies with sprinkles, leaving some space at the border.
In the remaining icing, add green food colouring and mix well. Transfer it into another piping bag and cut it like the first one. Take the triangle-shaped cookies and pipe the green icing to cover them, leaving the corners empty. With the white icing, pipe a zigzag string on the green icing and place a star sprinkle on top.
Place the cookies on a tray and leave them for a couple of hours at room temperature for the icing to set completely. Serve immediately or store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Tips
1. Ensure the butter is at room temperature and not very soft.
2. Make sure to rub the butter in properly so it’s evenly distributed in the dough to give a crisp, buttery cookie.
3. You may use a food processor if you prefer. Just make sure not to mix the dough over.
4. Knead the dough so that it comes together. Over kneading the dough will lead to the cookies spreading and not holding their shape.
5. If the dough seems a little dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.
6. If the cookie dough becomes too soft or unmanageable during the process, chill and rest it in the fridge before rolling it again for the next batch.
7. Keep the cut cookie tray in the fridge to chill for about half an hour before baking. This will ensure the cookies don’t spread or become soggy.
8. You can cut the dough in whatever shapes you like. The possibilities are endless.
9. The consistency of the icing should be like Nutella. It should spread and pipe easily but not be too runny or thick.
10. You can decorate the cookies with coloured icing of your choice or choose to have the cookies just as they are.
What would you like to learn about cooking and baking from Chef Namrata? Tell us at at food@gulfnews.com.
