Valentine’s Day Cut Out Cookies

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This Valentine’s Day Cut Out Cookie recipe is one that is from my mother-in-law…and I think she might have gotten it from her mother-in-law.  Now I make it with my family.  I love making recipes that are from family members.  There is just something about those kinds of recipes. ..

My mom didn’t make these cookies so I had to learn this one once we got married.  Why?  Because it is one of my husband’s favorite cookies.  Enough said.  That’s what we do for love, right?  I do remember making them when we first were married…making the dough and cutting out the cookies… I was not really thrilled about making them because they are a bit time consuming with making the dough, chilling and cutting out the cookies…but again, I love my husband so I wanted to make them for him.  Eventually he must have gotten the hint that I wasn’t thrilled about making them because he started to help me.  And you know what?  I started to like making them more.  Now he was doing something for me because he loves me.  (and probably because he really likes these cookies!).  And now we have our kids help make them.  They have fun cutting out the cookies and frosting them has become a family event.  Of course, my husband is the best at decorating the cookies because he has years of experience since he helped his mom decorate them.  But I have to say, our kids are catching up to him!  They might be a little heavy on the frosting and sprinkles, but they are getting more creative each time we make them.  See what I mean about these family recipes that are handed down?  They bring us together and we have fun. 

We usually make them for Christmas, but we started making them for Valentine’s Day a while ago.  I love making them for Valentine’s Day because the frosting colors are so pretty…the red, pink and purple look so nice together.  My kids can get a little frosting and sprinkles happy but that is just part of the fun.  I want to share some photos of cookies that my kids decorated.  First photo are a few of my daughter’s cookies and the second one is of my son’s cookie he made to look like a bear he got years ago for Christmas.  He does this one often when we make the cookies.  It is great to see them get more creative each time we make them…and have fun together.

A few tips for making these…chilling the dough is a must.  At least for a few hours but even better if you can chill the dough overnight.  The dough is easier to work with when it is cold.  Once it is chilled, make small dough balls (about the size of a baseball).  Put them back in the bowl and place them in the refrigerator to keep that dough chilled.  Taking one dough ball out at a time helps with keeping the dough chilled and easier to work with.  And flour, flour, flour your working surface and rolling pin well …that will prevent the dough from sticking.  When cutting out the cookies, place the cookie cutters as close as possible so that you use up as much dough as you can.  When you transfer the cookie to the cookie sheet, it helps to use a floured spatula to pick up each cookie and place them on the cookie sheet.  Using these tips should help make these cookies come out great for you. 

I hope you make these and have as much fun as we do when making them.

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Valentine's Day Cut Out Cookies

Author Jeannie Z

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter room temperature
• 1 cup Crisco
• 3 eggs room temperature
• ¼ tsp anise oil (1/4 teaspoon of anise oil is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of anise extract)
• 2 cups powdered sugar confectioner sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 cups cake flour
• 2 cups flour

For the frosting

• 3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup butter 1 stick, softened
• 3-4 tablespoons milk
• 4 drops anise oil
• You may use more frosting and/or milk depending on the frosting consistency you like.

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and Crisco until smooth. Add the eggs, beating after each one. Add the anise. Add the confectioner sugar in slowly. Then, add in the salt and baking soda. Add in the flours, a few tablespoons at a time.
2. Place the dough in a bowl and cover it tightly. Chill overnight or 3 hours.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Cover your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
5. Generously cover your working area with flour. Make small balls of dough (like a size of a baseball?) and place them back in the bowl. Take out one dough ball at a time to work with.
6. Flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough ball to about ¼ “thickness. Cut out shapes keeping the cutters as close to each other as you can so you use up as much of the dough as possible. If there is any extra dough, roll it up in a ball, roll it out again and cut out more cookies.
7. Place them on your prepared cookie sheet. (It helps to use a floured spatula to get them off of the counter and onto the cookie sheet.)
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
9. Let them cool slightly on the cookie sheet.
10. Cool them completely before frosting.
11. To make the frosting, combine the powdered sugar, softened butter and milk in a mixing bowl. Mix well until it is smooth. If it is too thick, add more milk by the tablespoon. If you prefer it thicker, add more powdered sugar. Mix until you get your desired frosting consistency.

Recipe Notes

Makes about 5 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.