Recipe Links
Well-tested recipes from others on the internet plus some added notes of mine.
Cutout Sugar Cookies - In Katrina’s Kitchen Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever
This recipe is incredible and has never failed me (except for user error the time I accidentally used baking soda, and that wasn’t a total fail it just made puffier cookies) and rolls out beautifully, bakes beautifully, keeps cookie shape and imprints incredibly without any chilling or special steps, tastes great.
Quantity Makes about 100 mixed small (1.5”) and medium (2.5”) cookies
Flavoring Works well with any flavor add-in, particularly one you can mix in with the sugar ahead of time and allow to incorporate like citrus zest or fine coffee grounds
Color Dyes well with gel food color for colorful cookies or to make "collage” style cookies
Gluten Free As noted in the recipe this can be made gluten free very easily with substitute flour like Cup 4 Cup or Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour. I made with the Red Mill and results were great, no change to the process needed. Cookies do end up with slightly different flavor and texture, but not enough to ward me off of doing again.
Cutout Chocolate Cookies - In Katrina’s Kitchen Best Chocolate Cut Out Cookie
May roll out even more beautifully than the sugar.
Quantity Makes about 150 mixed small (1.5”) and medium (2.5”) cookies
Sandwiches Works well as sandwich cookie with this Oreo-filling like recipe or with home made piped marshmallow, I have had success with the recipe that is part of this Hot Chocolate Sandwich Cookie recipe
Collage Cookies Works very well as base for collage style cookies with sugar cookie recipe as collage contents (photo)
Peppermint Mocha Cookies - I Heart Eating Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Based on the recipe linked but with a few edits:
eliminate peppermint extract, add 1 tsp vanilla extract in its place
add 1 Tbsp instant coffee, coffee granules, espresso powder or finely ground coffee (this is up to your discretion and I recognize those are not all the same thing) in step 4 with the egg and extracts
reduce size of cookies to 1 Tbsp (20g balls) or even 1/2 Tbsp (10g balls) size
dip in or pipe on chocolate (any chocolate or candy melt you prefer will work) after cooled and sprinkle on additional crushed peppermint
Size/Quantity 1 Tbsp size ≈ 34 cookies, 1/2 Tbsp size ≈ 68 cookies
Chocolate Addition For dipping requires about 8oz of chocolate or candy melts, less for piping. Pipe over cooling rack with parchment underneath so chocolate falls down sides of cookies
Royal Icing - Sweet Sugar Belle Royal Icing for Cookie Decorating
Very trusty royal icing option, and nearly no-fail no-risk with meringue powder.
Amount I tend to make half the quantity working in 1lb of confectioners sugar increments, quarter recipe also works fine
Mixing Time She has notes here, but I tend to mix about 3 minutes which gets you icing that is ok for piping as-is and easily thinned for flooding or my preferred “fifteen second” icing for one-step decorating
Meringue Powder My preferred brand is Genie’s Dream Meringue Powder, Genie has never let me down
Food Coloring Gel is best. In a squeeze bottle, I like Wilton gel color but do not get the little jars unless you have some very specific reason, they are a pain. My favorite gel color was discontinued, but currently trying out Chefmaster and have had success. Always mix the color before thinning, and always stop a little lighter than you think you want.