{The Great Cookie Recipes} Butter Cookies by Alexandra of Enchanted Events & Design

Okay everyone and one more from amazing Alexandra of Enchanted Events and Design!


I wanted to find a great butter cookie recipe for a bridal shower I was designing. One of my photographer friends who is a SUPER cook/baker (http://www.manheimphotography.com/Manheim_Photography.html) gave me this recipe. She’s my go to girl whenever I need a recipe. I use this cookie for party favors all the time now, including for my 2010 holiday party.

Cookies:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but cool, cut into 16 pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon run (optional. substitute 1 extra teaspoon (3 total) vanilla if you don't want to use rum

2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature



Optional glaze for cookies:

1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature

2-3 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar



For the cookies:

With an electric mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg until combined. With the mixer on low, add the butter, one piece at a time. Continue to mix until mixture is crumbly and slightly wet. Add the vanilla, rum and cream cheese and mix on low until the dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Knead the dough by hand for 2 or 3 turns to form a large, cohesive mass. Turn the dough onto the counter-top; divide it in half, pat each half into a 4-inch disk and refrigerate unit they begin to firm up (20-30 minutes).

Place the rack in the middle of the over and pre-heat to 375. Roll out 1 dough disc to an even ¼ inch (or thinner if you want crispy cookies) thickness between two pieces of parchment, slide the rolled dough, still on the parchment, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with the second disk.

Working with the first rolled sheet, use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes, and removes the outlines (so the cookies are already on the parchment lined cookie sheet). The cookies don’t spread much so you can pack them fairly close together on the baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are light brown, about 12 minutes. Repeat with the second rolled sheet. Scraps can be patted together, chilled and re-rolled.


For the optional glaze: Whisk the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of the milk until no lumps remain. Whisk in the cinnamon and confectioner's sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until the glaze in thin enough to spread easily. Drizzle the glaze onto each cooled cookie.


I then make up a batch of royal icing and color it as desired to do any kind of additional decorating.