In A Pinch?

So you promised you'd bring a fabulous dessert to the office Christmas party and with all the festivities you have just run out of time! Not to worry! I will let you in on a little family secret that will save you tons of time!

My great grandmother started the Christmas cookie tradition in our family, at least that's as far back as I remember it going. She was a wonderful cook and most certainly the matriarch of this southern family, Martha Washington Carmichael Hawkins, a blue blood by all accounts. When she died my mother took over the Christmas cookie tradition. Why, some of you might ask did the tradition not get handed directly to my grandmother? Well as sweet as my Mama Kate may be is no cook, once she tried her hand at homemade biscuits.. they could have quite honestly killed someone had they been thrown and they most certainly would have broken a tooth. Becoming all the more clear as to why my mother picked up the tradition.

My great grandmother made her famous homemade sugar cookies completely from scratch, no corners would be cut in her kitchen.. and for the first few years my mom followed the same recipe. But as we are all well aware, life gets busy and cutting those corners becomes all the more appealing.

My mom found a sugar cookie mix that turns out almost identical cookies, and cuts down on the prep time.. no more painstaking flour sifting! Ok so sifting flour isn't really all that difficult but it sure makes a mess!

So here is the secret to save you gobs of time and will be the talk of the party for sure! 

I am trying to make all of my Christmas recipes I'll be posting easy! No one wants to spend their whole holiday in the kitchen.. except for maybe me! :)

*** Make sure you follow the cutout cookie dough directions! It is going to be the second one the package! 

What you will need..

1. In a bowl combine package ingredients and 1 tablespoon of ALL PURPOSE flour and mix 

 2. Then add in 1 stick of softened butter  (do not melt butter!) and 1 large egg

3. Kneed with hands until dough forms

I like to chill my dough in the fridge for a little bit before I roll it out... if you try to cut cookies out of tacky dough it will be near impossible! I even mix mine up the night before I plan to bake them.. cuts down on the clean up when you are trying to arrive at that party fashionable late.. but not after its over! 

I spread some flour on the counter (or wax paper) and roll out my dough.. don't have a rolling pin no need to fear the empty wine bottle for last nights dinner will do just fine :) 

Cut your cookies out and place them on a cookie sheet that you have lined with parchment paper! 

While they are baking you can mix up the Royal Icing.. I don't have an exact recipe here you will just have to use your best judgement until you get the right consistency of the icing.. it is super easy though! 

All you need is: Powder sugar, egg white powder, and warm water

I would start with about a 1/2 tablespoon of egg white powder and go from there! The more powdered sugar you add the thicker the icing the more water the thinner.. it is very simply really! 

Bake, Cool, and Decorate! 

Enjoy!
-K