One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to make cookies.  There are so many memories made in the kitchen.  I pulled up this old recipe from 8 years ago to make this year’s cookies, and I realized that when I made these ornaments, I was THREE months pregnant with my 3rd child…and didn’t know it yet…and wouldn’t know for another TWO months!  I blamed these cookies and all my other holiday overindulges for my tight-fitting jeans.  The powers of denial don’t mess around!

Christmas Ornament Cookies Recipe

Cookies Ingredients:

1 cup White sugar
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon bakingpowder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Icing Ingredients:

2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (sifted after measuring)
1 tablespoon low-fat milk (skim or 1% is fine although I have made this successfully using 2% fat milk)
1 tablespoon corn syrup (more if needed to reach desired consistency)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (use colors of choice)

Cookies:

Preheat 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl beat butter, sugar and shortening until well blended. Add combined dry ingredients and mix. Separate dough into several balls, roll out and cut into shapes. Place shapes on cookie sheet and bake for 5-9 minutes.

Icing:

1 VERY IMPORTANT; the confectioners sugar must be sifted before using. NOTE: If using measuring cups, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then level it to the rim. 2. Then sift it for use in the recipe.

2 In a bowl beat the sifted confectioners sugar with milk until smooth.

3 Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until smooth and glossy (if icing is too thick add in a small amount of corn syrup).

4 Divide into as many separate bowls as desired.

5 Add in different food coloring to each bowl beating/whisking until the intensity is achieved.

6 Paint the icing over the cookies using a brush or dip the cookie edges into icing (this will set quite quickly).

7 Place cookies on waxed paper to dry and allow icing to harden.