❄LG,BE’s 12 Days of Christmas❄
🎄Day 8🎄
I love the concept of Santa Claus needing a plate of cookies and a glass of cold milk at EVERY household he visits — yes, okayyyyy👏 delivering toys really takes the wind out of you so of couuuurse the jolly guy needs a sweet treat and a drink to keep pushing through his busiest night, it makes TOTAL sense!
It’s also highly entertaining for me now to understand as an adult and realize just how big of a hole in the plotline of Christmas magic that concept really was, but yet…how relatable for us adults now? Who doesn’t love a sweet treat and a beverage at the end of the night, right? Although, I’ll pass on the glass of milk 😂.
Throughout my childhood, it was a grand tradition of ours to visit family friends in northern Ontario during the holidays. Part of this tradition meant playing in all the snow (since where we lived recieved such a pitiful snowfall in comparison), sometimes watching the Christmas parade in town, or just enjoying one of the wintery nights in their backyard with a good ol’ fashioned bonfire. But the main event? The kids would decorate homemade sugar cookies together while listening to all the carols we could possibly muster This tradition went on for almost 20 years, and we often looked back at the original photos of the four ‘kids’ as wee tots who had more icing on their face back then then on the sugar cookies themselves.
Every year, our moms would make the SAME recipe for sugar cookie dough (like the recipe is laminated for eternity) that was gifted to my mom from a colleague who loved to bake, cherished being in the kitchen, and who was everybody’s honourary grandmother.
Eventually, us ‘kids’ took over the baking portion when we were old enough; which really just goes to show the true lifecycle of such wonderful friends and traditions in life. The memories of those December days baking with our childhood friends still holds a really special place in my heart, so naturally when I thought about sharing a cookie recipe this year, it came down to the almighty sugar cookie that I grew up on.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp milk
- 1 & 3/4 cup of flour, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp of salt (if using unsalted butter, otherwise omit)
In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Add in one egg and the milk and combine well. Next, add the sifted flour in two batches to incorporate everything properly, with the baking powder and (optional) salt being added to the second half.
Take the dough and flatten into a disk shape and wrap with saran wrap before placing in the fridge to chill for up to an hour.
Preheat your oven to 375°F and line baking trays with parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour onto your working surface and roll out the dough to about a 1-4 inch thick. Next, use cookie cutters (preferably Christmas-themed shapes!) to cut out the dough and lay them on the baking trays.
A tip from LG,BE's Mom: Immerse your cookie cutters in flour on the side each time you use to cut out the shapes to prevent the dough from sticking. It would also be helpful to use a spatula to help lift the dough away from your working surface without messing the shape up!
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and allow for them to cool completely before storing. These cookies freeze well for up to 5 months – and are even better to use for decorating with your loved ones. 💖
Peace and good eats, as always
-A❄
Little Girl, Big Eats 