Merry Cutouts Recipe
Ingredients
| All purpose flour | 3 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Baking powder | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Salt | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Butter/Margarine | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Sugar | 1 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Eggs | 2 | |
| Vanilla | 1 1/2 Teaspoon | |
| Lemon extract | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Yellow, green, and red food colorings | ||
| Almond extract | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
| Few drops peppermint extract | ||
| Orange | 1/4 Teaspoon | |
Directions
1. Measure flour, baking powder and salt into sifter.
2. Beat butter or margarine with sugar until fluffy in large bowl with an electric mixsr at high speed; beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Sift in flour mixture, a third at a time, blending well to make a stiff dough. Divide into quarters and place in separate bowls.
4. Stir lemon extract and a few drops yellow food coloring into dough in one bowl; stir almond extract and a few drops green food coloring into second bowl; stir peppermint extract and a few drops red food coloring into third bowl; stir orange extract into fourth bowl.
5. Wrap each dough in wax paper or plastic wrap; chill several hours, or until firm enough to roll. (Overnight is best.)
6. Roll out half each of the yellow and green doughs, 1/4-inch thick, on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board; cut out each with a 2 1/2 -inch round or fluted cutter, then cut a fancy shape from center of each with a 1-inch truffle cutter.
7. Place large cookies, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets. Fit small yellow cutouts in centers of green cookies and small green cutouts in centers of yellow cookies. Repeat with remaining doughs.
8. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 10 minutes, or until firm. Remove from cookie sheets with spatula; cool on wire racks. Store in metal tin.
2. Beat butter or margarine with sugar until fluffy in large bowl with an electric mixsr at high speed; beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Sift in flour mixture, a third at a time, blending well to make a stiff dough. Divide into quarters and place in separate bowls.
4. Stir lemon extract and a few drops yellow food coloring into dough in one bowl; stir almond extract and a few drops green food coloring into second bowl; stir peppermint extract and a few drops red food coloring into third bowl; stir orange extract into fourth bowl.
5. Wrap each dough in wax paper or plastic wrap; chill several hours, or until firm enough to roll. (Overnight is best.)
6. Roll out half each of the yellow and green doughs, 1/4-inch thick, on a lightly floured pastry cloth or board; cut out each with a 2 1/2 -inch round or fluted cutter, then cut a fancy shape from center of each with a 1-inch truffle cutter.
7. Place large cookies, 1 inch apart, on cookie sheets. Fit small yellow cutouts in centers of green cookies and small green cutouts in centers of yellow cookies. Repeat with remaining doughs.
8. Bake in moderate oven (350°) 10 minutes, or until firm. Remove from cookie sheets with spatula; cool on wire racks. Store in metal tin.
Chef
