Monday, November 29, 2010

Sugar Cookie Finale

SUGAR COOKIE FINALE

Setting up my baking section

This is the second part to my Sugar Cookie Recipe - baking and frosting the cookies.  

Click here to read all about mixing up the cookie dough.


BAKING

On Saturday I baked the sugar cookies.  I set up my rolling and cutting area on our kitchen island.  I use a glass cutting board to roll out the cookie dough.  That's my Mom's old wooden rolling pin with the red handle from the 1940s.  I line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.  I use a small tin container to dust flour on my cutting board.  And I put out my cookie cutters.  The oven is pre-heated to 375 degrees.

The cutting board is dusted with flour and I'm ready to start rolling out the cookie dough.
The first cookie sheet is ready to roll out.
Cutting out the cookies.

I put the cookie dough back in the refrigerator between each tray of cookies to keep the dough chilled.

Cooling the cookies.

I baked all of the cookies for  8 minutes.  
This batch made 164 cookies - 13.6 dozen!

FROSTING

The Frosting table is set up.
On Sunday I set up the frosting table.  

I cover it with freezer paper and set out the cookie toppings and utensils.

The ingredients.  Butter is not in photo.

The ingredients for the butter cream frosting recipe:
  • 2 pound package of powered sugar
  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 4 tsp vanilla
  • 8 tablespoons evaporated milk 
  • gel food coloring
  • assortment of cookie toppings
Cream butter first and add and mix in powdered sugar.  Stir in vanilla.  Add evaporated milk gradually and beat until frosting is of right consistency for decorating or spreading. 

To frost all 164 cookies it took two batches of the butter cream frosting recipe and we only had a little left at the end.  This frosting sets up nicely and is easy to spread on the cookies.   We like lots of frosting but if you like to go light on the frosting you may only need one batch of this recipe.


Don't do as I did on the first batch mixing the butter and sugar together.

It's easier to cream butter first and then add the powdered sugar.
Then add and mix the vanilla.  The final step is to add the evaporated milk.

 I whip up all of the ingredients together to a nice consistency.
We put food coloring gel into individual bowls for each color.

The final product - 164 cookies all frosted.

I started this process at 2 PM and finished at 5 PM.  It's not hard to do just time consuming.  I'm lucky because my hubby helps me frost or it would take me even longer.  But I'm slow in the kitchen.  When I was younger I could bake and frost in one day.  

After the cookies set up I put them in Tupperware containers separating each row of cookies with wax paper.  And into the freezer they went all ready for Christmas.  

Boy, I'm glad that project is finished.  Hubby mentioned while we were frosting the cookies that he would like chocolate chip cookies too.  

So, I guess I'm not done baking yet.

Joining:

Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special (here)

9 comments:

  1. I'm awful at the kitchen. Awful! but I want to make cookies this holiday season. I will! and even if they come out bad, I will feel good for trying :o) Wish me luck!
    have a great day.

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  2. Your cookies look yummy!
    I might try and make some for J's christmas fair on friday. xxx

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  3. 164 cookies, I'm impressed ! They look beautiful and yummy.

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  4. Oh my goodness, that looks like a lot of work...but what a pretty result.

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  5. Sandy what a production line you have going, you and Jeff are really experts now !! Freezing them too a good idea then they are fresh for handing out to friends later. Good going. Nan

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  6. Sandi your cookies look so pretty and now they are all ready to enjoy all during the Christmas season!

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  7. Wow! So pretty. Great idea to freeze them! I am slow in the kitchen too. But I do plan to make some cookies with my kids soon.

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  8. Your cookies look really pretty, Sandy! I am exhausted just thinking about baking all those goodies! I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and joyful New Year.
    Hugs, Beth

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