Christmas Cookies for 2: Sugar Cookies

 Sugar cookies are a tradition in our home.  When our kids were young, they made such a mess rolling them out that I wondered if it was worth it.  This video shows you a different method to make rolling out easier and save your kitchen from a huge mess mess and save your sanity as well.  

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

In a small to medium bowl, mix the following:

1 Tablespoon softened butter

1/2 Tablespoon (1 1/2 teaspoons) shortening

2 Tablespoons white sugar

Add:

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon whisked egg (crack an egg, whisk it, and then measure with a tablespoon)

Mix well.

In a separate bowl, about the size of a cereal bowl, mix the following:

5 Tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix well.  If the dough is too sticky, you can add a little more flour.  

Get out a piece of parchment paper and place your dough on top of it.

Get out a piece of plastic wrap and place it over the dough.

Roll the dough between the parchment paper and the plastic wrap.

Peel off the plastic wrap and save it to roll out additional cookies.

Cut out your cookies using cookie cutters, a glass, or a knife to make it how you want.  Remove the cookies dough around the cookies and smash it into a ball to roll out more cookies.

Repeat this process with the leftover dough, rolling between the parchment paper and the plastic wrap.  You can roll out as many times as you need to since you are not using additional flour to roll out the cookies.  Your cookie dough doesn't get too dry and your kitchen stays cleaner, especially with little helpers.

When you are done rolling out your cookies, throw away the plastic wrap.

Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 6-10 minutes or until done.  Some people like soft sugar cookies and some like them a little crispier.  Bake them to your preference.

Take the cookies out of the oven and place them on a cooling rack.  Frost them when they are cool, or eat them plain.  They taste great either way!  

This recipe makes about 3 1/2 large sugar cookies.  They freeze well!

Christmas Cookies for 2: Gingerbread White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not a big fan of traditional gingerbread cookies, and I am also not a fan of white chocolate chips.  But, put together, these make a killer combination.  I loved these cookies!  They are my favorite gingerbread cookies hands down and these are the ones I will be making at the holidays each year from now on.  

This recipe makes two large cookies.  I honestly had a hard time sharing them.  

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 Tablespoon whisked egg 

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/16 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cloves (basically a pinch)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Mix together your butter and brown sugar in a small to medium bowl.  

Add whisked egg and vanilla and mix together.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.

Add white chocolate chips and mix.

Separate into two cookies and place on a well greased metal baking tray/sheet or one covered with parchment paper.

Place cookies on baking sheet in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven while cookies are getting firm.

Bake for about 10-14 minutes until done.  (Depends on how hot your oven is)

Take cookies out and cool on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

This recipe was tweaked from Jane's Patisserie:  Gingerbread NYC Cookie Recipe.

Christmas Cookies for 2: Gingerbread Cookies

 Small Batch Gingerbread Cookies

(Makes 6-10 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters)

In a medium sized bowl, mix:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

Add:

1 Tablespoon whisked egg  (crack and egg, whisk it and then measure) Best if egg is at room temperature.

2 Tablespoons molasses

2 Tablespoons buttermilk

Mix together and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix:

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

Stir well and then add to your wet ingredients.  Mix well.

Set the dough down on a piece of parchment paper and put some plastic wrap on top of it.  Roll the dough between the plastic wrap and parchment paper.  By doing this method, your dough doesn't get too dry and you can roll it multiple times without any problem.  Put the dough on a cookie sheet, leaving the plastic wrap on top and the parchment paper on the bottom.  Place it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, or until it is firm enough to use.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Take the dough out of the freezer, and peel off the plastic wrap from the top.  Save it to roll out your next batch of cookies, but you do NOT ever put it into the oven.  Cut out multiple cookies with your cookie cutter.  Leaving the cookies on the parchment paper, take off the dough around the cookies that you aren't going to use for now.  This dough will be rolled for the next batch of cookies.  Bake the cookies at 350 degrees right on the parchment paper which is placed o the cookie sheet for 8 minutes or until done.  Let them cool on the cookie sheet for just a bit until you can lift them up and put them on a cooling rack.  Cool them and decorate if you wish.  

You can also use this recipe to make gingerbread crinkle cookies.  

Christmas Cookies for 2: Rich Double Chocolate Cookies

 

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix:

2 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons sugar

Then add:

1 scant Tablespoon whisked egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together.  In a separate bowl, add the following:

1/4 cup flour

2 Tablespoons cocoa

1/16 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

After the dry ingredients are well mixed, add to the other ingredients in the bowl.

Then add:

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans, but you can double the chocolate chips if you don't want nuts.

Green and Red M&M's

Mix with your hand if the dough is too thick for you to mix with a mixer.  Put cookie dough into a 1/4 cup to measure and then take it out and put it on the cookie sheet.  Repeat until dough is finished.  Press down on cookie just a bit to flatten them our a tiny bit.  Don't make them too flat!  This should make 3-4 cookies total.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes exactly.  Pull cookies out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes on the hot cookie sheet.  Then remove them off the cookie sheet onto a cooling rack.