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Christmas: Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Source of Recipe


From "The Pastry Queen Christmas" by Rebecca Rather



List of Ingredients



• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
  
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
  
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 3½ cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• Pinch of kosher salt
  
• 1½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  
• ½ cup milk
  
• .
  
• Butter Icing:
  
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
  
• 1 pound powdered sugar
  
• 4 to 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• Assorted food colorings of your choice
  






Instructions



1. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat for another minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add the vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three increments, alternating with the milk in two increments, starting and ending with the flour.
   
   
2. Form the dough into a ball, then divide in half. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days; it may also be frozen for up to 1 month.
   
   
3. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, or grease generously with butter or cooking spray.
   
   
4. Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper lightly sprinkled with flour. Sprinkle the dough with flour. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to a â…›-inch thickness. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters. Using a metal spatula, place the cookies ½ inch apart on the prepared pans. Combine the dough scraps and reroll the dough to cut out more cookies. (Reroll the dough scraps only once, or the cookies will become tough from overhandling.)
   
   
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the pans, then use a metal spatula to transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
   
   
6. To make the butter icing:
   Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and beat 1 minute more. Add 4 tablespoons of the cream and beat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the icing is fluffy and thick enough to spread. If the icing is too thick, add more whipping cream a tablespoon at a time, and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Once the icing is the proper consistency, beat in the vanilla. Select food colorings and divide the icing into corresponding portions in small to medium bowls. Stir in the food coloring.
   
   
7. Spoon each color of icing in a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice. (If you have no pastry bags, snip a tiny corner off of plastic sandwich bags.) Set the cookies on waxed paper and decorate with abandon.
   
   Makes about 4 dozen cookies