I am going to admit something here. I dread making Christmas cookies! I feel the same way about them as I do bread. I am a Christmas cookie martyr! It is somewhat like jumping into a cold pool, once you take the plunge, you are fine, but you avoid it until the last possible minute. My kids absolutely hound me for these every year. They are not babies anymore, either.
I have to say that a homemade Christmas cookie with a glass of milk is the best Christmas treat there is! Store-bought sugar cookies will just not do at my house. I have some tips that make my “plunge” bearable. First, you must take a day to do this. The process starts with making the dough, to rolling the dough and cutting the cookies, to baking the cookies and cooling them, to icing and decorating them, then finally storing them when they are finished. Success hinges upon is the cookie recipe itself.
If you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, try using ½ shortening and ½ butter for the shortening requirement in your recipe. It really makes quite a difference in the lightness and texture of the cookie. Another thing I have learned over the years of cookie slavery is not to over work your dough. This activates the gluten in the flour, which will make hard, crunchy, cookies. The less you handle your dough, the tenderer your cookie will be. I try to only roll out my dough three times. Another thing about these cookies is not to add too much extra flour when you roll the dough out. Be sparing with it. The extra flour makes a dry, tough cookie.
Use simply shaped cookie cutters. Some of the more intricate cutters look great, but are a pain when using them and dough sticks to the design and it becomes a hassle. The less hassle, the better, I say! Always double or triple what you make. You can refrigerate the dough and use it later, or just get plenty of cookies made and decorate them later. Do not over-brown these cookies. Remember tenderness is the key here. Decorate them with icing, sprinkles, and candies. Be artistic. On the icing, be sure to use cream, not milk. Make sure the consistency of your icing is spreadable, but not too thick. It must have a gloss when it dries. It must be thin enough to spread, but not run off of the cookie. Any embellishments, like candies and sprinkles, must be added while the icing is wet. Let the cookies dry on waxed paper and then store them in an air tight container. Try not to store too many layers and put waxed paper between layers if you must. They will stick together.
The bummer about this is that kids do not care how much work is put into these treats, they just want MORE! This is pretty much a thankless job, but somebody has to do it! I guess the demand for them is a compliment. Remember to hide some of the extra pretty ones for you and Santa! Santa likes these, too, with eggnog, I hear. Roll up those sleeves and take the plunge! You know you have to do it! Go for it and get it over with! You’ll be so glad you did!
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