My Favorite Sugar Cookie And Glaze Recipies

Here is my recipe for the Christmas Cookie Exchange from Susanne Myers - The Hillbilly Housewife and her friends Bridgett from http://www.SpectacularEats.com , Tracy from http://www.MomsInABlog.com and Loretta from http://www.JustNotMartha.com

Rich Rolled Sugar Cookies
I retrieved this from a forum, the person who posted it said it was from the original "Joy of Cooking". This makes soft cookies, we are not fans of "crunchy" cookies here. I also use this with GREAT success when making cookie bouquets which require thicker cookies, and make great gifts for about $5 your cost.

Using an electric mixer, beat until very fluffy and well blended:
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (4.75 ounces) sugar

Add and beat in until evenly incorporated:
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
(Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl during this step to get a totally homogenized mixture before going on to the next step)

Stir in until well blended and smooth (I just use the mixer to mix it in; no need to hand stir):
2 1/3 cups (11.75 ounces) all-purpose flour

You will end up with between 24-26 ounces of dough. Divide the dough in half (12-13 ounce pieces) and roll flat (about a 12 inch circle) between two pieces of wax paper.

Now, here's my two cents: before I cut out my cookies, I put the rolled-out dough in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. I then immediately cut out my cookies (believe me, this dough softens quickly) and pop them in the oven for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees. EVERY cookie I have ever made keeps a perfect shape. I swear. If you adhere to the recipe and use the freezer trick, you will get perfect results every time. Happy baking!

Glaze
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup warm water
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp flavoring of your choice

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine ingredients in order given, using a spoon to stir until well incorporated. The glaze may be lumpy rather than smooth at this point, let the glaze sit for one hour to give the lumps of sugar time enough to dissolve and any air bubbles to rise to the surface. If it appears too thin, add a little (2 tbsp) extra powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add a little (1 tbsp at a time) extra warm water.

After 1 hour, stir.

I thin a small amount a bit and brush on cookies that are warm to the touch. I did this a while back with a batch of cookies, and then placed them in a container and hid them. I found them 2 months later and tried one, it was as fresh as the day I made it.

To color the glaze, spoon some of the glaze into a container (such as a disposable cup) and add a few drops of food coloring. For red, black or any other dark colored icing, use gel paste.

Use either decorator bags to decorate or parchment bags with small bit of tip cut off.

You can also use this for bunt cakes or cinnamon rolls, just heat a few seconds in the microwave, stir and pour. It does keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks, if you can keep the kids out of it, that is.