Holiday Sugar Cookies

This is my favorite Barefoot Contessa shortbread cookie dough recipe. It's simple, delicious, and versatile. I make this dough annually and then bust out whatever cookie cutters make sense at the time. This is a nice, sturdy dough so it doesn't crack or crumble when the kids roll and shape. The refrigeration step is necessary to ensure that the edges remain firm and intact while you futz (btw, auto correct left "futz" alone. It's part of the vernacular!✡🕎).

Last year, for a family Hanukah party, I made an assortment of shapes, made different color icings with food coloring and powdered sugar, different sprinkles and candy toppings, and let the kids go to town. It was adorable and a huge hit. My daughter did the funniest thing. I was deep into "Empire" at the time, so she made me a cookie of Cookie Lyons. How awesome and clever is she??? It made my year. I bought cute takeout containers that the kids decorated with markers to take home their cookie creations in. Sometimes I think I should have been a preschool teacher, but then I think I'd lose my shit😂. Much love and respect to all the teachers doing stuff like this with our puppies on a daily basis❤️.

For these cookies I used menorah, dreidel, and Jewish star cookie cutters. The recipe includes the basic icing instructions. Simply add a few drops of food coloring to make different fun colors. The key to getting the sprinkles to stick is to sprinkle while icing is very wet. I suggest sprinkling and icing (I use a pastry brush) on wire racks, with paper plates under the racks to catch the mess. Easy cleanup. Don't store or eat until cookies are completely dry so your icing doesn't smush (autocorrect was cool with "futz" and not "smush"?🤔). I used sanding sugar, sprinkles, and dragees in Hanukkah colors, all purchased at Michael's craft shop. Have I mentioned my deep love for Michael's? Better than Disney (anything is better than Disney when a human kid leash and those horrific turkey legs are involved 🍗).

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3.5 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup confectioners sugar 

Directions:

• Mix ingredients together in a stand mixer.  Once ingredients are blended together place the dough on a floured board and shape into a disc.  Chill for half hour.
• Preheat oven to 350.  Roll the dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with a 3" round cutter.  Place on a baking sheet for 25 minutes.
• Place confectioners sugar with 2 tbs water to make a fine glaze.  Spoon a few drops on the cookies.  Enjoy!