C.H.'s Christmas/Holiday Cookie Exchange

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Sugar Cookies with Low Sugar Option

I seriously love baking and eating sugar cookies. Unfortunately, my darling hubby is now diabetic, so I've had to change up some of my recipes for his sake. He does love his sweets ;)

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup soft unsalted butter or margarine in a large bowl

1 cup of white sugar (for Low Sugar Recipe add 1/2 cup)

2 eggs, well beaten

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

2 & 3/4 cups Hecker's unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar together until smooth, add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in dry ingredients until combined and smooth. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll out a small amount at a time on a floured surface to desired thickness (we like the cookies on the thicker side) Cut into desired shapes. Line cookie sheet with Silpat non-stick silicone baking sheet and place cut outs on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. I switch shelves half-way through cooking time for a more even bake.

Ice or not...your choice ;)

Grandma Purcell's Confectioner's Icing Recipe:

Butter

Box of Confectioner's Sugar

Milk

My version:

1 stick of softened unsalted butter

1 pound of confectioner's sugar, sifted (approx. 3 & 1/2 cups)

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract - variation: almond extract or flavor of your choice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

Cream butter, add confectioner's sugar, vanilla, salt and milk to desired consistency. If too thick, add more milk...too thin, add more sugar.

Ice cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles, etc.

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Gingerbears (gingerbread bears) 

with Low Sugar Option

Years ago when our kids were little, there was a catalog that I used to order notecards, birthday cards, etc. from called Current, Inc. One year they had a book called The Gingerbears' First Christmas...our three kids loved when I read it to them. I think they came up with the idea to bake Gingerbears instead of Gingerbread. I traced out a bear on waxed paper and used a knife to cut the cookies out. OH...and I'd roll up a ball of dough for the snout like the picture above.

Gingerbear Cookies:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of Grandma's unsulphured molasses (for Low Sugar Recipe use 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup of white sugar (for Low Sugar Recipe use 1/4 cup)

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (or margarine)

2 & 3/4 cups sifted Hecker's unbleached flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup buttermilk plus a splash more if needed 

Mix the molasses, sugar and butter until creamy. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk until smooth. Chill for 2 hours. 

Roll out a small amount at a time on a floured surface to desired thickness (we like the cookies on the thicker side) Cut into desired shapes, using cookie cutters or your own waxed paper cutouts. Note: if you want to make the gingerbear's snout, roll a small bit of the dough into a ball and add to his face. Line cookie sheet with Silpat non-stick silicone baking sheets and place cut outs on top.

Bake in 350 degree oven 8 to 12 minutes. I switch shelves half-way through cooking time for a more even bake.

Ice or not...your choice ;) using the Confectioner's recipe above.

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Spiced Sugar Cookies with Low Sugar Option:

My darling hubby happened to be in the kitchen when I was looking through an old cook book for a cookie recipe to try out for him. He was intrigued by the Pfeffernusse or Spice Nuts recipe. There are times when I don't have all of the ingredients for a recipe...camper's motto...so I wing it. Actually, I wing it a lot. LOL! Then I had the idea to combine some of the spices from the Pfeffernusse recipe with my Sugar Cookie recipe and they were delicious! 

Spiced Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup soft unsalted butter or margarine in a large bowl

1 cup of white sugar (for Low Sugar Recipe add 1/2 cup)

2 eggs, well beaten

2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

2 & 3/4 cups Hecker's unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Cream butter and sugar together until smooth, add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in dry ingredients until combined and smooth. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll out a small amount at a time on a floured surface to desired thickness (we like cookies on the thicker side) Cut into desired shapes. Line cookie sheet with Silpat non-stick silicone baking sheet and place cut outs on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. I switch shelves half-way through cooking time for a more even bake.

Other recipes that I bake every year: 

Peanut Butter Thumbprints with Hershey's Kisses

Pecan Crescent Cookies
Ricotta Cookies
Bourbon Balls (technically not a cookie, but yummy)

Raspberry Pinwheels

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