Make some magic with these colorful and delicious holiday cookies. This recipe features a buttery vanilla dough that can be rolled out, and used with any cookie cutter you like. The candy center is a special addition that will look so fancy that you might want to hang a few a these on your Christmas tree, or whip up a batch for a holiday party.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces ring-shaped, fruit flavored candy, broken in half
Parchment Paper
Large and small cookie cutters
Directions
The first step is to make the dough. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs until it becomes a smooth, yellow batter. Next, stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to be sure that the dough is fully combined. Place dough on parchment paper, shape into a flat disc, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
The second step is to shape and bake the cookies. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly dust both sides of the dough, and use a rolling pin to roll out to ¼ inch thick. Roll dough directly onto parchment paper, cut, and lift away scraps. (The cookie will keep its shape better.) Continue to cut cookies with a big cutter, and use a small cutter to hollow out the centers. Place a few pieces of candy into the cookie centers, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until golden brown, and the candy is melted. Allow baked cookies to cool on parchment paper for at least 30 minutes before moving.
