Operation Christmas Cookie

School Winter Fair

Ingredients to make Sugar Cookies

Got the call to duty this week.   Next weekend is my nieces and nephews School Winter Fair, I'll be on holiday so I'm going to miss it.  But that doesn't mean I can't make a contribution ahead of time.  The plan is for me to bake the cookies this weekend, so they can be collected and stored in a freezer till there needed. 

Last year I baked 100 Christmas Cookies for the kids to decorate themselves at the fair.  Due to equipment restrictions it took a lot longer than I expected. Making the dough and cutting  out the cookies didn't take long, however I could only bake 1 tray of cookies at a time in my old cooker.  Never thought I'd every get bored of baking cookies......

This year I only needed to bake 80, my brand new double oven made the task a lot easier.  I made the dough on Friday and chilled in the fridge overnight.  Then started the rest of the process this morning at 7 am, I was finished by 10 am.  Leaving me plenty of time for a shower before getting my legs wax for my holidays.  Perhaps thats a little too much info? 

Christmas Tree's, Stars and Candy cane cookies

Have I mentioned how much I love my new cooker........ 

These are full fat dairy Sugar cookies, since there getting decorated I wanted them to be more crisp than chewy.  Gives the kids a flatter surface to decorate. 

I bought too much ingredients, but with my own Christmas baking to do later this month nothing will go to waste.  The secret to making a good cookie is to add all the stuff that I can no longer eat, Simple really.  Lots of sugar, butter and milk.  I had to wash the baking bowl straight away to stop myself being tempted to lick it clean.  Is there anything nicer than raw cookie dough mmmm. 

I made 3 batches of the following recipe, which makes approx 3 dozen cookies per batch.

Sugar Cookie                        Oven Temp 180 Celsius or 160 for fan assisted oven.

3 Cups Self Raising Flour
1 Cup Caster Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Softened butter or Margarine
1 Egg
1 tbsp Milk

- Make the cookie dough at least 2 hours before you plan to bake it.

TIP: Use an electric hand mixer to make the cookie dough, it's a great way of mixing the dough together.

- Cream butter and sugar in a bowl till it turns pale and increases in volume. 

- Add Egg and a little of the flour.  (The flour helps stop the egg from curdling the mix)

- Once beaten in add 1 Cup of the flour and combine.  Once fully mixed together add the milk and 1 cup of  flour.  Wait till fully combined too add the last 1 Cup of flour.

- Once the dough starts to clump around your hand mixer, switch off and start using your hands to bring the dough together.

- Place in Cling film or a plastic bag and leave the rest in the fridge.  ( Minimum of 2 hours)

- Pre-heat your oven too 180 Celsius. Grease or line your baking trays with grease proof paper.

- Flour your work surface, cut dough in half and keep rest in the fridge.

- Roll out dough and cut out your cookies, place 1 inch apart on your baking tray.  Then Bake for 7 - 10 Min's. 

- Loosen from tray once removed from the oven, but leave on tray for a few Min's to firm up. 

TIP: Loosening the cookies now, stops them from sticking as they firm up.

- Then move to a wire rack to cool. Repeat process with the other half of the cookie dough.  Or you could freeze the dough and use another time.  Just deforst the night before you plan to bake with it. 

 - Store in a airtight container.  There safe to freeze once cooled as long as they are not iced. 

To make these dairy and egg free, switch the butter and milk for a non dairy alternative.   Increase milk too 2 tbsp to compensate for the egg.  Or use your favourite egg substitute.