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Vanilla Sugar Cookies with Variations




Source of Recipe


unknown


List of Ingredients




1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla


Recipe



Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in medium-size bowl. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in bowl until well blended. Stir in flour mixture. Gather dough together and shape into ball, wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly coat baking sheets with nonstick vegetable-oil cooking spray. Roll out dough with lightly floured rolling pin on lightly floured surface to 3/8-inch holiday-shaped cookie cutters. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Decorate with colored sprinkles, sugars, jimmies and gum drops if you wish. Bake in preheated 350º oven 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool.
COOKIE DOUGH VARIATIONS:
GINGER SPICE DROPS: Add 2 tablespoons each grated fresh ginger and molasses, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to butter mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Prepare Vanilla Glaze. Tint a quarter of glaze with red food coloring and a quarter with green. Spread cookies with white glaze. Drizzle with colored glaze.
VANILLA GLAZE: Gradually stir 1 to 2 tablespoons milk into 1 cup confectioners sugar in small bowl until smooth and good glazing consistency. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon juice.
SESAME JEWELS: Add 1/2 cup each flour and toasted sesame seeds to flour mixture. Roll 2 teaspoonfuls dough into ball for each cookie. Roll in toasted sesame seeds. Flatten slightly. Place glace cherry half in center of each. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until lightly firm to touch. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
PECAN CRESCENTS: Add 1 cup finely ground toasted pecans to flour mixture. Substitute confectioners sugar for granulated sugar and 2 egg yolks for whole egg. Dough will be crumbly so knead together briefly. Pinch 2 level teaspoonfuls of dough into a crescent for each cookie. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Dust with confectioners sugar. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
HEAVENLY CHOCOLATE COOKIES: Reduce flour to 1 cup and add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to flour mixture. Stir 1/2 cup each pecans, walnuts, semisweet chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips into butter mixture along with the flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until set and lightly firm to touch. Makes about 2 1/4 dozen cookies.
LEMON-FIG BISCOTTI: Substitute 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract for vanilla. Add 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest to butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup chopped dried figs and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts along with flour. Divide dough. Shape each into 12 x 1-inch log. Bake for 25 minutes until lightly firm to touch. Cool on racks. Slice diagonally into 5/8-inch-thick slices. Bake slices 15 minutes. Cool on racks. Melt cream-white melting wafers following package directions. Dip the end of each biscotti in the melted wafers, then in sprinkles. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.


Servings: 36