World's Best Vanilla Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

I have long held a love/hate relationship with cut-out cookies.  I think they can be so delicious and look gorgeous, but MAN are they a lot of work and so easy to screw up.  I have searched for years for the perfect cut-out cookie recipe (you know, not constantly searched, but I have tried literally SEVERAL recipes.)  I am nearly bursting with jubilation to announce that perfect recipe here.

First, when searching for a cut-out cookie recipe discard anything that mentions Crisco.  Butter, my friends, butter is the magical ingredient that blissfully clogs our arteries while we dream of Christmas.

Triple batch, baby!  (Note to self: overkill - maybe double batch next year.)

Second, you need to take some time with your cookie decorations.  I don't know when it became acceptable to just slap on some nasty tasting white "frosting," throw some red sugar crystals in the general direction of the cookie, and call it a day.  Not on my cookie tray.  Go big, or go make some rice krispie treats with my four year old. (Just kidding, but they do look nice when you take the time.)

Third, roll them out THICK.  Some people enjoy really thin, crispy cut-out cookies, but those people, I feel, are the minority.  A thicker, chewy on the inside cookie is going to balance the frosting better and accentuate the vanilla-y buttery deliciousness.

World's Best Vanilla Cut-Out Cookie Recipe:
from Bon Appetit December 2003 (with slight changes)

Cookies

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (get the real stuff, not the imitation kind)
• Additional sugar

For cookies:
Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl to blend well. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla; beat 1 minute. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions until just blended. Gather dough together; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.)

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle work surface and top of dough disks with additional sugar. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to no less than 1/4-inch thickness. Dough may be very soft and sticky, so roll out the dough between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Using assorted 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps and roll out on sugared surface; cut out more cookies. Repeat until all dough is used. Chill all cookies on baking sheets at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until very light golden appears just at bottom edges, about 11 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

Icing

• 4 cups (or more) sifted powdered sugar (sifted, then measured)
• 3 tablespoons (or more) whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• (I also add 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract)
• Colored sugar crystals, sprinkles, and/or decors

For icing:
Combine 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla in medium bowl. Stir until icing is well blended, smooth, and spreadable, adding more milk by teaspoonfuls if too thick or more sugar by tablespoonfuls if too thin. Use a food coloring gel, such as Wilton's, and stir a tiny bit into a portion of your icing to make a pretty color.  Using small icing spatula or table knife, spread thin layer of icing atop each cookie.  If using colored sugar crystals, sprinkle over cookies before icing sets. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

HOSTESS TIPS

1. Don't make your icing colors too bright.  A pastel blue is nice, but some people are turned off by a dark blue frosted cookie.  You just know it is going to give you blue teeth!

2. When decorating, get a bottle of those rainbow jimmies.  They are great for giving eyes to your snowman or Santa. 

3. You can freeze the cookies frosted or unfrosted, but sometimes the frosting gets a little blotchy in the freezer.  They will still taste awesome and it's not like those tiny imperfections would prevent anyone from eating them.  You really can't tell at all on the ones with lots of sprinkles, but if you look closely at the plain iced cookies, you may see a couple imperfections after they come out of the freezer - such as a couple spots that are a shade lighter.  If you want perfect, freeze the unfrosted cookies if you need to, then decorate them just a day or two before you need them.  Store in an airtight container.

4. Red food coloring added to icing often just looks pink.  If that bothers you, a delicious fix is to put some red colored sugar over the top of the pink icing.  You can see that effect on the cookies in the picture above. 

5. Cookie pans.  I highly recommend using a light-colored alumnium cookie sheet.  Use parchment paper so your cookies don't stick.  The cookies are very fragile when they first come out of the oven.

6. This is the same recipe I used to make the wedding favor cookies in this post.  But I used royal icing to decorate those.  Although royal icing arguably does not taste as good as the icing in this post, it gets really hard.  This quality makes it ideal for wedding favors because it dries quickly and the colors don't run much.

Kate's Monster Cookies

Some foods take on a legendary status in families.  For my family those foods include Dad's chili, chicken paprikas, Mom's cheesecakes, and most importantly Monster Cookies. 

Monster Cookies entered our lives sometime around 1990 through a recipe my Grandma Emily discovered.  The recipe was actually called "Kate's Monster Cookies", so I knew they were meant for me.  We never looked back.  If my friends knew two things, it was that they were always welcome at my parents' house, and that there would always be Monster Cookies.

When I moved away for college, the recipe for Monster Cookies came with me.  I made a slight variation to our original recipe - less white sugar.  The variation was made by mistake, but as the taste and consistency of the cookies was actually improved, the variation became the law.  My college roommates couldn't get enough of these beloved "Monsters".  Later, my co-workers demanded that I make them again and again and begged for the recipe.  I'm really not over-selling these cookies to you.  They are, quite simply, the best cookie ever.  These cookies have oatmeal, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.  There are chewy and crunchy.  They are alpha and omega.  They are ying and yang. 

Hope you love them as much as I do.

KATE'S MONSTER COOKIES

makes 7 DOZEN (And don't even think about halving this recipe.  You will want them all.  Plus, they freeze really well.)

1 C (two sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 C creamy peanut butter
2 1/4 C brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
6 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 C flour
1 Tbsp baking soda
9 C Quick Quaker Oats
2 C M&Ms
2 C chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and sugar. Mix in eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla and corn syrup and mix until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together.

Add the flour mixture to the batter.

Add the quick oats, one cup at a time.  Mix at the lowest speed.  The mixture will start to really fill up your mixing bowl.  The more you can do with the electric mixer though, the better, because the dough is very thick and difficult to stir by hand.

Add M&Ms and mix at low speed.  Add chocolate chips and mix.  Mix in by hand if you have to/want to.

Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll dough into 1.5 inch balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet, one inch apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes at 350 degrees.  They are done when you just start seeing a little golden brown on the tops of the cookies.  Let cookies sit for a minute on the pan, then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.


TIPS
1. Refrigerate the dough between batches. 

2. If the dough is too sticky for your liking while you are rolling them into balls, add a little flour.  But don't go overboard adding extra flour or the taste will be adversely effected.  My hands are absolutely covered with sticky dough when I am rolling the dough into balls, so don't be surprised by that.

3. Take the rings off your hands before shaping the dough into balls.  Like I said, it gets messy.

4. Use RED and GREEN seasonal M&Ms and voila!  You have the perfect Christmas Cookies.

5. You can make the dough one day ahead of time and refrigerate the dough overnight in a covered bowl if you want. It takes kind of a long time to make these since the recipe makes so many cookies, so I often make half of the Monsters one day, and finish them up the next day.

6. These cookies do not break easily, so they are the best kind of cookie to make and ship to friends.  If you know anyone in college, they are a wonderful study food - you get the sugar rush plus all the protein from the peanut butter. 

7. Do not over bake.  They should be a bit chewy inside.

Buried Cherry Cookies

Cookie Exchange! What to bring? Your Cookie Exchange goals: cookies that are easy to make, the recipe makes alot, and the cookies are delicious. Additionally, it's my opinion that all the cookies should be uniform. I don't really like cut-out cookies for exchanges because some always look way better than others. Plus, they are so much work, that if I go through the trouble to make them, MY family is going to get to eat them!!

Here is my go-to recipe for the annual Cookie Exchange. It's nice to have a chocolate cookie, because it seems that many bakers bring vanilla or spice cookies to exchanges. But I usually have to make two batches because my husband would complain if he didn't have 40 of these for his personal consumption!

Buried Cherry Cookies
Modified from a recipe in my trusty old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 10-ounce jar maraschino cherries (42 to 48)

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1.5 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1.5 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk or low-fat sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain cherries, reserving juice. Halve any large cherries. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in cocoa powder and the flour with the mixer.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each ball. Place a cherry in each center.

3. For fudge topping, in a small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate melts. Stir in 2-4 teaspoons reserved cherry juice. (If necessary, fudge topping may be thinned with additional cherry juice.) Spoon 1 teaspoon fudge toppping over each cherry, spreading to cover.

4. Bake about 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 42 to 48 cookies

MY TIPS -
1. Refrigerate the balls of dough for a few minutes before baking. Stops them from becoming too flat in the oven.

2. Don't make the dough balls bigger than 1-inch. I made mine smaller and smaller each batch because I liked the way the little ones looked!

3. Don't put a dripping wet cherry on a cookie. After cutting your cherries, let them sit on a paper towel so some of that excess juice soaks up. Otherwise your dough will get wet, and your cookie will flatten.

4. Also, you read it correctly, the fudge topping does get baked. I usually add extra cherry juice to the fudge topping to get it to cover the cherry evenly and easily. But don't add too much or your fudge will get watery. It should be like frosting consistency.

5. Alternatively, you could probably drizzle the fudge topping over the cookies in a zig-zag pattern, and that way the bright red cherry would be visible. Not so much "buried" then, but visually appealing! I haven't tried this option, so if you do, let me know how it turns out. You would probably bake the cookies with cherries, let them cool, and THEN add the topping if you want this effect.

6. Use parchment paper on the trays for easy clean up.

7. Bribe your significant other into cleaning the mixing bowl and fudge topping bowl in exchange for cookies, sex, whatever it takes - what a mess!

These freeze really well. And taste great right out of the freezer if you want a snack and just can't wait for one to thaw! Not that I've ever tried that. ;-)

Turned out a little flatter than I wanted. I think my butter was too soft. You want it so you can mix it, but if the butter is too soft (such as mine after I microwaved it a couple seconds too long) your cookies can flatten. Oh well, I tried one and they are still fantastic!

Marshmallows for Toasting

"There'll be parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting, and caroling out in the snow!" It really is the most wonderful time of the year! If you want your holiday party to be so amazing that people compose songs about it, you'd better make it pretty special.

Taking a cue from the song quoted above, let's talk marshmallows.

What a fun addition to your party to be able to offer S'mores in the middle of winter! If you live in a warm climate, head on outside and make a bonfire on which to roast your 'mallows. Even if it's a little chilly, nothing beats a bonfire. Giving people an excuse to go out for fresh air will be appreciated. However, if you live in frickin' Ohio like I do, it is waaaaaay too cold to spend time outside longer than it takes to plug in the Christmas lights. So, I offer some alternative suggestions.

1. Fireplace - oooh fancy you! I'll bet having a fireplace was a selling point of your house, wasn't it? Well, now you can get some use out of it, in addition to it just looking pretty. You might want to avoid those Duraflame logs, or your S'mores might start tasting like dangerous chemicals. Note: remove stockings from over the fireplace if you don't want them to catch on fire. Another note: remove drunk people from around your fireplace if you don't want them to catch on fire. If you are uncomfortable with the thought of people holding a stick with a flaming marshmallow in your highly flammable living room, you might consider grilling the S'mores. Just fully assemble the S'mores (graham cracker, chocolate bar, big marshmallow, graham) and place them on a grilling rack or cast iron pan in the fire. When you remove them, the marshmallow and chocolate will be all melty. Yummers!!

2. Stove - Whether gas or electric, just turn on a burner and let your guests toast their marshmallows over the stove. Provide all the ingredients for S'mores nearby. Sing carols. Eat S'mores. Repeat.

3. Microwave - It doesn't seem nearly as festive to me, but if you feel this is the only option, it is possible! Just nuke the marshmallow on a plate for 15-20 seconds on LOW power. The marshmallow might double in size and be careful, because the center could get very hot.

4. S'mores making kit. This one is available online from Cosi. So cute and would make a great gift.



For the S'mores connoisseur in your life at http://www.getcosi.com/




If you are a peanut butter junkie like I am, try using a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup in place of the chocolate bar on your S'mores. Any other ideas for variations on the basic S'mores recipe? Leave it in the comments!

Bring out the Bubbly!

Today I just want to make a recommendation for a beverage to serve during the holidays. It's a festive time of year, so you can't go wrong with something a little bubbly. Personally, I enjoy myself ten times more when Champagne or sparkling wine is served at a holiday gathering! (And if I'm happy, everyone's happy.)

It's probably best to keep a couple bottles on hand this time of year, just in case guests stop by. And if they don't get used (shame on you!) you can always bring the extras to the New Year's Party. If you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable choosing a wine, don't be afriad to ask the wine store clerk to point you towards some good choices. They are experts and love making suggestions! These bottles aren't all crazy expensive either. (Well, Champagne is, but ooohlala, worth it!) Really, you only need to start the meal or party with something bubbly, and after everyone gets a glass, you can move on to regular wines or cocktails.

My long-time favorite is Asti Spumante, at about $14 a bottle, it's a delicious and affordable option. And you can find it in any grocery store. I have a fond memory of getting tipsy on the stuff at my grandmother's birthday party when I was 17 years old. Grandma and her friends got a little giddy, too! If you want to branch out a bit, try a Spanish Cava or Prosecco ("Champagne's Sexy Italian Cousin," according to this article) that are charming to serve but won't break the budget.

Cheers!


An Asti Christmas Tree. Santa got my letter!!!

Holiday Traditions

Well, it's now a couple days past Thanksgiving. Did you all enjoy your holiday? We had wonderful time with family, and now we are looking forward to enjoying leftovers for the next three months. Unfortunately we ran out of leftover gravy already.

But a party hostess has no time to dwell on the parties of yesterday when there is such a festive season to come! Yay for Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Festivus)! I've heard of many fun themed events happening in the next few weeks from Cookie Exchange Parties, to a Tree Lighting Party, to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.

But there's one I'm looking forward to most of all. My parents have thrown the same formula Christmas Party for the past TWENTY YEARS. There are some new faces every year and some people who used to come but have moved far away, but there is a group of about twenty people or more who keep getting invited and keep coming back year after year. This is a tribute to the quality of friendships that my folks maintained throughout the past two decades. (Or maybe it's just a tribute to the popularity of the super-strong hot buttered rum that is always served.)

So, I've been thinking of party traditions. The holidays are the perfect time to consider starting your own tradition. Friends and family move away and we lose touch during the year, but having an annual event in your hometown can bring everyone together. Maybe get a group of the old gang to come over for (spiked) hot chocolate and board games on Christmas night after their family obligations are finished. Or pitch the idea that all the cousins go bowling on Christmas Eve. Begin a tradition of a service project that everyone can work on together - serving a hot meal at a soup kitchen, distributing toys to local families in need, putting a care package together for our troops overseas.

Brainstorm with select friends or family to decide what fits your group best. Renew those old acquaintances this year!

Entertaining Christmas Parties

There's so much going on during the holidays, but the best part is getting together with your friends and family. If you plan on hosting a Christmas soiree this year, how do you keep it festive and fun? This topic comes a little early, but if you are a compulsive planner like I am, you are already thinking about your seasonal party. Here are some ideas to get you started....

1. Bake off - Every guest needs to bring a plate of cookies to share. You provide the milk! Then guests vote on the best cookie. If everyone emails you their recipe ahead of time, you can compile the recipes and print them out, so everyone gets a pack of Christmas cookie recipes as a party favor.


2. Cookie decorating - If it's a cozy and casual vibe you are after, why not fill your home with the smell of freshly baked cut-out cookies? Make all the cut-outs before the guests arrive and cover the table with a protective plastic sheet and all the toppings and icings you can find! Let the guests go wild decorating their cookies. This is great for little kids and adults.


3. How about an ornament decorating station? Have lots of glitter, puff balls, pipe cleaners, etc. Best ornament, as voted on by the group, gets an awesome prize! Hang all ornaments on a tree as they are finished, so everyone can admire them. Beware - as the amount of alcohol served at the party increases, the ornaments will get more silly and/or raunchy. Good way to break the ice and let grown-ups play with Elmer's glue again. They'll do things with pipe cleaners that would embarrass their children. Fun!
   


4. We have always done a "white elephant" gift exchange at my family's Christmas party. Guests should bring something from their home that they don't want anymore (or they can purchase something, but that takes some of the challenge out of it in my opinion) and wrap it nicely. The funnier item the better. We've had macrame plant holders, a dashboard hula girl, a clown wig, a beer hat, a bottle of moonshine, a giant Hillshire Farms sausage... And you draw numbers to see who goes first. After the first round, people can chose to open a new present, or steal a gift that has already been opened. I suggest putting limits on how many times an item can be stolen each turn, or it gets out of hand. This game gets really competitive and fun! You would be amazed at the crazy items people are desperate to get!! Oh, and it's nice to let the person who drew number 1 go again at the very end of the game, so they at least get one chance to steal.


5. Live music. Whether you hire a five piece jazz combo, or you lead a carol sing-along, nothing gets people into the holiday spirit like a little Christmas music.


6. Dress up. There's something thrilling about having a chance to go out on the town looking like a million bucks. Insisting on "Holiday Dress Up Attire" will ensure that guests come to your home with a sparkling attitude. Make the most of the fancy vibe by serving cocktails or champagne and using non-disposable dishware.


7. If all else fails, there's always beer pong.