eclaire (what’s in a) name?

how is it possible that christmas is only five days away? this season has definitely slipped by at our house. but we managed to squeeze in some holiday cookie time last week, and i thought you may want to use this recipe in the few days before christmas, too!

i thoroughly enjoyed the nutmeg in this recipe, and that the sugar cookies were not terribly sweet. they also came together quickly on a work night, leaving all of us cookie-cut-outters and frosters happy and only slightly covered in food dye and sprinkles. i think these will become a yearly standard for me – do you all have cookies you make every year? please share!

one year ago: butternut squash lasagna

cookies

courtesy of epicurious.com

• 1c butter, at room temperature
• 1c brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1t vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 c all purpose flour
• 1t baking powder
• 1/2t salt
• 1/2t ground nutmeg
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1. beat butter and sugar until fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla
2. sift flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together, then stir into batter
3. shape dough into a 1/2″ rectangle on a floured surface and cut into four pieces
4. wrap each piece in saran wrap and place in freezer for 30 minutes
5. preheat oven to 350°
6. after 30 minutes, roll out each piece individually on floured surface until dough is 1/8″ thick
7. use cookie cutters to cut out shapes
8. bake on ungreased sheets for 11 minutes, then allow to cool before frosting

icing

adapted from epicurious.com

• 4c powdered sugar
• 3-4T (soy) milk
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• 2T butter, softened
• food dye, optional
• sprinkles, optional
• shredded coconut, optional
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1. beat sugar, milk, vanilla, and butter together until the icing is pliable, about 3 minutes
2. divide icing into several bowls and use food dye to color them
3. spread onto cooled cookies and top with sprinkles and coconut as desired, and enjoy!