Cut-outs are associated with the Christmas season most of all, but I enjoy busting out the cookie cutters as soon as the calendar turns to September. This is a recipe my mother got from I don’t know where, pared down so your not at your kitchen counter for hours long past it stopped being fun.
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, slightly softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or other extract flavoring)
- 2 1/2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp or pinch of salt
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. With a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together, it should look light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour to the mixture and quickly combine. I like to add in two batches to avoid flour everywhere. Once combined, wrap in plastic and set in the fridge for at least an hour.
Once ready to cut out, liberally flour the counter and the pin. I like to roll mine out on parchment paper and just plop it on the sheet once I’m done cutting the shapes. This avoids fiddly odds and ends from breaking off when your trying to spatula them to the sheet. Roll out to about quarter inch thickness. Bake for about 8 minutes. I look for the tops of the cookies to look dry. If I see a brown edge, I know I’ve left them a bit too long. Cookies continue to bake once you take them out so don’t worry if they look a bit pale. Allow to cool completely before decorating.
Leaves and circles. I bought a decorating tip set at Michaels on sale and once I get good enough, I’ll post some pictures.
The Dupery 