Holiday Cookies

The day after Thanksgiving, I made more sugar cookies, and everybody decorated them. The popular decorative technique of the evening was to glaze the cookie first, then frost it using a cake decorating bag. Here's Summer hard at work:


These are some of the finished cookies:



For these cookies, I used the recipe found in my previous post, "Best Sugar Cookies". What I forgot to mention in that post is how to make the frosting and glaze. The glaze is just a box of powdered sugar mixed with 6 tablespoons of warm water (It's very helpful to use a whisk.). The frosting is a recipe from The Magnolia Bakery of renown New York City and "Busy Nothings" fame. Be thankful I'm posting it, folks, because it's the best frosting I've ever had in my life, and I had to buy the bakery's cookbook in order to get it!

Here it is, straight from page 117 of More From Magnolia:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I find that, here in the warm southeastern U. S., the frosting is even better with 10 cups of confectioners' sugar. The key to this (and any baked) recipe is to use butter at room temperature.

Thing I'm thankful for: naps.