Dazzle guests with Martha Stewart's favorite sugar cookies with cognac recipe
Nothing brings holiday joy like that first bite of your favorite Christmas cookie.
After all, everyone wants cookies at Christmas, according to culinary icon Martha Stewart. And while she's published 99 books — including one focused on Christmas, even Stewart has favorites.
"I like my sugar cookies that have cognac in the dough," Stewart tells USA TODAY, noting they can be decorated beautifully and that they actually get better over time.
Stewart has been making her sugar cookies for 40 years — the original recipe was published in her "Entertaining by Martha Stewart" book published in 1982. A second version (which is the recipe that includes cognac) published in "Martha Stewart's Christmas" a few years later.
"I've been serving these cookies for many years to when I was catering and then of course, I packed up many, many boxes to give as gifts," she says. "I've hung these cookies on the Christmas tree. They're a really pretty cookie and delicious."
Grandma's recipe: This Christmas cookie has been a family favorite for 60 years.
Stewart shared the recipe with USA TODAY, while promoting Martha's Chard, her 19 Crimes wine, which she says "goes with everything" ( even Christmas cookies). She'll release Martha's Lighter Chard in January, offering a lower calorie, lower alcohol percentage option.
Martha’s Christmas Sugar Cookies
Makes: About 10 large (7-inch), 20 to 25 medium (3 to 4-inch), or 44 small (2-inch) cookies
Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon baking powder 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
Royal Icing (up to 3½ cups)
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat butter with granulated sugar and vanilla seeds on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and cognac until well combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough evenly and shape into 2 disks; wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to 5 days; or freeze up to 2 months (thaw in refrigerator before using, at least 8 hours).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough ⅛ inch thick. Refrigerate until very firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes. Stamp out shapes. Transfer cutouts to prepared sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps once; stamp out more shapes and transfer to sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or freeze 10 minutes.
Bake, tapping sheets on countertop or oven rack halfway through to flatten tops, until set and light golden around edges, 12 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely.
Decorate cookies as desired once they reach room temperature. Cook’s Note: Decorated or undecorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days. Undecorated cookies can be frozen up to 2 months.
Royal Icing
Makes: About 5 cups
Ingredients:
8 cups confectioners’ sugar (2 pounds), sifted, plus more if needed
4 large egg whites
4 to 8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions:
In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, and lemon juice on low speed.
Add a scant ½ cup water, then increase speed to medium-high and mix until icing holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for 3 seconds when you raise paddle and has a glue-like texture, about 5 minutes. (This texture is a good start, but if you are dipping cookies, you may need to thin the icing slightly by whisking in more water. If you are piping, you may need to thicken by whisking in additional confectioners’ sugar.)
Reduce speed to low and mix 1 minute more to eliminate air bubbles.
Use immediately, or store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and stir well before using.
Cook’s Note: If children, pregnant women, or anyone with a compromised immune system will be eating these cookies, use 10 tablespoons meringue powder instead of the egg whites for the icing.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Martha Stewart's favorite sugar cookies with cognac: Get the recipe
