This recipe was originally in an old cookbook belonging to my grandmother, I do not have it with me to reference but I believe it was published by one of the flour companies. We used this recipe every year as I now continue to do. It is difficult to find so here it is. It is the best recipe for simple Christmas cookies that I know and they practically melt in your mouth and the powdered sugar is the key to that.
Makes close to four dozen if using small cutters.
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted and divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1 to 2 teaspoons water
Food coloring, optional
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and one-half cup powdered sugar until light and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla, and then the salt. Stir in the flour, a little at a time, until thoroughly mixed and smooth to form the dough.
3. Gather the dough and roll it to a thickness of one-fourth inch on a floured surface. Cut out cookie shapes from the dough.
4. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake until just browned on the bottom but still light on top, about 10 minutes. Cool briefly on the pan, and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
5. Make the glaze: In a medium bowl, stir together the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla extract with just enough water to reach the desired consistency. To color the glaze, divide the dough and tint with food coloring as desired.
6. Ice the cookies as desired. To be more precise for the icing, it is your standard icing recipe. I use more like 2 cups powdered sugar just for the icing, a teaspoon of vanilla and two or more tablespoons of milk until the consistency is right. Too much milk and the icing will be too thin to spread so add a Tsp. at a time not to overdo. I usually separate the icing into small bowls and add food coloring so that I have white, red, green and yellow or gold. Top with any decorations like sprinkles, candies, etc.
Each of 4 dozen cookies: 70 calories; 1 gram protein; 8 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 13 mg sodium.
Enjoy! I suggest doubling the batch as they go fast and also make great gifts for friends and neighbors. Just pop a few into a baggie or holiday treat bag and tie with a beautiful holiday ribbon.
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