Traditional Rolled Sugar Cookies with a New Twist

Merry Christmas! When I was growing up we had a tradition of making rolled sugar cookies every Christmas. The recipe I am sharing today is the recipe my family has used for decades. I have no idea where the recipe originated but I remember my grandmother and mother making them and I did the same with my children when they were young. This year I baked them with my daughters and two of my three grand children for the first time, but we added a little twist to the family tradition.
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Traditional Rolled Sugar Cookies with a New Twist:

So What is the Twist?

Unlike the cookies we made when we were young, we are skipping the artificial food dyes in favor of all natural vegetable dye food coloring. (<–affiliate link) The colors are beautiful and there are no worries about children consuming the nasty chemicals found in artificially enhanced food colorings. I used this powdered coloring made with vegetables. 

Times Change but Traditions Don’t Have To…

So put on the Christmas music, pull out the stand mixer, the rolling pin, and a set of little bowls and make some cookies with your family. It’s something they will always remember. I know I will.

“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.”

-Roy L. Smith

“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.”

-Larry Wilde

“A balanced diet is a Christmas cookie in each hand”

~ Author Unknown

You will need: A mixer,rolling pin, vanilla paste, cookie cutters, all natural vegetable dye food coloring (I used this powdered coloring made with vegetables) and cookie sheets. If you want to make this recipe gluten free I recommend Gluten Free Jovial Pastry Flour (affiliate links)

Traditional sugar cookies, cut with cookie cutters and iced with naturally colored frosting.

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

Keyword:

easy dessert recipe, holiday recipe, kid-friendly recipes

Servings: 30 cookies

Author: Linda Spiker

For Cookies:

• 2
  Cups
  sifted flour
• 1 1/2
  teaspoons
  baking powder
• 1/2
  teaspoon
  salt
• 1/2
  Cup
  butter
  room temp
• 1
  Cup
  sugar
• 1
  large
  egg
  well beaten
• 1
  teaspoon
  vanilla paste or extract
• 1
  Tablespoon
  milk or almond milk

For Icing:

• 4
  cups
  powdered sugar
• 1/2
  cup
  butter softened
• 6
  Tablespoons
  milk or vanilla almond milk

For Cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

Cookie Instructions:

1. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

2. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk or cream.

3. Add sifted dry ingredients gradually until dough is stiff enough to handle.

4. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic.

6. Roll 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured board and cut with cookie cutters.

7. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

8. Bake for 10 minutes, allow to cool before icing.

For Frosting:

1. Use a mixer to blend butter and sugar till smooth, add milk and continue mixing. Separate into bowls and add food coloring if desired.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a healthy happy New Year filled with love, happiness and peace.

~ Linda Spiker