This is always a fun activity to do with the kids during any holiday! Use Christmas cutters for Christmas cookies, Thanksgiving cutters for Thanksgiving cookies, etc.. You can decorate these elaborately or basic minimum outlines. #HalloweenCutoutCookies #SoNomNom4u #Vegetarian
5 cups flour
5 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
Store bought cookie icing or homemade ROYAL ICING (BELOW)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a stand alone mixer or large bowl, mix melted butter and sugar on low for about 20 seconds. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat another 30 seconds to a minute until everything is well blended. Add cream and beat another 30 seconds.
Add flour mixture slowy, by scooping 1 cup at a time and pouring into wet mixture while it is mixing. When all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the dough forms, turn off mixer.
Remove ball of dough and place in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Prepare 3 large cookie sheets by placing a sheet of parchment paper the size of the cookie sheet each one. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Remove dough from the refrigerator and lightly flour a large, flat surface. Roll dough out evenly to approximately 1/8" thick. make sure the thickness is consistent through the entire rolled out dough so cookies won't be slanted.
Using cookie cutters, cut your cookie shapes. Do not twist and turn cutter--this messes up the perfection of the finished cookie. Just firmly place the cutter straight down into the dough, until it touches the surface and cuts through all the dough.
When you run out of dough to cut, gently lift up scrap area dough and place it in a new ball. Take a smooth, flat spatula and gently lift each cookie and place it on the parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Leave about 2" between each cookie. Coat all the cookies with a generous sprinkle of sugar.
Re roll the dough scrap out to 1/8" and repeat process until all cookies are cut.
Bake cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, depending on preference. The less you bake them, the more chewy they will be. The more you bake them, the more golden and crispy they will be!
Let cool completely before decorating.
You can use store bought cookie icing or make your own royal icing (BELOW).
Royal Icing:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 TBSP Wilton Merengue Powder
9 TBSP Water
Food coloring
In a medium bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, merengue powder and water in a bowl until smooth and well blended. Choose how many colors you will be using and get that many zipper bags. Split the icing evenly into each zipper bag and add your food colors to each bag. Close bag and massage until well blended. Cut the tiny tip off each bag and pipe the colors onto the cookies in any designs you wish.
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