The Perfect Cookie

Ribbitt!  Wyatt's Frog Themed 1st Birthday

I always believe that a party's success lies in the attention to details.  It's easy to make a batch of cookies, so why not order a cookie cutter matching your theme and take it to that next level.  A lot of  impact with a little effort!

After many trials and errors, OK basically store bought dough doesn't work, I found the perfect sugar cookie recipe that will produce a flawlessly shaped cut-out.  (I think I ripped it out of a magazine in a doctor's waiting room- sorry!)   This was before the days of online pin-boards and Facebook, so I still have my much loved original copy that's been getting  a little wrinkled and sticky over the years.  I must have used this recipe a dozen or so times and the cookies always turn out great and get plenty of compliments.


My Favorite Sugar Cookie Dough
Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

1. Using an electric mixer at medium high speed, cream the butter gradually adding the sugar.  Beat in the egg until evenly mixed, then blend in the vanilla extract and salt. (I add coloring here)

2. With a wooden spoon, stir the flour into the creamed ingredients, about one third at a time, until evenly blended.  The dough may seem soft, but it will firm up when refrigerated.

3.  Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk and seal in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate overnight.

4.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cover cookie sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.  Roll dough between 2 sheets of lightly dusted wax paper to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out shapes and gently transfer to baking sheet.

5.  Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies start to turn golden brown along the edges. Cool.  Makes 30-40

• Notes- Dumping sugar works just as well as "gradually adding".  I didn't own a wooden spoon for the 1st three years and freezing  for an hour or two is quicker than refrigerating overnight.   I did find it's easier to work in small batches.  The warm dough gets tricky to cut!

Rock On!  Cole's 4th Birthday

Under The Sea.  Cole's 1st Birthday

All Aboard.  Cole's 2nd Birthday