EATING
My favorite time of the year has always centered around the holidays. Abundance of delicious food, family and friends you haven't seen all year and holiday cookies. Since I can remember, the greater portion of December was spent baking trays of sweet treats that I would later box and gift to neighbors, teachers and friends. This is a wonderful tradition you can start with your own family, one that can create memories that your kids will fondly recall for years to come.
For this activity, I have included a simple but delicious shortbread (or sugar cookie?) cookie recipe. Consider this your base and feel free to put your own spin on it with whatever you desire. To help you get started, I've included a few ideas for flavor additions and decorative elements.
IDEAS (most of these items are available at your local cake supply store or supermarket):
Consider purchasing fun shaped cookie cutters to shape your cookies. Stars, bells and snowflake shapes are particularly festive.
Decorations:
- colored sprinkles
- sugar silver balls
- icing pens
- edible gold dust
- edible glitter
- powdered sugar
- melted chocolate (white or dark)
Shortbread/Sugar Cookie
Ingredients:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ stick unsalted butter (not margarine)
- ½ cup granulated superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon juice
Technique:
Cut butter into flour until well-blended. Gather mixture into a ball and work the ball of dough until it becomes smooth. Dust a cutting board very lightly with a little flour or place on parchment and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet after 2 minutes and cool on cookie rack. If adding small candy beads, press into cookie before baking. For melted chocolate, cool completely before dipping into chocolate.
