Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Cookies have always been a Christmas tradition since as long as I can remember. Now that I live by myself, I'm trying to rekindle some of these traditions that I once had in hopes of preserving some of these traditions for my future family. Sugar cookies are the BEST! They're like an open cookie canvas! Blank for whatever you'd like to do with them, whatever shape, whatever flavor, whatever decoration. I got some Christmas cookie cutters this year: trees, stars, snowflakes, snowmen, and mittens. After these cooled, I frosted with a basic cream cheese frosting and decorated with Christmas sprinkles. Delicious! I will promptly be distributing these at work to avoid consuming them. Merry Christmas!

Basic Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1/2 cup butter

3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream softened butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Add vanilla extract. Beat until smooth.

Best Rolled Sugar Cookies via All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men

I don't know who Eileen is, but I trusted her for my gingerbread men making needs. She failed me the first time. Well... I should say I failed myself the first time by not following directions. Foot note: when doubling recipes, it's most helpful to double ALL ingredients, especially the flour. :) Anyway. The second attempt was much more successful. Just make sure the dough is very cold when you roll it out. I just used a plain royal icing for the border, keeping it simple! I need to brush up on my frosting skills most definitely.  

Eileen's Spicy Gingerbread Men via All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/eileens-spicy-gingerbread-men/Detail.aspx

Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

These cookies were actually my backup plan for a failed attempt at gingerbread men (which I will elaborate on in a later post), but they worked out nicely! My Mom used to make these cookies when I was little. I decided to add some crushed candy canes to them for some Christmas flair and took them as favors for my work Christmas party. Glad I got rid of these because I definitely would have eaten them! Let the baking begin!

Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies via my secret recipe stash:

1 1/4 cups butter softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup nuts/chocolate chips/CANDY CANES (whatever you like!)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat til combined. In a seperate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts/chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to cookie sheet. Leave plenty of room in between, cookies flatten quite a bit. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Do not overbake! Should look slightly shiny in the center of the cookie when you take them out. Let cool a bit before transferring to cooling rack.

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes

These are great! Subtle and delicious! I made these today for a party we are going to tonight. Hopefully they will be a hit. Definitely festive! Let me know if anyone has any candy cane crushing tips, because I had a very difficult time! The frosting recipe makes a LOT of frosting, I would probably half everything in the frosting if I make these again. Now off to the party bus! Happy dirty 30 Monique!

Vanilla Peppermint Cupcakes via Sprinkles:

http://www.oprah.com/food/Vanilla-Peppermint-Cupcakes