Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
Rustic Bakery, Kimberly ToddThe folks at Rustic Bakery always seem to strike the right note—taking something classic and improving on it in their own unique way. It started when Rustic Bakery heeded to a call for crackers to accompany the cheeses of Cowgirl Creamery and created a long sourdough flatbread cracker for which they have become renowned. During the holidays, their creativity goes up a notch—which is a pleasing state of affairs for these distinctive sugar cookies. Rustic Bakery’s Kimberly Todd, a Culinary Institute of America–trained pastry chef, shares her classic holiday sugar cookie recipe which is reminiscent of the ones offered each year in the cafés. The cookies are crisp and buttery and perfect for adding festive holiday toppings. Cut and decorate them any way you wish.
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or paste
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Royal Icing
- 2 egg whites, or more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted, or more as needed
- 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon juice, optional
- Liquid or gel paste food coloring, optional
- Festive sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
- To make the cookies, in a large bowl combine the butter and sugar and use a hand mixer or stand mixer (paddle attachment) and mix until creamed together. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Working in batches, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined after every addition; do not overmix or cookies will be tough. If dough is dry, add a little splash of water and mix to incorporate. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, shape into a disk and refrigerate for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the chilled cookie dough on a lightly floured work surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough until about ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cookie edges are firmly set and tops of cookies are a light blond color, 10–12 minutes. (Do not overbake or cookies will be hard.) Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely before decorating. Meanwhile, make the icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg whites on low speed until loose, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating on low speed until the whites become frothy, about 2 minutes more. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until the icing holds a soft peak, about 2 minutes more. Add more confectioners’ sugar or egg whites as needed for thicker or thinner icing. Beat in vanilla or lemon juice, if desired. Divide the icing into separate bowls for adding color, if desired. To add food coloring, use a toothpick to dab a small dot of color in the icing and mix to an even color with a rubber spatula, adding more as needed for hue. Spoon the icing into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip or a plastic bag with a corner snipped and seal closed. Holding the bag upright, pipe the icing around the perimeter of the cookie, then fill in lightly with the icing, tapping the bottom of the cookie against a work surface to spread the icing to the edges. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Set aside until the icing is set; royal icing will dry to a smooth, shiny finish. Makes 24 cookies.
