Basic Sugar Cookie
Serves: 4
Terence Turner
1 January 1970
Based on User reviews:
57
Spice
61
Sweetness
42
Sourness
42
mins
Prep time (avg)
5.4
Difficulty
Ingredients:
4.5 cups
All-Purpose Flour1 tsp
Salt1 cup
Vegetable Shortening450 g
Sugar (confectioners')1
Egg2 tsps
Vanilla Extract2 tsps
Water1 tsp
Cream Of TartarDirections:
1
Special equipment: Thin cardboard cut into tree, snowflake, star, and bird patterns Green, yellow, red, blue, and black food coloring Small offset spatulas Gold and silver dragees Edible glitter Colored sprinkles Small paint brush Pastry bags with couplers Pastry tip sizes 1, 2, 3, 101, and 46 White and yellow nonpareils White, yellow, red, and green sanding sugar Multicolored mini-jawbreakers (about 1/4-inch round) Piping gel In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and set aside
2
In the bowl of a heavy duty mixer, beat the shortening at low speed until fluffy
3
Add the sugar and corn syrup and beat until well blended, then add the egg and the vanilla, beating continuously on low
4
Slowly add the flour mixture, about 2 tablespoons at a time
5
(If you are not using a heavy-duty mixer, the dough may become too stiff for the mixer to handle
6
If so, you may have to add the last of the flour by hand, kneading the dough until all of the flour is fully incorporated
7
) Put the dough in a large plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 hours
8
To make decorated cutout cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
9
Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface
10
Cut out the dough using tree, snowflake, star, and bird patterns
11
Place the cookies on greased cookie sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes
12
Cool the cookies on racks before decorating
13
To decorate, tint a recipe of royal icing to your desired colors
14
Keep the icing covered with a damp towel while you are working to prevent it from drying out
15
To cover a cookie with icing, thin some of the icing with a little water and spread it on the cookie with a knife or metal spatula
16
Leave some of the icing thick for piping borders or other designs, using the #2 tip
17
Add dragees, edible glitter, colored sprinkles, or other decorations to the wet icing
18
To attach candies to un-iced cookies, brush a thin layer of clear piping gel on the cookie with a small paintbrush and add decorations
19
Royal icing is very versatile
20
It is pure white and dries very hard, so it is perfect for making flowers and bows and delicate piped work
21
It can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks
22
You should stir the icing to restore its original consistency after storage, but do not rebeat
23
Royal icing does not work well in high humidity
24
Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat slowly until they are all blended
25
Then beat at medium speed until the icing forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes
26
Add more sugar if the icing is not stiff enough, or a few drops of water if it is too stiff
27
Use immediately or cover the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent drying when not in use
28
Allow at least 24 hours for royal icing decorations to dry, at room temperature
29
Yield: 2 1/2 cups