Baking is just one of the many things that go on during the Christmas holiday. Home-baked cookies are a perfect treat for the family and gifts for neighbors and friends. In addition, the entire house smells wonderful. However, baking becomes even more special when you get the kids involved. Here’s a great cookie recipe that you and your kids will love to make.
Soft and Delicious Cookies
One of the great things about this cookie recipe is that it only takes about 20 minutes to put all the ingredients together. In addition, everyone can enjoy them after baking for just 15 minutes.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup margarine (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Keep in mind that these Christmas cookies taste delicious as is. However, you can also frost and decorate them, which is a great idea when making them with your kids.
Getting the Cookies Ready to Bake
After gathering all the necessary ingredients, now comes the fun part. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Then, set that aside. In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar and margarine. For this, you can use either a hand mixer or a standalone mixer.
Once the dough becomes smooth, beat in one egg. After 30 seconds, beat in the second egg and vanilla extract. Next, add this mixture to the dry ingredients. You can use a sturdy wooden spoon to blend everything. Just make sure you mix everything well.
With that done, cover the cookie dough and refrigerate it for at least two hours. During that time, you can make icing or frosting. After two hours, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven heats, grease two cookie sheets.
Roll the dough onto a floured surface. You’ll need to get it to about a quarter of an inch thick. Now, let the kids choose cookie cutters so that they can go to town cutting out shapes. Depending on their ages, you might need to provide a little guidance. Also, be sure to roll the scraps out.
You’ll bake these Christmas cookies for between six and eight minutes or until the edges turn a golden brown. If you decide to ice or frost them, allow them to cool completely on a wire rack.
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Storing the Christmas Cookies
Another nice thing about this holiday cookie recipe is that you can store them in a few different ways. As it happens with a lot of families, the cookies probably won’t last long. In that case, keep them in a cookie jar. If you wait to ice or frost them, they’ll stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for one week. However, once they’re iced or frosted, they’ll keep in an airtight container for two to three days.