Decorated Cut Out Cookies Without Frosting Recipes

BRIDGET'S CUT OUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.
• Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set this mixture aside.
• In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until combined and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extracts, mixing until combined.
• Add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing on low speed. Scrape down the sides and bottoms of the bowl as needed. After the last addition, the dough will look very thick and crumbly.
• Prepare a rolling surface and roll out a portion of the dough. Cut as many shapes from the dough as possible and place them on a prepared cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
• Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes. Freezing the cookies will help keep them from spreading. Meanwhile, knead the scraps and remaining dough together and continue the rolling, cutting, and freezing process on a second cookie sheet.
• After freezing, immediately bake the cookies on the center rack of your oven for 9 to 12 minutes (for 3.5 to 4-inch cookies), or until they appear done in the center. The baked cookies won't change much in color.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes. With a thin cookie spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

DECORATED CUT-OUT COOKIES WITHOUT FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until they form a ball.
• Chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough and set it aside in a sealed container.
• Color the remaining cookie dough with green food coloring to desired color shade.
• Roll cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
• Cut trees with a tree shaped cookie cutter and remove the outside pieces of dough. (knead outside pieces into a ball so that you can redo this same process on the next cookie sheet).
• Taking out the portion which you set aside in step #2, divide it up into small groups depending on the number of colors you want your balls/garland to be.
• Color each small group with food coloring and add tiny amounts of milk until it gets to the consistency that it can be piped through a pastry/decorating bag.
• Pipe your balls/and or garland colored cookie dough unto the unbaked trees. Bake in a preheated oven to 375 degrees Farenheit for about 12 minutes.
• You will have beautifully decorated cookies without the added frosting and everyone will wonder how you did it.