CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Recipe and photo:  Lee Ann Ferrue
Hello everyone since there are a few weeks to go before Christmas, my brain has already gone into festive mode. Here is a recipe I used last year for my Christmas cookies.

• 226 g butter, at room temperature (salted or unsalted butter).
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar
• 220 g all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
• In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light.
• Stir in the cornstarch and sugar.
• Gradually add the flour mixing until a soft dough forms.
• Form dough in to a ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to chill.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll your dough ¼ inch thick.
• Take care to ensure that your dough is rolled as evenly as possible, so that cookies cook evenly.
• Using a cookie cutter, cut shapes and place on to an un-greased baking sheet.
• You can re-roll your scraps and cut more, as well.
• Once your cookies are cut, top with quartered glace cherries, sprinkles or nuts. (Optional)
• Place cookie sheet with cookies in to the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 150° C with rack in center of the oven.
• Bake for about 30 minutes for cookies that have been lightly chilled.
• If cooking from frozen, they may take up to 45 minutes.
• Cookies should be firm but shouldn’t brown at all, even around the edges.
• They really just dry as they cook.
• Cool on racks then transfer to cookie tin or freeze.
• These cookies keep well and get better with age.
• Notes:
• You can also freeze the cut dough in freezer bags once solid on the cookie sheet for up to 2 weeks and bake later or as needed.
• If using unsalted butter, you can add 1/8 teaspoon. fine salt with the flour if you like, but you don’t need to.