Best ever Sugar Cookies ...


With this master recipe, you can make classic sugar cookie cutouts. The dough is strong enough for little hands to roll, sculpt, and cut with cookie cutters. You can even make it up to 3 days ahead of time, as long as it is covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Steps:

• In a medium size bowl, mix the flour and salt.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, stir in the egg, then the corn syrup and vanilla extract.
• One third at a time, add the flour mixture until thoroughly mixed.
• Pat the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until firm enough to roll. If the dough is too firm, soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll the dough between two pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap, 1/4 inch thick.
• Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and cut out the cookies with cookie cutters or cardboard patterns.
• Using a metal spatula, transfer the shapes to a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between the cookies.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until the cookies start to brown lightly around the edges.
• Set the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month and for up to 3 days at room temperature before you frost them.

Makes 12 to 50 cookies, depending on their size.

To make different varieties of dough:

Chocolate Dough:

After the last third of flour has been added to the dough, mix in 1 ounce melted, slightly cooled unsweetened chocolate. Use your hands to knead in the chocolate.

Colored Dough:

Divide the dough into portions and use a toothpick to add food coloring paste to each one. Knead until the color is evenly distributed. For a flavor surprise, omit the vanilla extract and add 1 teaspoon lemon extract to the yellow dough, mint extract to the green dough, and strawberry extract to the red dough.

Striped Dough:

Divide the cookie dough in half and tint each a different color. Pat each half into a rectangle, about 5 by 7 inches, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate or freeze until firm. Roll each piece between two sheets of waxed paper to form rectangles that measure 8 by 11 inches and are about 1/4 inch thick. Stack directly on top of each other. Using a sharp long knife, cut the dough into strips about 1/2 inch wide. Turn each strip on its side with the stripes facing up. Place one strip near the end of a large piece of waxed paper. Press the next strip of dough parallel to the first strip, alternating the colors. Place a piece of waxed paper on top of the stripes and roll over the top to make them adhere. Remove the top piece of paper and cut out shapes as desired.

Marbleized Dough:

Lightly press together any scraps of the striped dough to achieve a marbleized look.

Soft Cookie Frosting:

This basic frosting can be spread on the cookies or applied as a decorative piping with a pastry bag. If you plan to pipe the frosting, make it stiffer by adding a little less milk. If you don't have time to make the frosting, buy tubes of colored frosting.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
• Liquid or paste food coloring (optional)

Steps:

• In a large bowl and using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, and vanilla extract until it reaches spreading consistency.
• Add more sugar or a little milk, if necessary, to achieve the right texture.
• Stir in the food coloring until combined, if desired.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.


Egg Paint:

This shiny paint is a nice alternative to coloring your cookie dough or frosting your baked cookies. Paint the cookies before you pop them in the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg yolk
• Liquid or paste food coloring

Steps:

• In a small cup or bowl, stir the egg yolk and a small amount of food coloring.
• Use a paintbrush to create designs on the cookies before you bake them.

Yummmm Thanks for sharing!

Made a hot apple pie, used the filling recipe on the ready made frozen double pie crust package with 2 revisions. I added a generous handful of raisins and a tablespoon of Bacardi's Dark Rum in place of the water in the recipe. Give it a try.

Heres some recipies that my grandmother has always fixed and are my favorite things on the holidays.

Cranberry Salad

1 (6 ounce) package cranberry flavored gelatin mix
2 cups boiling water
1/2 pound fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Refrigerate 1/2 hour, or until it begins to gel.
Mix together cranberries, apples and sugar. In a 9x13 inch dish, mix the gelatin, fruit mixture, celery and walnuts
Chill in the refrigerator 3 to 4 hours, until firm.

Flakey Pie Crust

2 cups flour
3/4 cup shortening
Dash of salt
1 TBSP sugar
1/3 cup warm water

Blend 1 cup flour with shortening until creamy then add 1 cup of flour until crumbly, blend with 1/3 cup warm water with a fork. Split mix and drop onto wax paper or plastic wrap, do not use extra flour. Cook according to instructions fo filling, the remainder can be frozen.

And last, something I put in the pie crust...

Apple Crisp

8 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 8 medium)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Topping:
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

In a large bowl, toss the first four ingredients. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish or pie crust.
In a bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over apple mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

The cranberry salad is amazing, its really flavorful and great as breakfast or a snack. My family always has it at Thanksgiving and Christmas n we fight over it! The pie crust has been handed down for 4 generations now, my granny sent it to me over Thanksgiving so I could attempt my first pumpkin pie. This crust is wonderful, light, sweet and flakey, this recipe makes 2 pie crusts but it can be put in the freezer for later. The apple crisp is pretty quick to fix if you have an apple corer, you can also substitute apples with peaches or cherries. Hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful Holiday!

One thing my kid can't live without on the holidays is the pistachio salad my grandmother used to make. Quick and easy!

1 box pistachio pudding
1 container of cool whip
1 can of crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup of mini marshmallows (or more if you like)
1/2 cup pecan halves or pistachios (optional)

Mix all the ingredients well. Sprinkle some nuts or marshmallows on top for deco (optional). Let set in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

My grandfather lives for this! We call it Watergate Salad here. I think its kinda weird lol but he loves it!

A quick and easy cookie recipe that screams out for milk or eggnog on the side



Gingersnaps

Yield: Approx. 5 dozen

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream shortening, brown sugar, molasses and egg till fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture.

Form into small balls. Roll in granulated sugar, place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Thank you for the pie crust recipe One Bored EMT. Now I don't have to wait for Pillsbury pie crust packages to go on sale!