What's Christmas Without Sugar Cookies?

Four years ago, during my first semester at college, I needed some Christmas Spirit in a bad way. Finals were weighing down on me, a boy was making me miserable, it was bitter cold (-9 degrees in the morning) and I missed home terribly. I mulled over the situation and realized that what I needed was some Christmas cookies. No easy drop cookie would suffice, I had to break out the big dogs and roll out some Christmas sugar cookies. Now, this was no easy task for me. As much as I love cooking, I think rolled cookies are about the most pointless, aggravating things on earth. Let me explain:

1. Generally, cookie cravings are sporadic and insatiable .
2. Rolled cookies have to be chilled for at least three hours before you dare attempt to roll them out. Why? Otherwise the butter is too warm and the edges burn. I've tried several shortcuts and none of them work. You have to wait. (Unless you use Crisco which is a heinous offense that I won't speak of.)
3. Mess factor. Not only do you have your standard cookie mess to clean up, but then you have to flour your work surface, flour your rolling pin and don the apron because it's impossible to not flour yourself in the process.
4. Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock... Good sugar cookies are a day long project. That's sad.
   

As you can see, exhibits 2-4 greatly postpone the fulfillment of 1 which is why sugar cookies infuriate me. Yet, I knew that nothing else could do. I was trapped. I went to www.epicurious.com and searched for a sugar cookie recipe, surveyed my prospects and picked what seemed to be the most promising recipe. Having been softening butter while I searched, I got straight to work.

I'll never forget the first bite of that dough. A euphoric trance slipped over me and my worries melted away. I'm not much of comfort food eater, but boy, these cookies defy all my logic. My self-control, which is usually reliable, goes right out the window. With every tasty morsel I said, "Yikes! This stuff is pure butter. I'm stopping after this piece. " And the cookie dough said, "Eat me Kristin. I'm yummy. I make you happy." And I said, "Okay. I guess you know best cookie dough."

A tradition was born. I have to make these cookies at Christmas and limit myself to making them only then. Even now, I can't stop eating the dough. Don't get me wrong, the baked version of the cookie is out of this world too. They have the ideal butter cookie crumb and crunch that's accented perfectly by the clean zing of the lemon and orange zest. The only problem is that most of the dough never makes it to the oven.

Tammy, Becky, Katie and Robert came to see my house decorated for Christmas and decorate cookies with me today. Because I knew they were coming I was able to overcome my desire to eat all the cookies. Though, for a minute, I did think I could get away with blaming it on Lexie. I mean, doesn't this expression just say:

"Mmmm.... look at the cookies. I'll just jump on the table and nibble a little.
You know, quality control."

Then, all I'd have to say is, "Lexie! Eh-eh! Well can you believe that? She ate two dozen cookies!" But my conscience won and I constrained myself to eating only a couple cookies before they arrived and the cookies were successfully frosted, sprinkled, and saved from my ravaging.

Ethan and Robert had a fun time playing together and I continue to get a kick out of how different they are. Robert now weighs 20 lbs. and Ethan just eeked past 15 lbs. Ethan is an incredibly active, exploratory baby and Robert is mostly content to be where you put him and take the world in. They've cemented my belief that babies are born with personality.

Becky and Katie had a great time decorating cookies, but my personal highlight came when every girl's favorite subject came up: boys! I was decorating cookies for my friend Natalie that has a 4 year-old boy and I told Katie he could be her boyfriend. She accepted this new assignment and exuberantly decorated a cookie with mounds of frosting and double sprinkles for him. When they had to get ready to go Katie desperately pleaded to be able to take her cookie to her boyfriend. Tammy told her no and her little heart was so crushed that she burst into tears.

Becky turned beet red when I asked her if she had a crush on a certain boy who shall remain nameless. I'm guessing from her reaction, evidenced by her face color matching the sprinkles lid, that I'm right.

I, of course, had to catch these moments to share with their kids, or better yet their husbands, in the future.


If all the afore mentioned merriment doesn't make you want to try out these cookie than I don't know what will. The recipe is below. I know you'll need it.

Citrus sugar cookie dough

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1 1/4 grated tangerine peel or orange peel
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, lemon peel and tangerine peel in large bowl until light. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly, if necessary, before rolling out.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously flour work surface and rolling pin. Place 1 dough disk on work surface (keep remaining 2 dough disks refrigerated). Press rolling pin into dough several times to flatten slightly for easier rolling. Roll out dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking. Using assorted cookie cutters dipped into flour, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to ungreased nonstick baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gather dough scraps together and reserve.

Bake until cookies turn brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheets 1 minute. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

Repeat rolling, cutting and baking with remaining 2 dough disks as described above, being sure to cool cookie sheets before making each batch. Combine all reserved dough scraps and shape into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic and freeze until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, cutting and baking as described above. Store cooled cookies in airtight container at room temperature until ready to decorate.