No Roll Frosted Sugar Cookies

My 12 days of Christmas Sweets is going strong!  Here we are on day 6!  Half-way done & still some great recipes to share!  

What is Christmas without a frosted sugar cookie?  Most people are fancy & cut out their sugar cookies in cute Christmas shapes, but honestly, that brings back bad memories for me when I worked in a grocery store bakery.  Imagine sugar cookie dough, a sheeter, & lots & lots of crazy cookie cutters for huge orders.  Oh & if cutting out those cookies was long & gruesome, frosting them was even better.  Especially if they had to be air-brushed with different colors.  So let's just say I avoid cutting out cookies at all costs. 

These cookies are great!  You get the same flavors & textures of a typical sugar cookie, but with a simple round shape as your canvas for decorating.  No rolling dough & cutting out shapes.  Just a little balling of the cookie dough & a pat with your palm & you have nice, flat-topped round cookies.
 

No Roll Frosted Sugar Cookies

Recipe lightly adapted from RealMomKitchen by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Cookie:

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 Tbsp)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened/room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream shortening, butter & sugar until fluffy.  Add egg & extracts.  Mix together.
3. Combine baking powder, salt & flour in a separate bowl.  Gradually add to wet mixture until well blended.
4. Using a cookie scoop (I use a #50 scoop about 1 1/2 Tbsp per scoop) scoop dough balls.  For best cookie results: Lightly roll dough balls in hands, place on parchment lined baking sheet & press the top of the cookie halfway down.  This creates the best shape & flat top to spread frosting on compared to just scooping & placing the dough on the baking sheets.  Refer to the picture provided.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are set.  Allow cookies to cool after baking.  *Makes 2 dozen cookies.
6. In a bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy.  Add vanilla & milk.  Blend lightly.  Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing between additions.  The texture should be solid, yet soft (not stiff & dry; if it's dry, add an extra tsp or so of milk.)
7. Frost cookies & top with sprinkles, sugar crystals or other desired toppings.

My 12 days of Christmas Sweets is going strong!  Here we are on day 6!  Half-way done & still some great recipes to share!  

What is Christmas without a frosted sugar cookie?  Most people are fancy & cut out their sugar cookies in cute Christmas shapes, but honestly, that brings back bad memories for me when I worked in a grocery store bakery.  Imagine sugar cookie dough, a sheeter, & lots & lots of crazy cookie cutters for huge orders.  Oh & if cutting out those cookies was long & gruesome, frosting them was even better.  Especially if they had to be air-brushed with different colors.  So let's just say I avoid cutting out cookies at all costs. 

These cookies are great!  You get the same flavors & textures of a typical sugar cookie, but with a simple round shape as your canvas for decorating.  No rolling dough & cutting out shapes.  Just a little balling of the cookie dough & a pat with your palm & you have nice, flat-topped round cookies.
 

No Roll Frosted Sugar Cookies

Recipe lightly adapted from RealMomKitchen by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Cookie:

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/3 cup butter (5 1/3 Tbsp)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened/room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream shortening, butter & sugar until fluffy.  Add egg & extracts.  Mix together.
3. Combine baking powder, salt & flour in a separate bowl.  Gradually add to wet mixture until well blended.
4. Using a cookie scoop (I use a #50 scoop about 1 1/2 Tbsp per scoop) scoop dough balls.  For best cookie results: Lightly roll dough balls in hands, place on parchment lined baking sheet & press the top of the cookie halfway down.  This creates the best shape & flat top to spread frosting on compared to just scooping & placing the dough on the baking sheets.  Refer to the picture provided.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges of the cookies are set.  Allow cookies to cool after baking.  *Makes 2 dozen cookies.
6. In a bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until fluffy.  Add vanilla & milk.  Blend lightly.  Add powdered sugar a cup at a time, mixing between additions.  The texture should be solid, yet soft (not stiff & dry; if it's dry, add an extra tsp or so of milk.)
7. Frost cookies & top with sprinkles, sugar crystals or other desired toppings.