cut-out sugar cookies with a simple glaze and candy cane sprinkles

My cookie exchange food blogger group continues to inspire my baking. The week after our potluck cookie exchange party is always the kick off of my Christmas 🎄 cookie baking season. I've had this excellent cut-out sugar cookie recipe from my friend Gina from one of our first get togethers and now it's time to share it. We made sugar cookies to decorate for Valentines day with a small group at my house about ten years ago. I was just checking our the pictures and I think we did a pretty impressive job on our homemade cookies. My friend Lisa gifted us all a snowflake cookie cutter which I happily used to make my cut-out sugar cookies. My daughter Katie gave me a small bag of candy cane Christmas sprinkles from Etsy and it was just time to put all of these wonderful things together to create a new blog post as I have fallen way behind on my usual posting. I started this blog to share my recipes with friends and family during covid, which since vaccines isn't as scary these days. Although Covid is still with us, sadly.

Please enjoy this simple cut-out sugar cookie recipe from Gina. I used a simple glaze over the top to allow those candy cane sprinkles to adorn my cookies which I will also share but any favorite icing will work.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar, egg, flour, salt and almond extract, mix until combined. Divide the dough into 3 disks and chill for 1-2 hours. Roll the dough, one disk at a time on a floured surface until 1/4" thick, then cut with cookie cutters, keep the dough chilled until needed. Place the cookies on parchment or silpat lined baking pans. The dough can be re-rolled to cut additional cookies, chill dough as needed.

Bake in 375F oven for 7-8 minutes or until they are firm with lightly colored edges.

Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to metal rack to completely cool before glazing the tops and sprinkling.

Simple Glaze

2&1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons light corn syrup with vanilla, if available

2 tablespoons milk

food coloring, optional

Mix everything together in a bowl. Stir until smooth, a fork may be used. The glaze will be thick but should be soft enough to spread with a small spatula. Cover with sprinkles and allow to dry before packaging. Food color may be added to this glaze.

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