Keep the age-old tradition of leaving a plate of cookies alive and well - Santa and his reindeer require a lot of calories to make their rounds! And Santa has made it pretty clear that he and his crew prefer home-made cookies…and don't forget the glass of milk! To add believability to the Christmas morning discovery, sprinkle a little flour next to the cookies on the windowsill or hearth (Santa’s obvious points of entry), then make imprints that look like reindeer hooves. This is very convincing and will remove any skepticism from suspecting children.
Yes, rolled sugar cookies take a little extra effort and involve a rolling pin and cookie cutters that may be gathering cobwebs in the recesses of the kitchen, but the reward is immeasurable because a food memory is being born. Chances are pretty good that all the ingredients are in the pantry. It's important to check the expiration date on your baking soda and even if the expiration date is near, best to replace it as this can make or break the cookies.
Santa’s Favorite Sugar Cookies
NGREDIENTS
MAKES 24-28
2 sticks butter, slightly softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, flour and baking soda until well incorporated. Dust your hands with confectioners’ sugar, then shape dough into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Roll dough out to a ¼-inch thickness on a surface lightly coated with confectioners’ sugar, adding more as needed. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters, then arrange 1-inch apart on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment paper. Bake for 7-9 or until edges turn light brown. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 1 minute, then transfer to cool on wire rack.
