Sugar Cookies

Credit: Tracey Ayton

These scrumptious sugar cookies can also double as tree ornaments

Grab a few of these festive sugar cookies for stringing onto the tree before they’re all devoured

Ingredients

• 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) butter
• 177 ml (3⁄4 cup) sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 ml (3⁄4 tsp) vanilla
• 500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) baking soda
• 2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190 C (375 F).
2. Cream butter in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Blend well. The dough will be stiff.
6. Divide dough in half. Roll out to 0.3 cm (1⁄8 inch) thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut with assorted cookie cutters. Place cookies 5 cm (2 inches) apart on cookie sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
7. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
8. Cool on wire racks. Frost and decorate.

From Bonnie Stern’s Essentials of Home Cooking by Bonnie Stern

Icing Ingredients

• 250 ml (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 1,500 ml (6 cups) icing sugar
• 80 ml (1⁄3 cup) milk
• 10 ml (2 tsp) vanilla

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in 4 cups of icing sugar.
3. Beat in milk and vanilla.
4. Gradually beat in remaining icing sugar. You may need to add additional milk to get the right consistency.
5. Add food colouring as desired.
6. Tightly wrap leftover icing.

From Pink Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery

Cookie Stylist: Laura Sugden

Originally published in BC Home & Garden magazine. For regular updates, subscribe to our free Home and Garden e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the magazine.