Election Day Sugar Cookies Recipes

SOFT CUT-OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be relatively soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 more Tablespoon of flour.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use more flour if the dough seems too sticky. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
• Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it's sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it- see me do this in the video above. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. (Note: It doesn't seem like a lot of dough, but you get a lot of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)
• Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
• Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or easy glaze icing. Feel free to tint either icing with gel food coloring. See post above for recommended decorating tools. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it's helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can stick the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help speed up the icing setting.
• Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies are great for gifting or for sending. Plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until creamy, about 2 more minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 2 more minutes.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; form into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll out the dough between floured sheets of parchment paper until about 1/4 inch thick. Chill 2 more hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Mist 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Cut the dough into shapes; gather the scraps and reroll once to cut out more cookies. Arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until set, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Make the icing: Beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3 to 4 tablespoons water in a bowl with a mixer on high speed until smooth and thick. Transfer to a resealable bag and snip a small corner. Pipe onto the cookies; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Let set 30 minutes.

GAME DAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Pour off the drippings into a small bowl, keeping the bacon in the skillet; set the drippings aside and let cool.
• Add 2 teaspoons brown sugar and the water to the skillet with the bacon and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and the bacon is crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer the bacon mixture to a plate and spread out; let cool.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon drippings, the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar and the granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the whole egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the pretzels, chocolate chips, candy-coated chocolates and bacon and beat until just combined. Stir in the potato chips with a rubber spatula.
• Roll the dough into large balls (about 3 tablespoons each). Arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are golden and set around the edges but still soft in the middle, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Put the sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to finely grind. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and pulse just to combine.
• Add the butter and pulse until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture is sandy. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the mixture comes together in big clumps.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead a few times to form a ball. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Put 1 disc of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out with desired cookie cutters and arrange on one of the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gently gather any scraps into a ball and press into another disc. Chill the disc until firm enough to roll and cut out as many cookies as possible.
• For the icing: Sift together the confectioners' sugar and the meringue powder in a large bowl and add 6 tablespoons water. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until the mixture is glossy and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add food coloring if using or divide into several batches and color with different shades of food coloring. Decorate cookies as desired. The cookies can be store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

VOTING PARTY COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a fork.
• In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer for 3-5 minutes, until butter and sugar are fully combined, but before the mixture becomes fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat to incorporate. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined, but crumbly. Finish mixing with your hands until the dough comes together in a ball.
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Lightly flour the top of the dough and roll out to about ¼-inch thick. Use cookie cutters of your choice to punch out cookies. Place the cookie cut-outs on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool completely.
• Decorate the cookies with royal icing and let dry completely, at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
• Enjoy!

EASTER EGG SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• For the sugar dough: Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Beat together the vanilla and egg in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula as needed.
• Reduce the speed to low again, slowly pour in the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating until combined after each and increasing the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed. Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together. Divide into 2 even pieces. Shape each piece into a flat square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Dust another sheet of parchment with flour and put 1 dough piece on top. Dust with more flour and top with another sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out between the parchment sheets into a square about 1/4 inch thick (and about 11 by 9 inches) and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, cut out cookies with a 2 1/2- by 2 2/4-inch Easter egg cookie cutter and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate while you cut the remaining cookies. Reroll any scraps of dough and repeat the freezing, cutting and refrigerating process until all the dough is used. Repeat with the remaining dough sheet.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets front to back and bottom to top about halfway through, until cookies are golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets set on a wire rack, about 30 minutes.
• For the icing: Meanwhile, sift the confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until the icing is thick enough to show the line of the whisk that disappears within about 8 seconds.
• Place 3 tablespoons white icing in each of 3 separate bowls. Tint each a different color and cover with plastic wrap (see Cook's Note). Place 1/4 cup white icing in another bowl, covering the remaining white icing with plastic wrap so it does not dry out. Drizzle one of the colored icings (about 1 tablespoon) onto the 1/4 cup white icing and swirl with a toothpick.
• Next, dip the surface of a cookie in the swirled icing and remove slowly, allowing any excess to drip off. Shake the cookie over the bowl of icing to remove any excess. Gently smooth the icing with a toothpick to fill in any gaps, if necessary. Place the finished cookies on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Use the tip of the toothpick to pop any bubbles that appear. Drizzle more colored icing as needed. Repeat this process with the next 2 colors and the remaining white icing until all the cookies are decorated. Let set for 30 minutes. Store single layers of cookies, with parchment in between, in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

ELECTION CAKE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a large bowl. Stir a few times, then let stand until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture begins to bubble, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift 1 1/2 cups of the flour into the bowl, and stir until mostly smooth. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place for about 30 minutes. The mixture will expand, loosen in texture and have large bubbles on the surface.
• Meanwhile, place the dried fruit, pecans, brandy and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl, stir until the sugar is dissolved, then microwave until hot and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir, then set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Generously butter a 12-cup Bundt pan; set aside.
• When the flour-yeast mixture has risen, beat the butter with the granulated sugar and remaining 3/4 cup brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined (the mixture may look slightly curdled at this stage), then add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Beat in the flour-yeast mixture. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, then gradually beat in the flour-spice mixture. Raise the mixer speed to medium, add the fruit-nut mixture with any remaining liquid and beat until the fruit is well blended. The dough should be soft, loose and elastic, almost like brioche dough or an extremely thick batter.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared Bundt pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the dough fills the pan a little more than 3/4 of the way, about 1 hour. When the cake is almost done rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove the plastic wrap from the cake. Bake the cake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula, and turn the cake out, flat-side down, onto the wire rack to cool completely.
• Before serving, stir together the confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon of the milk and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a small bowl. Gradually add as much of the second tablespoon of milk as needed to make a thick glaze that will just gently run. Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the outside and inside.

VALENTINE'S DAY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• For the cookies: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and mix until well combined, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed, about 2 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Using heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut the dough and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart (a small off-set spatula is really helpful when transferring the cookies). After both pieces of dough have been rolled out and cut, combine the dough scraps and re-roll and cut to utilize as much of the dough as possible.
• Bake until the cookies are just barely golden around the edges, rotating halfway through, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
• For the icing: Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. The consistency should be similar to that of slightly thinned yogurt and should coat the back of a spoon. Adjust with additional confectioners' sugar or milk, if needed.
• Place 2 tablespoons of icing into each of 2 small bowls. Add 4 drops of red gel food coloring to one bowl and 2 drops of pink gel food coloring to the other and stir until fully incorporated. Using a small spoon, drizzle a small amount of each color over the white icing and then repeatedly drag a toothpick through the icing until you create a marbled effect.
• Working with one cooled cookie at a time, carefully dip it face-side down into the icing and allow any excess to drip off before placing the cooking back on the cooling rack. Add additional red and pink icing to the bigger bowl of icing as needed to maintain the marbling effect. Decorate with sprinkles (if using) before allowing to the icing to fully set, about 4 to 5 hours.

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA ELECTION DAY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, add milk and vanilla extract; stir to combine and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk mixture; beat until just combined. Add cocoa powder and beat until just combined.
• Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large 5/8-inch round tip (such as Ateco No. 808). Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and set aside.
• Meanwhile, press your thumb into the center of the fondant to make a well. Place a small amount of food coloring (red for Republican, blue for Democrat) in the well and knead fondant until color is well blended. Continue to add more food coloring to fondant until desired color is achieved. Roll out into a 1/16-inch-thick sheet.
• To make Republican elephants, cut out 12 elephant shapes using 2-inch elephant cutters. Sprinkle with edible glitter. To make Democrat donkeys, cut out 12 bear shapes using a 2-inch bear cutter. Using a 2-inch daisy cutter, cut out enough daisy shapes so that you have 36 petals; sprinkle bear shaped and daisy petal fondant with edible glitter. Top each cupcake with a fondant elephant or bear, using two daisy petals to make donkey ears on each bear and one petal to make the tail. Sprinkle cupcakes with nonpareils and serve.