The Best Sugar Cookies

 YOU GUYS!  It is Christmas Eve, EVE! ACKK!  I had to do it, I had to go pick up a couple of stocking stuffers today.  I swore it wasn't going to happen this year, but I don't mind so much.  The hustle and bustle are exciting to me and celebrating the birth of Jesus is the MOST exciting.  I don't care if he was born in March, this is when we celebrate, and I am here for it!

I tried ad am going to succeed in getting 3 cookie recipes up this week.  One more will follow Christmas Eve morning or late, late tonight!  In the wee hours of the morning!  It is only 3 ingredients, so buckle in.

There are so many sugar cookie recipes out there, but in my humble opinion this is the best.  If you cake it at just the right middle time, you get soft amazing sugar cookies, bake it for 1 maybe 1.5 minutes longer and you have a crunchy crispy cookie on your hands!  Roll them out thicker for soft as well, and thinner for crispy.  There are so many ways to control this one and make it like you want it!  I would love to chat more, but time is moving on faster than I want, and I have to get this last recipe filmed for you so let's get to it friends!

You will need:

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter (room temp)
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 3/4 cup flour

Preheat your oven to 350F,  In a bowl with a hand mixer or standing mixer, add in shortening and butter.  Mix until fluffy and combined.  Add in sugar and mix until combined.  Next crack in your eggs, vanilla, baking powder and salt and mix until completely combined and smooth.  Add in flour in 2 additions.  Mix until JUST combined and then stop!  If you over mix your dough, you will be eating Christmas hockey pucks, and nobody has time or teeth for that.  Now here is where the choices come in.  For cut out cookies, refrigerate for 1, or up to 2 hours before rolling out and using cookie cutters.  If you are just rolling them into balls, and rolling in sugar, go for it.  The sooner the better because well, it is obvious the sooner you taste test!  

Cut Out Cookies For a softer, thicker cookie, roll out thick and bake for about 12-13 minutes.  For a thin crispy cookie, roller thinner and bake about 12-13 minutes.  

REMEMBER: your oven may run hotter or cooler than mine, so you keep checking that first pan and go from there!

ENJOY and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Ganache Thumbprint Cookies

 There is so much merriment going around these days that just typing this recipe makes me excited and happy for Christmas!  I am so happy to see you all again.  It has been a bit of a personal struggle the last few weeks in my life but, I am going to try and get some last minute cookie recipes up!  Get to baking friends!  Have you done all your baking and it is tucked safely in the freezer until cookie plate or tin making comes for friends and family?

This is a super easy recipe, I just wanted to make thumbprint cookies but change up the jam, because to know me is to know I am not a huge lover of fruit.  I know...

But, thanks to my dislike of jam, this little butter-ish, only slightly sweet cookie is EASY and quick.  I even did a video for you and that will be down the page a bit. You take a bit and then you get this little pop of rich and deep chocolate flavor, and it is the perfect match!  Not overly sweet but still sweet enough.  Does that even make sense?  Guess you will have to try it to find out.  I am in a time crunch here, I have Peanut Butter Balls, in the freezer, and just edited some family baby photos I took.  Let's get to the recipe!

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups AP flour
• ganache (sm. recipe below)

Preheat your oven to 350F.  I use a silicone mat, but you could lay your cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a nonstick spray.  In a bowl with hand mixer or in a stand mixer, combine all ingredients, with flour last.  (we will make the ganache later) Mix until just combined.  You may think this dough won't hold together but I promise it will!  The heat of your hands as you roll them into balls will keep them together.  Roll all dough into balls and bake for 15 minutes.  When you take them out, let them sit and cool for about 3 minutes, using your thumb or the end of a spoon, make your "thumbprint".  I did mine before I baked them and ended up having to redo them anyway.  Don't burn yourself!  Set aside to cook the rest of the way.

In a small glass bowl or glass measuring cup, heat up 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream.  Heat until it bubbles around the outside.  Add in 1/2 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes and then stir until it is dark in color and rich!  Now using a way smaller spoon than I did, fill up the thumb print with your ganache and refrigerate for about 10 minutes to give it a headstart or let sit at room temp until the chocolate has set.  Oh so good!

Store in an airtight container or freeze in a storage bag, ot just eat them.  I mean isn't that the end goal anyway?

ENJOY holiday baking and holiday eating!