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Simple Christmas Butter Cookies

Handmade Farmhouse
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour
  • 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Sticks Salted Butter 12 Tablespoons

Decorating Frosting

  • 3 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 4 1/2 Tablespoons Milk Add a teaspoon at a time more if it is too thick. Humidity and dry air can affect this.
  • 1 Teaspoon Lemon or vanilla extract If using vanilla I would suggest getting clear so your frosting stays white!

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°
    Mix butter, flour, and powdered sugar. Generously dust counter with flour and roll out dough.
    Use holiday cutters to cut dough and place onto a parchment lined pan.
    Bake for 14-15 minutes. Allow cookies to set and cool on tray.
    Whisk together powdered sugar, milk and extract. The glaze should be thick but still run smooth without breaking when you lift the spoon/whisk up. When you lift the spoon it will run in a steady flow back to the bowl but it will slightly keep its shape before dissolving back in. If it is too runny, it will not hold any shape as it runs back into the bowl. Test a little bit of your glaze on one cookie to make sure it's not too runny or too thick. The frosting shouldn't drip off the sides and it should smooth/level out after filling the centers and swirling with a toothpick/skewer.
    Use food coloring gels to color frosting and fill piping bags or ziplock bags.
    Fill a piping bag or gallon ziplock with frosting and clip a very small end off of the bag.
    Pipe an outline on the cookies and fill the centers. Working quickly, use a toothpick to smooth frosting by moving it in small circles. Allow to set. Add snowmen on snow globe cookies once the first layer is well set.
    Cookies will need several hours for the frosting to set up enough to package and have them touching. I like to make them and leave them out overnight covered with plastic wrap.