Cookies for the Neighbors

I have been meaning to make cookies for our neighbors and give them out for Christmas. Last weekend I got caught up in other projects. Our neighbors, Sue and Beth, both beat me to the bunch and left cookies for everyone at the doorstop yesterday and today before I got mine out. The cookies from both neighbors were quite delicious and motivated me to start baking for everyone. It is also a great day to bake since it is snowing out and I have no plans to go out in this weather.

I chose to make two of my favorites for sharing, Snickerdoodles and Sugar Cookie Cutouts. The Snickerdoodles are from Cooking Light's September 2007 issue. The sugar cookies are from The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook.

Snickerdoodles
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1.5 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and egg.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, stirring well. Add flour mixtures to butter mixture; beat until just combined. Shape dough into small balls.
4. Combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon in a small shallow bowl. Roll balls into sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet, coat with cooking spray if not using a Silpat. Bake at 400F for 8 minutes or until tops begin to crack. Remove from cookie sheet and place on cooling racks.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts
2.5 cups of flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup of softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until well combined. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture until just blended. Shape dough into disk; wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours up to overnight.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Once again, if you don't use a Silpat, grease and flour two large cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough 1/8 inch thick; keep remaining dough refrigerated. Use which ever cookie cutter strikes your fancy and place the cookies about 1 inch apart. I used green and red sugar to sprinkle over the cookies.
   
3. Bake until golder, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire cooling racks to cool completely.

I always struggle with maintaining the shapes of the cookies after I cut them out. On next year's Christmas list, I will ask for a cookie press. It will make this so much easier.