These Shortbread Roll Out Sugar Cookies are the perfect roll out cookie. Buttery shortbread that you don’t have to chill before rolling out.
I originally wasn’t going to post today.
There was a large group of bloggers who were going to show support to Sandy Hook Elementary and the town of Newtown Connecticut and not post today.
Well they were going to post that they weren’t going to post…which is a post in itself if you think about it.
I thought long and hard about whether to post or not.
I’m quite sure you all could have gone a day without this Shortbread Roll-Out Sugar Cookie recipe but that isn’t the point.
While there are simply no words to express about the tragedy that occurred on 12/14 (perhaps that’s why it’s best to just not blog) I feel for me personally that I must appreciate that fact that I am still here.
My family is still here.
And it thankfully did not happen in my community.
Therefore to go on with my daily life including running a blog.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think about it.
As a former elementary school teacher I could not help but think of the faces of my students all this weekend and I could not even fathom how those teachers handled all of that.
Or even the first responders who had to go in and see all of that.
I can only hope for peace and serenity to come to them and their families.
There was a lot of family activity this weekend.
Lots of piling on the couch and watching movies as we covered ourselves in a river of blankets.
Big family meals this weekend.
Lots of giggling.
And of course with Christmas being next week and me having certain traditions we frosted sugar cookies.
Not just any sugar cookies though…shortbread style sugar cookies.
These babies just melt in your mouth.
The good news is they taste amazing.
The bad news is given all that butter they sometimes meet an early demise as my soon to be step kiddos learned as she chopped her gingerbread man in half. Oops.
Or my husbands stepson having a shattered cookie (which the dog appreciated).
So you need to make large size cookies with these that don’t have a lot of limbs.
The mittens were a good choice as were the trees…the gingerbread men had far too many accidents (there were several arms and legs gone before I even got to the frosting portion of cookie making).
I should have just done round ones for ornaments as well.
We had a lot of fun and spent hours frosting which we couldn’t believe the time when we looked up and were done.
As expected I have a few cookies thanks to my hubby’s stepson that have more sprinkles than cookie 😀
But I remember those days all too well (as does my mom) and I just don’t think it’s Christmas without a cookie with every sprinkle put out on top of it.
I have meticulous ones that my stepdaughter worked hard on.
Her pink mitten (down at the bottom of the first photo) is my favorite of the cookies.
And her twin brother spent almost 2 hours working on three cookies.
They all really worked hard on them.
Which I love but now I don’t want to eat any of them (which I guess my jeans appreciate).
I on the other hand got a ton of cookies done and didn’t spend nearly as much time so I don’t care if I eat mine. 😛
So be sure today to send loving and peaceful thoughts to Newtown.
Send those same thoughts to your loved ones as well.
Spend time with the people you love.
Appreciate your life…and go live it.
P.S. It’s a great day to buy my cookbook Holy Sweet!
Want More Holiday Cookie Ideas?
Mini Chocolate Gingerbread Men Sandwich Cookies
Shortbread Roll Out Sugar Cookies
White Chocolate Topped Gingerbread Cookies
Vanilla Bean Caramel Thumbprint Cookies
Shortbread Roll Out Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- For the Cookies:
- 2 cups unsalted butter (Plugra!), at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (if you can find the clear kind that would be best to keep the white frosting white)
- 7-8 cups powdered sugar
- About ½ cup of milk (will depend on the consistency you want)
Instructions
- For the Cookies:
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat for another 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the butter mixture, stirring on low speed.
- Stop beating as soon as the flour mixture is completely incorporated (overbeating will produce a tough cookie).
- Form the dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
- When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a flat, smooth surface, roll the chilled dough out to 1/4 inch thickness (don’t add extra flour learn how to do that here) . Cut out the cookies with chosen cookie cutter(s).
- Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a greased baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until light brown around the edges.
- Cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove with a spatula and cool completely on racks before icing.
- For the Frosting:
- Cream together the butter and two cups of powdered sugar.
- Add vanilla.
- Continue to add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
- When it starts to get to thick begin to add the milk.
- Keep adding powdered sugar until you reach desired consistency.
- Add food coloring to get festive.
- To make a chocolate version simply add ½ cup melted good quality milk chocolate (I used Lindt) and ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder. We used that on the “gingerbread” men and we literally fought over them. You may hurt someone over these…the jail time will be worth it. 😛
movita beaucoup says
Love this post – happy to be doing all that I will be doing today, and sad that so many others won’t be sharing those simple joys today.
Irene says
Hi Peabody!
These sound very tasty and probably wouldn’t last at my house either. Does the frosting firm up like Royal Icing or does it stay soft?
Merry Christmas!
Anita at Hungry Couple says
Yes, yes, yes….yes to every word and thought in this post. Live your life and live it thoughtfully, lovingly and well. Amen to all this, sister!
Adam says
This brought back some fond memories. We used to do this close to (sometimes on?) Christmas Eve/Day at my Grandparents’ house. All the cousins, my mother, the aunts, and my grandmother baking and decorating cookies :). It’s such a nice tradition to have, and something in my adult life that I miss (especially since I’m the baker now). Thanks for the memories Peabody, and the cookies look great! :).
Diana says
Thank you for this post. Living not far from where this happened and having children the same ages as some of the victims, I didn’t know if I should be posting on my blog today. I decided that I needed to, because the recipe I made was shared with family and friends that I love and in the wake of this, I’m even more grateful than ever to have them in my life. Your post reminds me of the fun we used to have making gingerbread houses when I was little, and I needed that reminder today.
Becca - Cookie Jar Treats says
I have never decorated sugar cookies. But then again I didn’t grow up in a baking household. I’m pretty much the first baker in the family. I do want to decorate cookies though! They all look so cute and pretty and festive 🙂 I love the little mittens you guys decorated!
I have seen a few posts about not posting today, and they are beautiful posts, but I believe you are right as well. Posting and showing how much you care can do just as much. I can’t even fathom how the parents of those little kids feel or even the kids who lost a sibling. My heart really goes out to the families of those little ones and the teachers who died saving so many of the other possible victims.
laurie says
They look fantastic. I think the kids did an awesome job. I have one here who over sprinkles, too.
Annamaria @ Bakewell Junction says
Peabody,
I live in NY – about 40 miles from Newtown CT – and this is pretty much the only thing everyone is talking about.
Your post is a reminder of the Christmas season and normalcy. Lovely recipe and cookies.
Annamaria
Thank You says
De-lurking to say Thank You. For the recipe, of course – but mainly for that last line. I think I needed an “ok, now go out there again, stop mourning, stop fearing” kind of message. I need the distraction. I have to put my first grader on a bus every morning and squelch down the reality that I’m taking a huge leap of faith. Having bloggers, such as you, acknowledge the recent tragedy but not dwell on it is very much appreciated. thank you.
Kelly says
Awe, so fun! My fam would love that. We did a gingerbread house party, the houses being just a bit smaller than a cantaloupe but bigger than the graham cracker kind. We started out with three houses and a few trees after everyone else took theirs home. We’re down to one and the girls are clamoring to eat it. 😉 Sugar cookies would be easier than having to pre-assemble houses though for sure!
Jill says
I appreciate that other bloggers felt the need to not post, and I understand it, but being practically on top of this means that the miasma of grief is tangible and everpresent. Escaping into pictures and posts of something so simple and necessary as food is restorative during this helpless time.
Thank you for posting.