Christmas Cookie Baking

While making our first batch of Christmas cookies, Mom mentioned her fears that her mom, Gram G, wouldn't be with us next year.  During that same day, she mentioned how Gram G likes Lemony Flavored Cookies.

That sent me on a mission.  I was going to find the Best Ever Lemon Cookie Recipe.

I pinned a few recipes onto my Pinterest Cookie Folder and then begged my Facebook Friends for any recipes they may have.

After a few conversations with my Mom and just knowing what kinds of cookies we all like, I went with one from my friend Judy, Fresh Orange Cookies, and then used a hybrid of my Mom's Awesome Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe.

WAIT!  That recipe said "Fresh Orange Cookies"!  Yah, I know . . . but we simply did a few substitutions.  Mainly (DUH!) using Lemon everywhere the recipe called for Orange.  For my Mom's Awesome Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe, that was pretty much just me dumping some Lemon Extract into the cookie. 

For the Fresh Orange Cookies, Miss Mie tasted the batter.  When I asked her what she tasted, she said LEMONS!  So, I'm going with having met with success there.  Aisey . . . well, she waited until the cookies were made tasted one, scrunched up her cute little nose and said "Momma!  These are bitter!" and then proceeded to eat the entire cookie with a smile on her face.  The Hubster, well, he waited until the cookies were cooled and iced for his verdict of "yup, they taste like lemon, I like them!"

The Lemony Sugar Cookies were also a huge hit.  It might be the red and green sprinkles, since it IS Christmas Time, but I think it's also because it's my favorite cookie recipe ever and adding a hint of lemon just made it all the better.

So, without further ramblings, the two Lemony Cookies from this weekend's baking:

Fresh Lemon Cookies with Lemon Frosting
~ adapted from Pillsbury.com

Cookies
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white bean puree
1 cup light sour cream
2 eggs
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan Salt
2/3 cup lemon juice
3 T grated lemon peel

Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 T grated lemon peel
3 T lemon juice

Cream sugar, butter and white bean puree.  Slowly add sour cream and mix.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix well.  Slowly add flour a cup at a time, mixing until blended after each addition.  Add rest of the dry ingredients.  Blend well.  Add lemon juice and lemon peel.  Batter may appear runny after lemon juice is initially added, but it will incorporated into  nice cookie batter after mixing a few moments.

Preheat over to 375F.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons unto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake at 375F until edges are *light* golden brown.  Remove from baking sheet to cooling rack upon removal from oven.  Let cool.

For the Frosting, grab a bowl and a whisk.  Whisk the four ingredients until smooth.  This is the perfect activity for that Kindergartner who has a test to count to 100 when classes resume in the new year.  After 100 stirs, the frosting is ready for the cookies.  If the cookies are too warm, the frosting will run off the sides of the cookies.  When cool, the frosting does a good job of holding its shape.

* Note- I think that, next time I make these cookies, I will replace the sour cream with Plain Greek Yogurt.

Lemony Soft Sugar Cookies
~ adapted from Mom's tried and true soft sugar cookie recipe, no known origin

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white bean puree
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp lemon extract
1 T lemon peel

Additional Sugar and sprinkles for rolling dough in.

Cream butter and sugar until soft.  Add egg.  Add flour one cup at a time, mixing between each addition.  Add soda, powder, salt, vanilla, lemon extract and lemon peel.  Mix until blended.

This dough can be baked right away.  But, if it's a warmer day out, cover the bowl and chill anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly grease cookie sheets (VERY lightly as too much will make for an unsightly brown edge).  Roll balls of dough, about 1".  Drop balls into sugar/sprinkles and roll so all sides are covered and then place on cookie sheet.  Rolling the balls around in the sugar is the perfect part for the kiddos - especially if you don't mind the sprinkles getting all mixed up on every cookie.

Bake 8-10 minutes.  Cookies may appear not done.  Do not let them brown. 

Remove from oven.  Let sit 1-2 minutes before removing from cookie tray to cooling rack.  Do not let these cookies remain on cookie sheet.  Past experience has had bad results (chisels and goggles were involved) as these cookies can quickly harden if over baked.

White Bean Sugar Cookies

I will confess, as an adult, I hate making Roll Out Sugar Cookies.  HATE it.

I have awesome memories of making said cookies when I was little.  My Mom had a great selection of cookie cutters and she'd roll out the dough with her gold rolling pin.  We'd cut out reindeer and Christmas trees.  We'd toss in a few Santas and stars for good measure.  Then would come the excitement of decorating them.  Our family was pretty simple.  It was mainly white icing with various sprinkle colors. 

Then, I grew up and I began to realize the WORK that is involved in making said cookies.  Really, I should be thankful.  I burn off all of the calories of the cookies BEFORE I get to enjoy one.

But, I have kiddos.  This means I must carry on the tradition of making Roll Out Sugar Cookies.  If I don't make these cookies with my girls for Christmas, I think I go to some sort of Bad Parent Jail.  I mean, the media shows the absolute joy and togetherness that making these cookies brings about.

So, I get out the ingredients, the equipment, the two kiddos and con my Mom into helping.  Seriously, this is rough work, I will need reinforcements.

We have tried multiple sugar cookie recipes over the years.  Some of these recipes are better than others, but none will ever be that heirloom, pass down through generations type recipe. 

As Mom was fighting to roll out the dough for yet another attempt at finding that heirloom recipe last weekend, she confessed that she, too, hates Roll Out Sugar Cookies.  Just TOO MUCH WORK. 

But - now I see the tradition continues.  Mom dislikes this activity but did it for the joy it brought me growing up just as I do now with my girls.

The "World's Best Sugar Cookie Recipe EVER!!!" was a bust.  Well, it was a bust for sugar cookies.  But, Mom and Dad now have a large container of cookie crumble topping for their nightly bowls of ice cream.  And, I guess we should be happy as the girls got to use cookie cutters and cut out cookies to their hearts' content.

BUT - the recipe I'm sharing isn't that recipe.  No way!  I wouldn't share a crumbly cookie recipe when I found one that is perfect!  and unique!  and baked up a batch of perfectly shaped cookies.  There is no "chill for way to long with two anxious kiddos waiting to make cookies."  Nope, simply whip up a batch of these goodies and start rolling them out!

Christmas Bean Cookies

find them at:  Superhealthykids.com

White Bean Sugar Cookies

1/2 c butter
1/2 cup white bean puree
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tp almond extract
3 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt

Cream butter, bean puree, and sugar together.  Add eggs, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extract. Add flour, mixing briefly after each cup.  Add baking powder and Himalayan salt and mix just until dough comes together.

Liberally flour smooth surface (I used my Mom's Tupperware Rolling Mat).  Place dough on floured surface.  Turn so that all sides of dough ball are floured.  I suggest splitting dough into at least two balls if floured surface isn't overly large so that dough isn't overworked. 

Preheat oven to 400F.

Roll dough to 1/3” thickness.  Cut out cookies.  Place cut out cookies on parchment lined baking sheets.  Try to get as many cookies out of rolled out dough as it will get crumbly and harder to work with the more times the dough is rolled in the flour.  Bake cookies in a 400 degree oven for 6 to 8 minutes - until edges just start to turn golden brown.  After removal from oven, let cookies sit on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes.  Gently remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.  Let cool and then frost as desired.

For the beans, I used our White Northern Beans that I had soaked overnight, cooked and then pureed with my Kitchen Aid Blender.

I haven't made the icing from that page, but it is on my To Do! List.