THE FOOD ÉTUDE

These sugar cookies maintain the exact shape of the cookie cutter and do not rise or spread. They have a wonderfully soft and slightly dense texture that reminds me of store-bought or bakery cookies. My friend Judy, cookie baker extraordinaire, sent me this recipe. It came from her mother who found it in a little Crisco recipe book that was originally packaged with a set of cookie cutters. After I devoured the first batch I made, I couldn’t stop thinking about making more!

Always use what you have on hand, but if you are looking to restock the pantry, here are a few suggestions for ingredients. I almost always use McCormick’s clear vanilla extract in cookies because it gives them a nostalgic bakery flavor and it is becoming easier to find. I always order it in larger quantities online, but I’ve seen it at local grocery stores. Penzeys continues to be my go-to for many of my extracts, almond extract included, and I always use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt per the recommendation of Claire Saffitz.

The icing recipe comes from All Recipes, but I increased the measurements to match the quantity of cookies in this recipe. I also substituted glucose for light corn syrup, because it’s what I typically have on hand (Christina Tosi uses it in many of her Milk Bar recipes). You can certainly use light corn syrup; it is much more readily available. I used Wilton Gel Icing Colorings to get deep colors without adding too much liquid to the icing.

Yield: 36 Small Cut-out Cookies (2 3/4″)

Cookie Ingredients

1 cup (192g) shortening

⅔ cup (134g) sugar

¾ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg + water totalling ⅓ cup 

3 cups (420g) sifted flour

Frosting Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon glucose

½ teaspoon almond extract

Food coloring (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a stand mixer, beat the shortening and sugar together until they lighten in color (about five minutes).

Crack the egg into a liquid measuring cup. To reach ⅓ cup, add water. Add the egg and water mixture, vanilla, and salt to the shortening mixture. Beat until fully incorporated.

Sift in the flour and gently blend together until no dry streaks remain. You may want to do this step by hand so as not to overmix. The dough will be quite stiff.

Divide the dough in half and roll out to ⅜-inch thickness on a well-floured surface. Make sure to flour your rolling pin. Cut out with cookie cutters and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. A small offset spatula is a game changer for transferring any slightly sticky cookie from counter to baking sheet. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should not brown, bake only until set. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, stir together powdered sugar and milk. Add the glucose and almond extract and beat together until shiny. If the icing is too thick, add more milk. 

If using food coloring, divide and add colors. To create the pictured design, put icing in piping bags. Just cut the tip off the piping bag, no need for any fancy tips. Flood with white icing, add a zig-zag of green icing around the perimeter and drag a toothpick through the center of the zig-zag. Add dots for red berries.

Allow frosted cookies to dry for 2-3 hours before storing.