I thought ya'll might like to see how our Cookie Decorating Night went. We've decorated cookies now for over twenty years - we started when the kids were toddlers - and we still have fun. Back when we first started, the decorating parties were little more than complete chaos: sprinkles and frosting EVERYWHERE, cookies that looked like monkeys decorated them, and little people licking their fingers while working, blech. Today you'll see that this has evolved into a very classy affair, if you don't count the plastic plates, knives and tablecloths.
Special thanks to my daughter, Lauren, who captured some scenes on her phone and put them to some music!
Just in case you missed the recipe, here it is again:
Christmas Cutout Cookies
1 1/2 c butter, soft
3/4 c sugar
3 1/3 c flour
Mix in large mixing bowl at low speed. Roll out 3/8 inches thick, cut into desired shapes Bake at 300 for 20-25 min (ours never go that long, so watch for browning). If dough doesn't stick together, add drops of evap. milk or half and half.
Icing: Mix about a bag a powdered sugar with 1 stick of soft butter (or less) Add small amounts of milk until it is a smooth (not too thick) consistency. Add 1-2 tsp. almond flavoring, the secret of cutout cookie deliciousness. Divide up into bowls and stir in food coloring (red, green, blue, yellow, leave one bowl with white). Have colorful sprinkles on hand, along with toothpicks and small plastic knives for swirling designs around. Give each person a paper plate to work over, to keep the sprinkles from going EVERYWHERE.
Hint: Toothpicks make great decorating tools: you can dip one in frosting, then touch a sprinkle and it sticks to it! Then you can place those itty bitty sprinkles in perfect places to make stunningly perfect patterns. Your friends will be wowed. When you get sick of such attention to detail, then just sprinkle away. It's all good.
