These cutout cookies came into our family during my grandmother’s reign. Every Christmas she made these delectable goodies. Mom carried on the tradition and soon these cookies were simply known as “Christmas Cookies.” Sure, we had other varieties, but these were special. When I got married and made these for The Good Guy, he was assured that he had made a good choice in helpmeets. We got greedy, however, and I started making them all through the year. Instead of calling them “Christmas Cookies,” we started calling them “Cutouts.” I would make them in all sorts of shapes and send them with him to work at Microsoft. One of his co-workers loved them so much that she asked her Jewish temple to hire me to make cookies for their women’s meeting. For over a year, I baked between 10 and 20 dozen cookies per week for them (I had a repertoire of many cookie recipes). When I “retired” from that exhausting job, I continued to make these cookies. This past year, my son, The Musician, asked for them for his birthday instead of cake. They are that good.
1. Info for Christmas Cookies (the official recipe)
- Cook Time: unavailable
- Total Time: unavailable
- Servings: unavailable
- Calories: unavailable
2. Ingredients for Christmas Cookies (the official recipe)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup butter (only use real butter)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- Frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- about 2 Tbsp milk
3. Directions:
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add egg, milk and vanilla.
- Beat until smooth.
- Combine dry ingredients and gradually add.
- Chill 1 hour.
- Roll ½ inch thick and cut into shapes.
- Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet 400 degrees for 5-8 minutes.
- Don’t let them get brown.
- Frost when cool.
- For frosting: beat powdered sugar with butter.
- Add vanilla and just enough milk to achieve a smooth spreading consistency.
4. Tips and advices:
- These cookies freeze well (unfrosted) and you can double or triple the recipe with great results.