A video
Here's a video that gives lots of ideas for decorating sugar cookies.
Or, just sprinkle some colored sugar on top (like I did)!
A book
In my reading this week, I found a new book to add to my Christmas list: Dirty Sugar Cookies: Culinary Observations, Questionable Taste. From the author's blog, I found her recipe for Sugar Cookies. It has the same ingredients as Dorie's, but in slightly different quantities.
A television show
I also watched Alton Brown's "The Cookie Clause" episode.
Recipe
Dorie's
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dirty Sugar Cookies
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup of shortening (or 2 sticks of butter)
1¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
You can find the recipe for Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Ulrike of Küchenlatein who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.
Tasting Notes
Mine were crunchy, which is how I like them. Not doughy. If you like them nice and soft, roll them thicker or bake them less. Sugar cookies on their own are dull, so a sprinkle of sugar or some Caramelized Butter Frosting helps. A sprinkle of "toast dope" (cinnamon sugar) is nice too and transforms them into a cookie more similar to snickerdoodles.
A book
In my reading this week, I found a new book to add to my Christmas list: Dirty Sugar Cookies: Culinary Observations, Questionable Taste. From the author's blog, I found her recipe for Sugar Cookies. It has the same ingredients as Dorie's, but in slightly different quantities.
A television show
I also watched Alton Brown's "The Cookie Clause" episode.
Recipe
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Dirty Sugar Cookies
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup of shortening (or 2 sticks of butter)
1¼ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
You can find the recipe for Grandma’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies in the book Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or here. To see how the rest of the TWD group fared with this week's recipe, click here and then click on each blogger! Thanks to Ulrike of Küchenlatein who chose the recipe for this week and will post the recipe.
Tasting Notes
Mine were crunchy, which is how I like them. Not doughy. If you like them nice and soft, roll them thicker or bake them less. Sugar cookies on their own are dull, so a sprinkle of sugar or some Caramelized Butter Frosting helps. A sprinkle of "toast dope" (cinnamon sugar) is nice too and transforms them into a cookie more similar to snickerdoodles.
Recipe for Next Week (December 16)
Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80.
Other Christmas cookie ideas:
• Linzer Sablés
• Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Lenox Almond Biscotti
• Rugelach
Buttery Jam Cookies on page 80.
Other Christmas cookie ideas:
• Linzer Sablés
• Brown Sugar-Pecan Shortbread Cookies
• Lenox Almond Biscotti
• Rugelach
I love the star cookies, so will the kids! Lovely blog!
ReplyDeleteI love those dragees :) Perfect for the star shape! The videos are blocked for me at the moment, I'll have to check them out later!
ReplyDeleteYour star cookies look great! Thanks for all the cookie links.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and simple star shaped cookies! I enjoyed watching the video on how to decorate cookies, thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI'll say like you: What the heck! when someone else can show the complicated tricks of the trade... why not leave it to them!? LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm only starting now, to really get your drift: Why make complicated, when you can make simple!?
The tartelette baked in a lid, the free formed caramel splashes. etc... look pretty intricate, but come to think of it, they're truly not!
I believe Shari, you have to have an original and out of this world talent to trick one's eye into believing the masterpiece cut into italian marble they're admiring, is in fact, a simple sugar cookie!
Very beautiful...so elegant and charming...great photos and post...and I love all those little videos and things you find for us all each week.
ReplyDeleteGreat cookies and I love the silver decorations on the stars. Im glad you liked them!
ReplyDeleteThe cookies look great. I just love sugar cookies. They're my favorite!
ReplyDeleteLove the dragees! They look great on those perfect little stars!
ReplyDeleteI adore how you decorated your cookies.
ReplyDeleteI can never get my sugar cookies to look like yours. For some reason the edges always brown too much. Yours are lovely.
ReplyDeleteLovely! Dragees are illegal in California (crazy, I know) so I envy your stash.
ReplyDeleteSo much good information! Nice looking cookies.
ReplyDeleteOh they're gorgeous! I wish dragees were available in CA. Bummer.
ReplyDeleteToast dope - hehe :) A sprinkling of sugar is simple and delicious, so I heartily approve of your decorating strategy.
ReplyDeleteI should have known that I'd see some spectacular sugar cookies here! Your first pic of the star cookies on ice is brilliant. I enjoyed your post!
ReplyDeleteCute cookies. Love dragees!
ReplyDeleteI love your cookies! Although I must admit, I like chewy better than crispy when it comes to cookies. Thanks for the videos!
ReplyDeleteYour star cookies are so festive! I liked these too, although mine didn't come out as crispy as I like. I'll cook my next batch a little longer. Thanks for all of the cookie links!
ReplyDeleteYour star cookies looks so elegant. Lovely presentation!
ReplyDeleteYour 'stars on ice' are elegant, understated and lovely!! Inspiring even!
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look so great! Thanks for all the decorating links and ideas.
ReplyDeleteAwww, I actually like that last commercial. Nice stars! Gotta love some cookies with a little bling.
ReplyDeleteI love Alton Brown's show - he always cracks me up.
ReplyDeleteI went the simple route too, just rolled the log into colored sugar and did the slice and bake routine.
Me too! Thanks for sharing the ideas. I'm lucky that I found a go-to recipe that tastes really good, so it doesn't matter that mine are always and only decorated with a sprinkle of colored sugar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting both recipes - I actually tried the second one, and after serious refrigeration (which is exactly what the recipe says to do) they worked out great!
ReplyDeletethat is a great video! Your cookies look great too
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look delicious. I have that Good Eats episode on DVD (thanks to my husband), but I haven't watched it in quite a while. I might have to pull it out this weekend.
ReplyDeleteI normally hate decorating cookies, but your ideas make me changing my mind. Great, just great.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining TWD and baking with me
Ulrike from Küchenlatein