Recipes for "sugar cookies"

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Cream together the butter or margarine, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs. Add vanilla and stir.

Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Melt the shortening in a large pan on the stove, and cool.

Add sugar, eggs, and molasses, beat well.

In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients together and add to the pan. Mix well and chill 3 hours or overnight.

Form into walnut-size balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8-10 minutes.

Store in an airtight container to keep from getting overly crisp. If they do lose their softness, an easy way to restore it is to place one slice of fresh bread in the container with the cookies for a couple of hours or overnight and they will be soft again!

Gather all ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place decorating sugar in a small bowl (or use several colors and separate bowls).

Beat shortening and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in sugar until incorporated, then mix in eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in vanilla.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Gradually add to the wet ingredients and mix until incorporated and the dough comes together.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll each ball in sugar to coat, then place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until light brown on the bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes, switching racks halfway through. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.

Enjoy!

Cream sugars and shortening. Mix in the egg, then add dry ingredients.

Use a cookie scoop to form nice round balls and roll each dough ball in white sugar. Don’t flatten.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

1. In a bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the maple and beat to combine, then beat in the pumpkin butter. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, beating until combined.

2. Flour your work surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough to 1/3 inch thickness. Make sure you are using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies into your desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, until firm. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining dough.

3. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes (for soft cookies) or until golden. Cool on the baking sheet.

4. To make the frosting. Melt the butter in a skillet. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon water, the vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of water to thin the frosting as needed. If the frosting gets too thin, just add a little more sugar, and if it gets too thick, add a splash of water. The frosting should be thin enough to drizzle.

5. Frost each cooled cookie. I used melted chocolate to draw on the pumpkin "leaves". Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Stir flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat sugar and margarine together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.

Beat first egg into mixture. Beat second egg into mixture along with vanilla extract; add flour mixture and stir until dough is just combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls; roll in 1/4 cup of sugar.

Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned at the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheets for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter with 1/4 cup white sugar and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients, and mix until well blended. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Roll into logs 2 inches in diameter, wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. These logs can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon on a flat plate or a piece of wax paper. Unwrap dough logs, and roll in the cinnamon mixture. Cut into 1/4 inch slices, and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until evenly combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, beating until combined and the dough forms a ball.

2. Generously flour your work surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you are using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies into your desired shapes. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer, freeze until very firm, about 15-20 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes (for soft cookies) or until just lightly golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool on the baking sheet five minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

4. To make the frosting. Add the butter to medium pot. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons water, the vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth, adding 1 tablespoon of water to think the frosting as needed. If the frosting gets too thin, just add a little more sugar and if it gets too thick, add a splash of water. The frosting should be thin enough to drizzle, but think enough to hold it's shape.

5. Frost each cooled cookie. If making pumpkins, I used melted chocolate to draw on the pumpkin "leaves". Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon sugar. Keep cookies covered in an air tight container for up to 4 days.

Gather the ingredients.

Beat together sugar, butter, cream cheese, egg yolk, salt, almond extract, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Gradually mix in flour until dough comes together.

Divide dough into thirds and form each piece into a disk. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Working with one disk at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface to an 1/8-inch thickness; keep other disks refrigerated until ready to roll.

Cut dough into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are light golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes, switching racks halfway through. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies to wire racks.

Cool cookies completely before frosting.

Gather all ingredients.

Make the cookies: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.

Beat white sugar, butter, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until mixture is smooth. Gradually mix in flour mixture until a dough forms.

Form dough into a ball. Wrap ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mats.

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes using desired cookie cutters. Arrange cookies on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges begin to brown, about 10 minutes, switching racks halfway through. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool, 8 to 10 minutes more.

While the cookies are cooling, make the icing: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a bowl using an electric mixer until well combined. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar until icing is smooth.

Spread icing onto cooled cookies.

For the cookies, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Add baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into small circles (2 1/2 inches in diameter) and bake at 425 degrees for 3-4 minutes. Wait until cookies are cool before frosting.

For the frosting, beat together all ingredients with an electric mixer until very smooth. Frosting will set lightly after a few hours.

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add the hazelnut liquor (if using), almond extract, and eggs – 1 at a time, and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball.

2. Divide the dough in half. Place each ball of dough on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Shape into a log about 10" long. Wrap the dough up in the paper and place in the fridge for 3-4 hours or up to 5 days.

3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Unwrap the dough and cut the log into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes for soft cookies. Let cool.

5. To make the frosting. Beat together the butter and vanilla in a large bowl until extra light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and caramel or maple. Beat until whipped, about 2 more minutes.

6. Frost the cooled cookies and decorate as desired. To make the shapes of your favorite Christmas cutouts, find a few small Christmas cookie cutters and gently place in the center of the frosted cookie. Sprinkle the inside of the cookie cutter with sanding sugar. Gently shake the cookie to evenly distribute the sanding sugar and then remove the cookie cutter and finish decorating. See photos for reference.

7. Store cookies, covered for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla and sour cream until well blended. Stir in the sifted ingredients. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill, 8 hours to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie 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.

1. To make the lavender sugar. Add the lavender to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the sugar and lemon zest, pulse to combine.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, 1/2 cup lavender sugar, and the vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and salt. Beat until combined, and the dough begins to form a ball. If the dough is crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons milk or water until the dough comes together.

3. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies using a 3 inch circle cookie cutter or cut into similar size squares. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a spatula to lift the cookies. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the dough.

4. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Brush each cookie with beaten egg white, then sprinkle with the remaining lavender sugar. If using edible flowers, gently push them into each cookie to adhere. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes or until just lightly golden on the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until evenly combined. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, all-spice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball.

2. Generously flour your work surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies using your favorite autumn/winter cookie cutter. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer, freeze until firm, about 15-20 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 8-12 minutes (for soft cookies) or until just lightly golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool on the baking sheet five minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

4. To make the frosting. Add 1 stick butter to a skillet, set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from the heat and transfer the butter to the mixing bowl, let cool until it's room temp.

6. Add the remaining stick of room temperature butter and the cream cheese to the bowl. Then add the powdered sugar and maple syrup. Beat together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. If the frosting feels too loose, add powdered sugar to thicken.

7. To assemble. Dip half of the cookies into melted chocolate to coat about 1/3 of the top (see photos) and sprinkle with chai sugar, if desired. Spread the frosting over the cookie halves with no chocolate. Place the top cookie, chocolate side up over the frosting, gently pressing to adhere. Cookies can be served immediately or stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about a full 3-5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until evenly combined. Add the 2 1/4 cups flour, baking soda and salt, beating until combined and the dough forms a ball, adding more flour if needed.

Generously flour your work surface. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into a disk. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you are using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies into your desired shapes. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet and place the sheet in the freezer, freeze until very firm, about 20-15 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes or until just lightly golden brown. Do not over bake. Cool on the baking sheet five minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

To make the icing, combine the sugar, meringue powder and 3 tablespoons water. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface. Add the vanilla and 1-3 teaspoons beet juice and mix until just combined.

Frost the cooled cookies and decorate as desired. Keep stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Sift flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Beat 1 ½ cups sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl until thoroughly combined. Add egg; beat until creamy. Stir sugar mixture into flour mixture until smooth; stir in milk.

Drop teaspoonsfuls of dough onto a baking sheet; flatten with the bottom of a water glass. Sprinkle tops of cookies with enough sugar to cover cookies entirely.

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Beat brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until dough is fully combined.

Pour confectioners' sugar onto a large plate. Spoon dough, 1 1/2 teaspoons per cookie, onto confectioners' sugar and roll to coat. Arrange coated dough on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool cookies on baking pan for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) .

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl until combined. Cut butter into flour mixture with two knives or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 2 minutes. Stir in egg, cream, and vanilla until dough comes together and forms a soft ball, about 1 minute. Chill dough for 30 minutes, if desired, to make rolling easier.

Roll dough on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool cookies briefly on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, confectioners' sugar and white sugar until well blended. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until well blended.

Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet. Flatten cookies to 1/8 inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Colored sugar may be used if you do not plan to frost cookies later.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.

Beat butter and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture on low speed until dough is just-combined.

Divide dough into 4 portions; refrigerate 3 portions. Roll remaining portion out on a lightly-floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes and transfer cookies to prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until slightly golden at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking process with remaining dough portions.

Beat sugars, margarine, vegetable oil and salt very well. Add eggs and dry ingredients.

Make into balls, roll in sugar and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 8 minutes. For holidays or special occasions, roll in colored sugar instead of white sugar.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.

Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cookies from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Mix in the milk one tablespoon at a time until a good spreading consistency is reached. Stir in food coloring to desired shade. Decorate cooled cookies, and set on waxed paper to harden.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Stir.

Form dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Don't flatten. Bake 10 to 11 minutes, until tops are cracked and just turning color.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl.

Beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; stir in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually blend flour mixture into butter mixture. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and toss in remaining 1/4 cup sugar; place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven until golden, 8 to 9 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Cream together 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs. Add sour cream.

Mix together 5 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add to the egg-sugar mixture.

Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 - 12 minutes.

To Make Frosting: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat together the softened cream cheese and evaporated milk until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt and confectioners' sugar. Beat until well blended. Color as desired and frost cooled cookies.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a medium bowl combine the flour and salt with a wire whisk. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well blended. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Gather dough into a ball. Flatten the ball into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate one hour until firm.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. With cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Decorate with colored sugars or sprinkles. Bake for 13-15 minutes, being careful not to brown. Immediately transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

Cream together the shortening and the sugar. Stir in the egg, buttermilk and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. If desired sprinkle tops of cookies with white sugar before baking.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 7 to 9 minutes or until set.

In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended using a sturdy spoon. Chill dough for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 4 to 6 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire racks.

Using an electric mixer, beat shortening, confectioners sugar, water, salt, vanilla extract, and butter flavoring until fluffy. Frost cookies after they have cooled completely.

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just barely golden. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

1. In a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder.

2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla until combined. Beat in the egg. Add the flour, baking soda, 1/4 cup strawberry powder (save the remainder for the frosting), and salt. Beat in the strawberry jam.

4. Roll the dough into rounded tablespoon size balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, rotate, and tap the baking sheet on the counter 1 time to flatten. Bake another 2-3 minutes or until the cookies are just beginning to set on the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to cook slightly as they sit on the baking sheet.

5. To make the icing, mix all ingredients in a bowl with 3-4 tablespoons strawberry powder. Add additional milk to thin, as needed.

6. If desired, dip each cookie in the icing. Let set or enjoy! These are wonderful – iced or not! Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Gather all ingredients.

Stir together confectioners' sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth.

Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity.

Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Gather all ingredients.

Beat shortening in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar in small amounts, alternating with 5 tablespoons milk, until smooth. Mix in vanilla and continue to beat until frosting is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes, adding more milk if needed.

Mix in food coloring, separating into smaller bowls if using multiple colors.

Spread frosting on cookies or fill piping bags and decorate cookies as desired.

Add the butter and 1 cup of sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl (with a hand mixer plugged in and ready to go). Start on low speed to combine, then increase to medium speed and beat until pale and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat until well-mixed, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl and paddle once or twice to ensure everything is fully incorporated.

Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add to the butter mixture and mix on low just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the remaining 1 cup of sugar into a small bowl. Line a rimmed baking sheet that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper.

Scoop the dough using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or by the heaping tablespoon to make balls about 1 1/2 inches across. Gently roll into balls and roll in the sugar before placing on the lined baking sheet. It’s okay to place them right next to each other. Put the baking sheet in the freezer and chill for 30 minutes.

The dough is soft but still scoopable. Use a light touch when forming the balls, and lightly grease your hands if needed. If you have a warm kitchen and the dough is too sticky, stick it in the fridge for 30 minutes before forming.

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

Meanwhile, arrange oven racks in the top 1/3 and bottom 1/3 of the oven. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper.

Space the cookies out between two large baking sheets, leaving at least 3 inches between each ball (you may need to bake in multiple batches). Use the bottom of a large, flat drinking glass or a measuring cup to smash each ball as best you can. They should measure 2 1/2 to 3 inches across.

If the first ball is too hard and difficult to squash, let them sit out for a few minutes to soften just slightly. Not too long or the dough will get sticky; you want the cookies to form crackly edges. If the dough breaks off at all while smashing, just squish it back together.

If the dough begins to stick to the bottom of the cup, that means it is too warm. Lightly grease the cup and stick the dough back in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. In a pinch, use a thin metal spatula to separate the dough from the cup by sliding it between the cup and the smashed dough.

Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then swap and rotate the baking sheets. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is set, another 3 to 5 minutes (8 to 10 minutes total).

Let cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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Simply Recipes / Sarah Crowder

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, and the white and brown sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and vanilla extract. Add the egg and beat on medium speed until light and smooth.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a third at a time, mixing until the flour is just incorporated.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Divide the dough in half and flatten into 2 disks. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or up to two days.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Remove any plastic wrapping on the hard candies. Sort the hard candies by color and place them into separate plastic bags. Crush the candies with a mallet or rolling pin.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Place 1 of the dough disks between 2 large sheets of waxed paper or parchment and use a rolling pin to roll out to an even thickness of 1/4 inch.

Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into forms. Transfer the cookies to a prepared baking sheet, placing them about 1 inch apart from each other.

Using a smaller cookie cutter of a similar shape or a knife, cut shapes into the centers of cookies. (You can use the centers for extra dough.)

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Sprinkle the crushed candy into the empty centers of the cookies, filling them to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

If you plan on using the cookies as decorations to be hung as ornaments, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

Bake at 375°F for 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be bubbly and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and place on wire racks to cool.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pans for at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container.

String with ribbon if you want to hang as ornaments.

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Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the butter to soften it. Slowly, add the sugar, beating until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary. Beat in the eggs (one at a time) and the molasses. Mix in the flour mixture using a wooden spoon.

Using 1/4 cup of dough at a time, shape the dough into 2-inch balls. Roll the dough balls in sugar. Place the balls of dough about 2 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffy. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

For cookies with lots of deep crinkles, bake them one sheet at a time.

Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.