We are all experiencing life differently right now, but we bet there will continue to be just as much baking if not more! It can be a great opportunity to share a tradition of baking with your kids or people you have been in quarantine with. It can also be a fun time to experiment with a different recipe, cookie design or have the kids make them and use all the sprinkles!
The Kitchen at Middleground Farms has some amazing online cooking lessons. We loved learing about making sugar cookies with their recipe!
Turn on some music or a fun Christmas movie and let’s get to making some memories in the kitchen. You can use fun cookie cut outs if you have them and go wild or if you don’t have any and want to make your own, look around the house for shapes that could be used for a cookie cutter. Some ideas include, using a cup upside down, a lid to a tupperware container, even a pen if you wrap the tip in seran wrap and freestyle your cut out. So many options!
Rolling out the sugar cookies, Harn style:)
Here is a simple and delicious recipe from our friends at The Kitchen at Middleton Farms in WIlsonville. They know the business of making and baking all things delicious for your home!
Sugar Cookie Dough
Yield: 3-4 dozen
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Chill dough until cold.
Roll dough out with flour to approximately 1/8 inch.
Cut out desired shapes.
Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
Let cool completely before frosting.
The Harn girls with their sugar cookies ready to decorate.
Simple Buttercream
(For decorating cookies)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 Tablespoons milk
food coloring as needed
Cream room temperature butter with a hand mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract, amond extract and milk. If using food coloring, add when frosting is the desired texture.
Royal Icing
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
2 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon lemon Juice
pinch of salt
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine powdered sugar and egg whites. Mixing on medium speed until thick. Add salt and lemon juice. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add a bit of water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.
It is highly recommended for mom to have wine while making these sugar cookies 😛