Christmas Cookie Day 12

• Paula Deen's Snowflake Cookie Recipe

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• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. Wrap dough in heavy-duty plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with assorted snowflake cookie cutters and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill dough 15 minutes. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are very lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Paint cookies with Edible Paint Icing. Garnish with silver dragees, sugar pearls and sparkling sugar, if desired.

Icing Recipe

• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• Food coloring, optional
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In a medium bowl, combine water and meringue powder; whisk until foamy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Add food coloring, if desired. Use immediately.  We added a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and almond extract.

I have been asked by Rhonda to be a guest blogger! It is fun to be doing this for her because I share her love of cookies and baking.  My boyfriends sister came over last night to make cookies for a family holiday party we are attending on Sunday.  We did get a little carried away with the Corona Light and eventually had to break into Jim's stash of Summer Shandy.  So as you can imagine there was a lot of laughing and girl talk to go along with the drinking and baking! Oh I almost forgot the pictures we took to post them on Facebook because we thought we were hilarious.  The only problem with the Thirsty Thursday festivities was going to work the next day.

We rolled these out to be about a 1/4 inch in thickness.  If you roll them thinner you really have to watch them or the cookies crisp up quickly!  I personally like a soft cookie over the crispy crunchy cookie.  This is by far one of the BEST sugar cookie recipes I have ever had.  I really love sugar cookies.  Julie bought the Betty Crocker icing in Red, White and Green.  I will say what a great idea that was because it has the best flavor (not the powdered sugar flavor homemade icings have) and we did make home made frosting and those were Yellow and a Light Blue.  Away we went with the decorating.  As you know we were celebrating the upcoming holiday season with the Corona Light and Shandy and eventually Jim and Julie's mom joined in the fun (she was tired and wanted to go home) and then the decorating became very creative.  What a great time we had last night baking cookies.
I hope you enjoy these as much as wee did and it really has been great that Rhonda asked me to be her guest!
Lisa