Holiday Cookies with McCormick’s Pure Vanilla Extract

By Tasty · 120 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, until fluffy and the sugar is mostly dissolved, scraping the bowl as needed.
2. Beat in the egg, egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts, scraping down the sides.
3. Add the salt, then sift in the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar. Fold to combine, then beat on low speed just until the dough comes together.
4. Shape into a flat disc, wrap tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 3–4 days.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.
6. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Cut out shapes with floured cutters, gathering and re-rolling scraps. Chill the cut shapes on trays for at least 20 minutes.
7. Arrange 12 cookies per sheet, spaced evenly, and bake each tray for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges just barely turn golden. Bake in batches as needed.
8. Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
9. Royal icing: sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and add the salt. Add the vanilla and egg whites to one side of the bowl, then whisk the sugar into the liquids, gathering it in as you go to avoid lumps, until fully incorporated. Stir in food coloring if using.
10. For piping, the icing is ready as it is. For flooding or dipping, add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
11. Decorate the cookies as desired.

Summarized from Tasty's video. Watch it for the details.

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