CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Cream butter and sugar.
• 2. Add in egg and almond extract. Beat to combine.
• 3. Add in your flour, salt, and baking powder.
• 4. Beat until thoroughly mixed.
• 5. Turn onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• 6. Roll out to between 1/8-1/4". I use the silicone rolling pin guides; they look like thick rubber bands.
• 7. Use a floured cookie cutter of your choice.
• 8. Transfer shapes to a parchment lined cookie sheet. Leave 1-2" between cookies. They don't spread but they will cook more evenly this way.
• 9. Bake at 350 on parchment lined cookie sheets for 8-12 minutes, depending on how you like your cookies. I prefer mine somewhat crisp (they will soften a tad after being decorated), so I bake mine until they are not colored much on top but the bottoms are golden.
• 10. Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove to a cooling rack.
• 11. Next, make the decorator frosting. I don't like the taste of Royal Icing which is traditionally used for decorating cookies. I use this modified version of buttercream and it hardens well... and tastes delicious!
• 12. Beat butter, almond extract, salt and 1 tablespoon milk until combined.
• 13. Add all the powdered sugar.
• 14. Then begin adding more milk as needed, 1 teaspoon at a time until you get a good piping consistency. You can adjust as needed adding more powdered sugar or milk. I tinted mine lightly with Wiltons cornflower blue gel colors.
• 15. Using a 12" decorating bag and a #3 round decorating tip to pipe the lines on the snowflake. I piped straight from tip to tip first. Then place a dot in the center, at the intersection of the lines. Then begin making the side lines to each arm of your snowflake. After piping the snowflake, I gently turn it over in a small shallow bowl of white sparkling sugar, giving it a light "sparkle".
• 16. Allow to dry/harden on a sheet pan.
• 17. Pack in an airtight container, stacked with wax paper between layers. Cookies stay fresh for several days at room temperature.
• 18. You can bake the cookies ahead and freeze them undecorated in airtight containers. Then decorate when desired. No need to defrost, you can begin decorating frozen cookies. Just be sure to leave the container open as cookies come to room temperature, so they don't create condensation in the container.