Monday, December 18, 2006

Christmas Cheer

This weekend, we seemed consumed with making Christmas cookies. After Friday’s batch of Christmas pumpkins, we felt compelled to make some “Christmas” cookies. I found a kick-ass (!!!) recipe for cream cheese sugar cookies that I will share here in a moment.

Eric hid the pumpkin cookie cutter, so we were left with mostly Christmas cookie cutters, along with a couple of heart-shaped cookie cutters, but I figured hearts could really go either way. Eli’s obsession this time around was mixing the food coloring to see what color of frosting he could make. He mixed so many colors together, he was very excited that he got black frosting. Here is a green and black star that he made and frosted all by himself:

He was so proud!


We also made headless angels and Valentine’s cookies:


But I think after four dozen, we have just about every holiday covered, so we’re going to call it quits on the cookie making for awhile.

If anyone is making Christmas cookies this week, I really hope you will try our recipe. It rocks! I coupled it with my white chocolate frosting. Yum-o!! It tastes especially good with a cup of Caribou coffee!! Fa la latte!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.

4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

White Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
3 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, heat 3 oz white baking chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; cool to lukewarm. In a medium bowl on medium speed, combine melted white chocolate, confectioners' sugar, butter, water and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Bean until smooth and of spreading consistency.

4 comments:

crazymumma said...

i hope blog biotch will let me comment. Sounds yummy! But with the cream cheese do they need to be refrigerated?

crazymumma

Scribbit said...

I love cream cheese, definitely trying this one out. And he's got all the makings of an artist, can I say? :)

Mo and The Purries said...

Lee did a sour cream cookie this year (along with my requested Reindeer Poop) they taste yummy! But he is a NO icing cookier :(
I wish I had time to make your icing, it does sound yummy!

I love the look on little flour-covered Eli's face!
That rascally grin warmed my heart!

Love ya,
Mo

Sparky Duck said...

yea yea, refrigerated?