Snowflake Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are probably one of the most versatile of all cookies. You can get cookie cutters in so many shapes these days that you can make them to suit every holiday or occasion.

I decided to include some small bite size snowflake sugar cookies in this year's edible christmas gift hamper. I was concerned that they may not hold their shape, but ensuring that they are thoroughly chilled before baking eliminated any problems. Plus, careful icing helps bring out the detail. These cookies are only 2" wide so too small to ice fully but I have added a snowflake detail.


Ingredients:

• 375g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 250g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 225g sugar
• 1 large free-range egg
• 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract

Method:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Mix the vanilla essence into the egg & add to the butter mixture a little at a time (throw in a handful of the flour to stop the egg and butter separating).
3. Gradually add the rest of the flour and the baking powder
4. Wrap the dough in cling film and refrigerate for about 2 hours
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F  / 176°C / Gas Mark 4
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1cm/⅓ inch thick.
7. Cut out cookies using a cutter – do not wiggle the cutter, just press down firmly. Try to make the best use of the dough in one go, as each roll incorporates more flour which can create flour pockets that cause bumps to form while cooking. If this happens, you can usually press the lumps down before the cookie is lifted off the baking sheet.



8. Place your cookies on a buttered or lined baking tray. Chilling the cookies again at this stage for 3-5 minutes will ensure they keep their shape while cooking (unnecessary if cooking from frozen).
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes (maybe less if your cookies are small) until the edges start to turn slightly golden.
10. Leave to cool for one minute on the baking tray for it to firm up before transferring carefully to a cooking rack
11. Ensure your cookie is fully cooled before icing.

TIPS

• When decorating Sugar Cookies, lay your cookies on baking parchment. Pipe thick royal icing around the edge of the design, then fill with a slightly runnier royal icing and decorate. Leave for about 12 hours to set before storing.
• Once baked, store for a week in an airtight container. They may last up to 2 weeks if you substitute half the butter with Trex (vegetable shortening).
• To save yourself even more time, prepare your dough in advance, cut out cookies and place on lined baking sheets and freeze. Once frozen, layer the frozen cut outs with baking parchment and bake when needed. Allow 5 minutes at room temperature before baking.
• You can freeze most cookie dough mixtures for about 12 months, or even the baked cookies for about 4 weeks. Ensure they are fully defrosted before icing.