Christmas 2012

Shortbread House 
&
Italian Butter Cookies

Italian Butter Cookies

Ingredients-

6 tbsp (3oz)- unsalted butter

6 tbsp (3oz)- vegetable shortening

3oz- sugar

1- large egg (2oz)

1/2t- vanilla extract

1t- almond extract

8oz- all purpose flour

1oz- corn starch

Directions-

Colorful sprinkles for decorating. *optional*

Melted dark chocolate for coating *optional*

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

Cream the butter and shortening with the sugar until mixture reaches “ribbon stage”.

Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Mix until well incorporated.

Add the flour and corn starch. Mix until cookie dough batter looks uniform.

Take batter and transfer to a piping bag with a large star tip.

Pipe dough on parchment paper to silver dollar sized cookies. Start in the middle and work your way out in a circular motion.

Sprinkle with colorful sprinkles or leave plain.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes at 375. The bottom of the cookies will be slightly golden.

http://food-bully.com/post/33513036602/italian-butter-cookies

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Classic American Buttercream frosting. This recipe uses powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. This is a great recipe for decorating and piping on cupcakes and cake.

Ingredients-

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened (but not melted!) Ideal texture should be like ice cream.

3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED

¼ teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions-

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the sugar doesn't blow everywhere) until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time. Add food coloring to add color, be careful, blue will likely turn the frosting slightly green because of the butter. Food coloring can also thin out the frosting.


http://savorysweetlife.com/2010/03/buttercream-frosting/

Piping Tricks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvqn5sdbpb8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1GRzhLTO1k

http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2011/03/kitchen-tip-multi-swirled-frosting.html#13672659412042&{"cmd":"destroy","appId":"1367265940182"}

I also piped the cookie dough itself, to give the cookies more texture and to give more height towards the center, these cookies flatten out and spread out a good amount when they bake.