Monday, December 6, 2010

Christmas Cookies - Classic Sugar


Last weekend was sugar cookie weekend! Sugar cookies are my favourite to make; they are practically edible art.

I used my regular Martha Stewart recipe.


I cut out many mittens, bows and trees.


I piped.


I flooded.


And I sprinkled.


Unfortunately, something went wrong with my Royal Icing (likely a speck of grease on a spoon or bowl) and it did not set properly. The cookies still taste good and look pretty (though not as pretty as I had planned), but they are bit too sticky to send to my parents and, as such, will be potluck cookies.


A vinegar bath awaits my baking supplies as I prepare for sugar cookie round two!

2 comments:

Hi from Ruth! said...

OK, that's just awesome, because I've been looking for a good sugar cookie recipe - thank you!!

And wow, do you ever make beautiful cookies!!!

I'm on my way to check out your recipe, and I'm hoping your icing recipe is included there, cause I could use that, too. Do you pipe with the same icing that you flood with? And how exactly DOES one flood?

Mmmm...off to check out the recipe! Thanks Melissa.

Ruth

Melissa said...

Hi Ruth!

You can find a great sugar cookie tutorial on one of my favourite blogs, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/12/decorated-christmas-cookies/ She also has a link for royal icing. The one I typically use is the same, but without the corn syrup. I think I will test out the corn syrup strategy next time!

My biggest tip for sugar cookies is too (1) chill for a shorter time than called for, 20 minutes or so, (2) roll between two sheets of wax paper and chill again for another 20 minutes and finally (3) cut cookies from the chilled dough and chill again for 20 minutes before baking. This technique reduces a lot of rolling frustration (as well as the need to add a ton of extra flour).