A Trio of Sugar Cookies

Christmas escaped me this year. I don't know if it was my unusually bizarre work schedule (two back-to-back Halloween shoots followed immediately by an unexpected Easter shoot the Friday before Christmas) or the seemingly never-ending parade of bad headlines, but I just couldn't find my mojo. Mercifully, I finally gave up, which was exactly what I needed to enjoy the day. Sometimes you just have to let it go.

Ironically, the Christmas spirit hit me a couple of days after it was over. So I translated all of that goodwill and energy into New Year's baking for friends and family. I might be a bit out of step this year, but if there's one thing I've learned from my profession - every day's a holiday.

I've got a great, basic sugar cookie recipe that I can always count on. The cookies hold up in transit and have a longer shelf life than softer, cakier cookies. But after a couple of batches of basic, I started to get the urge to experiment. I tried a couple of different recipes, but I still preferred the texture of the recipe I started with. So I went back to the basic and used it as a building block for two variations. 

I'm so glad I took the time to do this. Emotionally, it was satisfying (baking = love). Mentally, it was grounding. Creatively, it was stimulating. And next year, should I find myself in a mad scramble, I'll know that I have recipes that are tried-and-true.  

Happy New Year!

 

Classic Sugar Cookie
(with a touch of brandy)

4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; add the eggs, brandy, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.

3. Add the dry mixture gradually, beating until incorporated.

4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and slightly flatten it with your hand. Chill for at least an hour. 

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on a well floured surface (from 1/8 - 1/4-inch thick) and cut out with cookie cutters. Transfer the cutouts to a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes, or just until the edges look slightly golden. Let them sit on the pan for a minute or two, then transfer them with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Tip:  If your dough gets too warm and cutouts don't hold a crisp shape, try refrigerating the cutouts for about 10 minutes before baking.

Frosting:

I don't follow a recipe for this, but I usually start out with about 1 1/2 cups of confectioners' sugar, then add a tablespoon of milk and a squeeze or two of lemon juice. After I stir it all together, I add more milk or lemon juice, if needed.  You can make the frosting as thick or thin as you desire, simply by adjusting the amount of sugar or liquid.

 

Eggnog:

Add 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the basic dough, mixing it in with the dry ingredients. Top with Brandy Frosting and dust with freshly ground nutmeg.

Brandy Frosting:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon brandy

In a bowl, soften the butter with an electric mixer at low speed.  Sift in the powdered sugar.  Add the brandy and beat until smooth.

 

Sazerac:
(The Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans, making this a very personal, regional rendition of a sugar cookie.) 

Substitute 4 Tablespoons Sazerac Rye for the brandy in the cookie batter and add 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest.  Frost with Sazerac Frosting.

Sazerac Frosting: 

2 cups confectioners' sugar
5 teaspoons Sazerac rye
1/2 teaspoon Herbsaint liqueur
1/2 teaspoon Peychaud's bitters
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg white, beaten

Combine all of the ingredients and whisk until the mixture is smooth and spreadable. 

Comments

[Suzonne]

Thanks, Melissa! I love sequins as much as I love glitter (and cookies).

[Melissa Kronlage]

These photos really are gorgeous. I love the sequins - what a cute touch!

[Suzonne]

Thanks, Leisa! I have a feeling there are lots of amazing combinations to try (and with so many bitters on the market, lots to work with). And the beauty of trying them out in frostings is that you can add to it drop by drop until you get the taste you want - and if you hate your first attempt, it's not a pricey failure.

[Suzonne]

Thank you, Lisa! I missed blogging so much! But I have to be honest with you - I got a good laugh when you mentioned "applying my simple and clean aesthetic" to your cluttered environment. My environment at the moment is so epically chaotic, it defies description. Ha! I can't wait to apply my simple and clean aesthetic as well. A New Year's resolution for both of us! And it's totally doable! Really! (And thank you for the compliment - you've just motivated me to go tackle a closet.)

[Suzonne]

Yes, Shalagh - My work is more than satisfying! In fact, I'm really, really happy with everything I created over the last two months (the hard part is always having to wait so long to share it). But it does get a little mixed up in my brain when I'm making transitions from one holiday to the next without pause - think of life on fast forward without time to process the shift in seasons. But I'm incredibly lucky that I have the luxury of doing it for a living. Being out of sync once in awhile is a small price to pay!

Happy New Year!

[Leisa]

Wow, these look absolutely mouth-watering! I love the use of bitters in the frosting... definitely a must-try :-)

[Lisa]

Nice to see you back, I've missed your blog posts this last month! I think one of my New Year's resolutions is to attempt to apply your simple & clean aesthetic, which is like a breath of fresh air, to my cluttered environment...

[Shalagh Hogan]

Happy to hear that even though your work (which I assume is satisfying) threw you off, you regained balance through the simple act of love through baking. Every day's a holiday is funny and true in that, Wherever your head is, there you are. I had a final round of Christmas music on today. And yes, the pictures show your efforts. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Happiness for a bright New Year
and Love,
Shalagh

[Suzonne]

Happy New Year to you, Betty! I hope 2013 is your best year yet!

[Suzonne]

Thanks, June! It's something I'm working on and sometimes struggling with, so I appreciate the positive feedback. Happy New Year!

[Betty J Schaub]

YUMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy New Year sweetie!

[June g.]

Your photos are gorgeous!