MY FAVOURITE SUGAR COOKIES!
Over the weekend I hosted a holiday open house for my cousins to get together before the busy holiday season takes off (more details below)! I wanted to keep it casual and asked everyone to bring a dessert or a plate of cookies, which saved me a lot of work! I provided the drinks and baked my favourite sugar cookies. I found the recipe on a box of WILTON cookie cutters & sprinkles over 10 years ago and since then my trusty sugar cookies have been a staple at wedding showers, baby showers and birthday parties. If I am serving the cookies at home I prefer to ice the cookies with a basic buttercream icing. If I am taking them to a party or wanting to do detailed decorations (like my Dr Suess cookies!) I will use royal icing.
SUGAR COOKIES
1 C. butter
1 C. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking powder
3 C. flour
1 - Preheat oven to 400' F
2 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer.
3 - Beat in egg and vanilla.
4 - Mix baking powder and flour. Add one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be very stiff, blend the last of the flour by hand (if dough becomes too stiff, add water, a teaspoon at a time). The dough can be tinted with icing colour, add small amounts until the desired colour is reached. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH.
5 - Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 inches in diameter and 1/8" thick. Dip cutters in flour before each use.
6 - Bake cookies on an UNGREASED cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.
Makes 40-48 mini sized cookies.
Now more about the open house!
This was my first time hosting a (extended) family gathering at my current house! In our first couple of houses we would always host a big Thanksgiving supper or Christmas supper with 25 people and I LOVED it! I actually planned my first and second house floorpan around accommodating a crowd for the holidays. Over time everyone has been busy with their own growing families and it has been years since we were all together, so I took the idea of a "open house" from my aunt who hosts one for her in laws every year. I picked a day at random, I thought a month from Christmas would be a perfect kick off to the holiday season. For the time I gave a 3 hour window and set it up as a come and go, making it easier for everyone to work it into their schedules. I sent out digital invitations (3 weeks in advance) instead of mailing invitations and was so excited to see everyone. In hindsight I should have had people RSVP because it stressed me out not knowing who's coming and who's not coming...how much should I buy? How many chairs do I need? Etc. (major type A personality over here!) Overall it was so good to see everyone who was able to make it and it gave me an excuse to have my tree up early this year! Speaking of the tree...pictures coming soon! I ended up re-decorating it on Saturday night at 10:30, LOL. I still wish it had more decorations but I am happier with it now!
