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Making cookies for santa

by Julie Yang -- Being Savvy Honolulu

This is the first year we plan to leave cookies out for Santa.  Since it's the start of what will become a tradition, I want to start it out right and make our own cookies to leave out for the jolly guy.  I decided to share the recipe I'm going to use with you.  It's the best sugar cookie recipe I've tried so far.  It's simple and rolls out just right.  I've used it three years in a row now to make cookies at Christmas.

From Food Network's Alton Brown: SUGAR COOKIES for Santa

• 3 C all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder  
• 1/2  tsp salt
• 1 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 C sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp milk
• Powdered sugar for rolling out dough

Directions

"Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week. " (from Food Network's website)

I like to prepare the dough ahead of time and let Noah cut out the shapes.  Because you can store this dough up to a week, I can make it way ahead of time and pull it out whenever I feel we need another activity before nap time or something. 

Instead of icing or frosting them (which I guess I could try this year because he has enough fine motor control now), we usually sprinkle them with festive colored sprinkles before they go in the oven.

The good thing is, they are easy and yummy.  I plan on brewing a fresh pot of decaf (because I'm expecting a early morning) after the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve so "Santa" can enjoy it with their cookies.