Vanilla Sugar Christmas Cookies

Every Christmas we may find ourselves either baking the same traditional cookies or trying to find a new recipe. Well, look no more! These vanilla sugar Christmas cookies are so good and buttery and yet not overly sugary, they are just the perfect cookie. Make them your own by decorating them with sugar icing! I still remember the first time I made these cookies with my family - the smell of vanilla and sugar filled the entire house, and we all couldn't wait to decorate them together. As I look back, I realize that it's the little moments like those that make Christmas truly special, and I hope you'll create similar memories with your loved ones as you bake these cookies. In fact, I've found that the process of baking and decorating cookies can be just as enjoyable as the end result, and it's a great way to slow down and appreciate the simple things during the holiday season.

Ingredients you'll need:

• 12 ounces Butter 350g 
• 3/4 cup Sugar 150g 
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 3-3/4 cups Flour +2 Tbsps, 500g
• 
  

Instructions:

• Cream the butter (I prefer to use cold butter) and sugar together in the bowl of a stand or hand-held mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes if you start with cold butter).
• Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. Next add the flour and mix until just combined.
• Take two large pieces of parchment paper and divide the dough in half, placing each dough half on top of the paper. Top each dough with another piece of parchment and press down a bit.
• Take a rolling pin (or wine bottle if you don't have one) and roll the dough out to the thickness you desire (I like about 1/4" thick, but thicker is good too) between the sheets of parchment. Place each flattened dough on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least one hour (or up to several months)!
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Once the dough is cold and solid, grab your cookie cutters and cut the cookies out (waiting a few minutes if the dough cracks from being too cold) and place them on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet. Bake until the edges are just starting to get golden. Let them cool on the cookie sheets before removing.

While they're cooling down you can prepare your royal icing to decorate. Make sure they're completely cool before icing. For instance, you can use a simple powdered sugar glaze or get creative with intricate designs - my kids love making a mess with the icing, and it's always a fun way to spend time together. I've found that using a variety of colors and decorations, like sprinkles or small candies, can add an extra layer of excitement to the decorating process, and make the experience even more enjoyable for the whole family. One year, we even made a mini cookie-decorating competition out of it, and the laughter and joy that filled the room is a memory I'll always treasure.

Enjoy!