Christmas Cookies - Soft, Subtle Sweetness & Grandma's Icing!

Baking & decorating Christmas cookies as a family is my favourite tradition each year.  What I like best about this recipe is that the cookies are soft and not too sweet, so after icing them GENEROUSLY, they are amazing! 

 Autumn Eating Cookie Sara and Benjamin Decorating Cookies
* Freezer Tip *
After they are decorated, I put them on cookie sheets and freeze them before placing them in freezer bags so the icing stays beautiful!

Enjoy!

COOKIES

Beat together:

1 ½ cups soft butter

2 cups white sugar

2 cups sour cream

4 eggs

Then add:

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

6 cups white flour

Cookie dough on floured board

 

Cover the dough and put in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours)

Roll out with as little flour as possible. 

I usually divide the dough into 3 sections and roll out one at a time so I can leave the rest it in the fridge.  When it gets too warm it will be sticky and more difficult to work with. 

 

Cookies on baking sheet
Place on cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  They will just start to brown, do not over bake them.

 

Now for the fun part!! 

 

ICING & DECORATING.

Baked Cookies

Half of us just like the plain chocolate icing with coconut, or my favourite - chocolate icing with score bits (as you can see above!)

Others like lots of colour and sprinkles.  Truth be told... I find icing cookies as therapeutic as colouring!

Grandma Hiebert’s ICING:

Decorated Cookies

 

½ cup butter (soft, not melted)

2 ½ cups icing sugar

2-3 tsp Vanilla

Pinch of salt

5 tbsp milk

 

Mix and separate icing into different bowls to dye the colours you would like

* Handy Tip *

I make 2 recipes of the icing, one recipe just for all the colours, the other just chocolate.  To make the chocolate version simply add ¼ cup cocoa and if it needs a bit more milk for smooth spreadable consistency add a tablespoon or 2 of milk.

I think you got this from here on in...!

However you apply your icing... piping bag, spatula (or they never get that far because you just "dip and down" them as a family) enjoy your time in the kitchen together over the holiday season!

 

 

Blog Photo by Gabriel on Unsplash