Wednesday, December 17, 2008

All Ten of Us, Plus Five Extra, Do Sugar Cookies With a Hard and Shiny Glaze!

Here's what...


...a hard and shiny sugar cookie glaze.

For family home evening last week, John suggested that the kids each pick a family or two to whom we could anonymously give gifts. It was fun to listen to their ideas and the 13-year-old girl recorded each family name, and what we would give them, on a sheet of paper. Along with their gifts, the kids decided that it would be fun to give them a plate of cookies as well. As I was searching allrecipes.com for a good sugar cookie recipe, I came across the following glaze. I love it because it's hard and shiny and beautiful!


See? It is, isn't it!

Here is the recipe:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
10 drops food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Stir confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, and water together. Stir in food coloring if desired. This glaze must be stirred each time you use it. If it is not stirred before each use it will dry with a mottled look instead of a solid color.

And here's the recipe we used for the cookies themselves:

INGREDIENTS
6 egg yolks
4 eggs
2 cups butter, softened
2 1/8 cups white sugar
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon hot water or as needed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Cover dough and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. To make frosting, mix together the confectioners' sugar, oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. gradually add enough hot water to achieve a spreadable consistency.

On Saturday, we prepared the dough...


...and rolled out the cookies...


The teenage boy was as helpful as he could be...


I was trying to get a candid shot of the event, but the 13-year-old girl made this grotesque face. She plans on making a comment here on my blog to tell the world that I called her an idiot for making that face (even if it was in good fun with a smile on my face), but don't believe her. It's a lie.


Okay, a much better expression. She says I called her an idiot, but why would she be smiling at me if I had done such a thing. Yes, it's all lies I tell you, lies!


After baking the cookies, we dipped them in the glaze and set them to dry on cookie sheets covered with wax paper...


We then invited THESE little elves over to join in the fun,...


...gave everybody a ziploc bag filled with colored and flavored glaze, cut a tiny hole in the corner, and let the kids go to town...


Here's what they came up with...




Pretty great job, I say! All that was left to do was to cover the plates in plastic wrap, attach a bow, candy cane and tag, and deliver!


Now, if we could only get the bow away from the baby, we could finish the other plates!




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15 comments:

~gail~mooselovingmamabear said...

Wow, now there is alot of yummy cookies...

Sarah said...

Nice job!!

Anonymous said...

WOW I love the bright colors. Those are some festive looking cookies. What a fun project. I enjoy seeing the kids in the kitchen! Your elves are all cute.

threesidesofcrazy said...

As kids we would wait for this day all year. It was always so much fun and always brought all the cousins together for a closer knit group.

Anonymous said...

People, this is the 13 year old girl here and I just need to say that my mother speaks blasphemy!! BLASPHEMY I TELL YOU!!!! She really did call me an idiot!! Can you believe that??!

C said...

Jen, thank you again, we had a ball!! Some of those cookies are true works of art!

Stephanie said...

Those are so bright and colorful! I bet everyone had a great time making them.

Lori of I'm no super Mom said...

What a great thing for your family to do! I so want to do this glaze!

DairyQueen said...

looks like great fun!

Anonymous said...

READ THIS COMMENT!!

This is Kyla, AKA The 13-year-old girl. Did you all not read my previous comment? If you didn't you need to and you need to criticize my Mother for calling me an idiot. What kind of Mother are you?

Jessica said...

Sometimes moms are just the weirdest people around, saying things that just aren't true...ask my sons, I do the same thing all the time. I bet it comes back to haunt me one day. :-)
At least she loves you enough to confess her "sin" on her blog!

Jane Anne said...

Thanks for sharing the cookie and icing recipe! I am looking forward to trying it out. The pictures were really cute. I had to scroll down and check out your daughter's comment- too funny, Kyla!

NotJustAMom said...

The cookies look great! Looks like you all had a great time. BTW, love your kitchen!

Amanda B. said...

Poor Kyla....She seems to be "sooo" abused... I just don't know how she copes... :)

Amie said...

those look awesome! And is that your kitchen?! it's amazing!