“I make this recipe a lot. It’s a versatile dough and can be turned into many different cookies. Cut into rounds with a small biscuit cutter, poke a hole into one round, and they make incredible Linzer-type cookies, sandwiched with thickened seedless raspberry jam. Omit the zest if citrus isn’t your thing. Add a smidge of almond extract, if you like it.” —Liz Larkin
Classic Christmas Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings30
minutes40
minutes1
hour10
minutesThis recipe makes four dozen cookies cut with a medium-size cookie cutter.
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
16 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one large navel orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1 egg white, beaten (for egg wash)
Sprinkles for decorating
Directions
- In medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Cream together the butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so.
- Mix in flour mixture. Blend until dough begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Take the dough out of the mixer and form into a disk shape and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out the dough to about a quarter-inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Dip cookie cutters into flour to help them release easily from the dough. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Brush with egg wash. Decorate with sprinkles.
- Bake for 8–12 minutes, depending on size of cookie, or until cookies are just golden brown on the edges.
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