Sugar Cookies

The fourth day of holidays cookie baking week. The classic one, of course, sugar cookies. The recipe is similar to the Matcha Mint Sugar Cookies, without the matcha and the mint extract, of course. I choose to decorate some of the cookies with sugar icing, and I leave some of the cookies the way it is. Because not everyone in our family like sugar icing, so they can choose the cookie with sugar icing on it, or just plain sugar cookies.

Here is why I add Sugar Cookies to the holiday cookie tray:

• There has to be sugar cookie during holiday
• My kids love to decorate the cookie, so it is great to involve them in baking time.
• It has simple ingredients.
• You can make any shape you like, using the cookie cutter or molded pan.

Just like the Matcha Mint Sugar Cookies, it requires chilling periods and rolling. So make sure you have plenty of time to bake this cookie. The sugar icing I use here is from Sally’s Baking Addiction. The icing is great, easy to make, mess free and it will get dry so it allows you to stack the iced cookies.

To get the pink color of sugar icing, I use the cherry juice after boiling it. Cranberry juice, raspberry juice or strawberry juice are great too. I just happen to have frozen sour cherry from my garden this summer. I just use 1/2 cup sour cherry with little bit water, boil it, and take the juice, keep it cool in the fridge until you ready to use it. From 1/2 cup cherry, I got 1 tbsp juice, it is not much, but it is more than enough to give the sugar icing some color.

I use matcha powder for the green sugar icing, just a teaspoon for one batch of the recipe. And add a little bit of mint extract to compliment the matcha taste.

Sugar Cookies

Serving: 24 cookies

Ingredient

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 and 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Direction

• In a mixing bowl, use the electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add egg, beat it well.
• Add baking powder, salt and vanilla extract, mix it.
• Add flour, mix it until well blended. The dough will look crumbly, but workable to roll it.
• Divide the dough into two portions.
• On the kitchen countertop, put parchment paper. Put one portion of the dough, then start to roll it for about 1/4 of an inch thick.
• Transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough on it to the baking sheet.
• Repeat the process for the second portion of the dough. Roll the dough on the parchment paper then transfer the parchment paper with the rolled dough to the baking sheet on top of the first rolled dough. Put another layer of parchment paper on top of it.
• Cool it in the fridge for minimum 1 hour.
• Prepare another baking sheet, layer it with parchment paper.
• Take the chilled dough out, use your favorite cookie cutter. Transfer the cut-out cookie to the prepared baking sheet, repeat until all the dough uses up.
• Return the cut-out cookie back to the fridge, while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Bake the cookie straight from the fridge, bake it for 10-12 minutes until the bottom slightly golden brown color.
• Leave the cookie cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer it to the wire rack.
• If you would like to decorate the cookie with the sugar icing, please make sure the cookie is completely cool before decorating it.

Icing Sugar

Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

White Icing Sugar

Ingredient

• 1 and 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 spoon salt
• 2 tbsp room temperature water

Green Sugar Icing

Ingredient

• 1 and 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp corn syrup
• 1/4 spoon salt
• 2 tbsp room temperature water
• 1 tsp matcha powder
• 1 tsp mint extract

Pink Sugar Icing

Ingredient

• 1 and 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 spoon salt
• 2 tbsp room temperature water
• 1 tsp cherry juice

Direction

• In a bowl, whisk the icing sugar and water using the hand whisk or spoon, I just use the spoon.
• Add corn syrup, vanilla extract and salt, whisk it well.
• If the icing still looks runny, add sugar a tbsp at a time.
• Put the icing on the plastic bottle of sugar icing or piping bag. If using the piping bag like I did just cut the tip very small.
• Decorate the cookie any way you want, wait until the icing completely dry before you stack the cookie, I just left it on the wire rack overnight uncover.

Note:

• To make the green sugar icing and pink sugar icing, do the same step as making the white sugar icing.
• If you want darker pink color, add more cherry juice a tsp at a time.
• If the icing is too thin, add the sugar a tbsp at a time.

If you make Sugar Cookie too for the holiday, decorated or plain like mine, I would like to see it, please take a picture, post it and tag #craftyforhome on Instagram and don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest.