Sugar cookie cut outs

I made these cookies for Santa this year and took some to our Christmas Eve party. They were a huge hit.

You will need:

1-1/2 cups of butter

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Almond extract

5 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp salt

For Icing you will need:

2 cups powdered sugar

4-6 teaspoons milk

4 teaspoons corn syrup

1/2teaspoon almond extract

First cream together the butter and sugar. Then beat in the eggs, vanilla and almond extract.

Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour. I refrigerate over night. The longer it chills the easier it is to work with.

After it has chilled roll it out on a flour surface ( I actually use regular white sugar instead of flour) until it is 1/4 to 1/2 inch think and use cookie cutters to make shapes. 

Bake for 6 to 8 min in a 400 degree oven.

While the cookies bake and cool you can make the icing. This icing uses corn syrup which allows the icing to harden so you can stack the cookies but still stay soft enough at the same time.

Just mix all the icing ingredients to get her with and electric mixer until it is smooth. You can start with 2 teaspoons of milk and the slowly add more until it is the consistency you want. 2 teaspoons of milk is more of a spreadable consistency but I like to put the icing into containers to squeeze and decorate.

After the cookies have cooled you can frost and decorate. I like to make an outline of the design and let it harden a little before filling in so that the icing doesn't run.

My favorite were the snow globe cookies.

 

Here are all 3 designs I made this time.

Church windows

These didn't turn out as pretty as usual because my kids are some of the marshmallows before we made them and we were rushed so we melted the marshmallows a little but they are still delicious. 

You will need:

1 stick of butter

1-16 oz bag milk chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

16 oz mini colored marshmallows (I only had about 11 oz)

Shaved coconut (I don't use, my kids don't like)

Melt butter in sauce pan then add chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth and then remove from heat. Mix in vanilla and walnuts. Stir in marshmallows until covered in chocolate. This does not look yummy but trust me it will be.

Lay some plastic wrap on the counter and pour mix onto it forming a log shape. Then roll it up in plastic wrap in the log shape.

It should look something like this. Then place in the fridge for at least an hour or until it hardens. Take out of fridge and remove plastic wrap. With a shap knife slice it in 1/2 inch slices and enjoy.