Mary Berry Sugar Cookie Recipes

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.
• Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix together sugar and butter. Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract; mix well. Blend in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Heat oven to 375 F. Divide dough in half. Roll each half 3/16 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. If desired, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown on edges. When cool, decorate with frosting or icing, as desired. Yield depends on the size of your cookies cutters.

MERRY BERRY COOKIES

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl.
• Add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Let the bowl sit on the counter while you do the next step.
• Melt the jam in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat. Once it's the consistency of syrup, mix it in with the butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs, baking soda, and salt, stirring after each addition.
• Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Overnight is even better.).
• When your ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position.
• Roll the chilled dough into small walnut-sized balls with your hands.
• Put 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it.
• Place them on a greased standard-sized cookie sheet, 12 cookies per sheet.
• Flatten the dough balls with a greased spatula.
• Make a small indentation with your thumb or index finger in the center of each cookie. Fill the indentation with about 1/8 teaspoon of jam.
• Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Let them cool for minutes on the cookie sheet, and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.