I made these with my Grand Daughters a few weeks a go and they were surprisingly good.

Halloween Cutout Sugar Cookies
Its easy to transform a basic sugar cookie dough into delightful Halloween treats. Using cutters shaped like ghosts and black cats, you can create spooky sweets that will cast a magic spell over holiday gatherings.

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room
temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 piece vanilla bean, about 2 inches long
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Colored sugars and decorating pens

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using a small, sharp knife, scrape the seeds into the butter mixture. Mix well.

In a sifter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the flour mixture directly onto the butter mixture. Reduce the speed to low and beat until well mixed.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (The dough can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.) Let it soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.

Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Gather up and reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough disks.

Bake until the cookies are golden on the edges, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Decorate the cookies as desired with colored sugars and decorating pens. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Makes 24 to 30 cookies, depending on cutter size.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Series, Holiday Baking, by Jeanne Thiel Kelley (Time-Life Books, 1995).

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Icing the Cookies
Royal icing, a firm icing made with egg whites and confectioners sugar, takes food coloring well. If you're making icing in several colors, first divide the uncolored icing into small bowls. Add food coloring paste to each, a tiny bit at a time, then stir with a toothpick until the desired hue is achieved.

Apply thin icings or glazes with a clean pastry brush, a little at a time. Brush the icing evenly over the cookie using light, feathery strokes. (Thick royal icing can be thinned with equal amounts of lemon juice and water until the desired consistency is reached.)

Apply thick icings with a pastry bag, which works best when nearly filled with icing. Decorative tips can be used for creating patterns, piping lines or writing messages.

This is the recipe that my Mom always used. She has been gone for over 11 years now and I still make them for the holidays. Even though we are all in our 50's now, we still love them,although not sure if it is the cookies or the memories that eating them bring about. Linda

Moms Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1/2 cup real butter
2 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
1/2 teas. salt
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teas. baking soda

Mix and chill 4-5 hours. Roll out and cut.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. Crisco
1 teas. vanilla

Note: Mom always made the dough in the evening and left covered in the refrigerator overnight. They are much easier to roll out this way.

**SIGH** From my mom's cookbook archives, I ran across the CELEBRITY COOKBOOK. Pat Nixon had a recipe for White House Christmas. Because it did not call for baking powder, I decided to try it. (Baking powder causes the cookies to rise; if you want any details to show up, avoid baking powder, I've been told.
I made them, but they rose anyway; what's more, they hardly had any taste. Should've known. . .
chery2

Chery, would you mind posting that recipe? There used to be a cookie that sounds like that in a French bakery when I lived in Sint Maarten that didn't have a lot of flavor & wasn't sweet & I loved that cookie. I'd like to try Pat Nixon's.

Ginger, here is the recipe I think Chery is referring to. I have used it several times and like for the fact it isn't overly sweet and it makes enough cookies I don't have to do two batches!

PAT NIXON'S WHITE HOUSE COOKIES

Yield: 10 Dozen

1 c Sugar
2 c Butter; at room temperature
1 ts Vanilla extract
1/2 tb Lemon rind; grated
2 Eggs
6 c - 7 cups cake flour

Cream together sugar and butter in an electric mixer. When fluffy, add vanilla and lemon rind. Blend well. Add eggs, one at a time; mix well.
Remove from mixer. Add cake flour; blend with a heavy mixing spoon. Chill dough in refrigerator 1 hour or overnight. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut out with cookie cutters. Bake in preheated 375-degree oven until
brown, about 7-8 minutes.

Note: If colored granulated sugar is used for decoration, prepare an egg wash (1 well-beaten egg with 1 tbsp. milk) and brush over the cut-out dough. Sprinkle with sugar and bake. Makes 10 dozen cookies.

Oh, thanks! I've saved it.

Here's my long time favorite cut out cookie dough. If I remember correctly it was originally in a BH+G magazine in the late 70's. I usually double it in my KA mixer and usually make at least three bowls of the dough. I have a very large tree shape cookie cutter (about 9") and love to make and decorate special cookies for those that love cutouts.
This dough is one that you can roll thick, if you like a softer cutout, yet still holds up.
CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

1½ C sugar
1 C unsalted butter
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
3½ C flour (I like unbleached)
1 tsp baking powder

In a mixing bowl cream sugar, butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Add egg and flavorings, beat smooth'
Stir together the flour and baking powder, add to creamed mixture and mix thoroughly.

FOR CUT-OUT COOKIES
Chill dough. Roll out on surface dusted with a mixture of ½ powered sugar and ½ flour, ¼ to ½ inch thick depending on your preference. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet ( I line with parchment paper) and bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Watch for the edges to just barely begin to brown if you like a moist cookie. Cool and frost.

COOKIE PRESS COOKIES

Divide dough into portions and add desired colors. Force through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in a 375° oven 8-10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack. Before baking brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with colored sprinkles if desired.
Note...I have added about 4 oz of almond paste to the dough when making the cookie press cookies.....yum!

FAVORITE ICING FOR CUTOUT COOKIES

2 c powered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp softened butter
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp almond extract
1 egg white
¼ C milk or cream

Combine egg white and milk, set aside.
Beat together powered sugar, butter and flavorings.
Add small amounts of the milk mixture until icing is spreading consistency.
Tint with desired colors.
Using the egg white will give you a nice finish on the icing, the butter will keep it soft on the inside.

Nancy

Here's the one I like the best and have used it for years. It never gets tough no matter how many times you have to roll it out.
Sugar Cookies
3c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c butter or margarine
pinch of salt
Mix all together like piecrust dough cutting the butter into the dry ingredients.
Then add:
1 c sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla.
Chill dough. Preheat oven to 375°, roll and cut cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes.
I always double this recipe and then frost and decorate.
RL`