AUTUMN SUGAR COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter together.
• Add egg and vanilla and maple extracts and mix well.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and spices. Gradually add to butter and sugar mixture.
• Drop into small balls onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Decorate with sanding sugar or festive sprinkles.
• Bake for 10-14 minutes.

Steps:

• Combine butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, milk and almond extract; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.
• Divide dough into thirds; place each portion into separate bowls. Add very small amount of red gel food color to 1 portion; mix well. Add additional red gel for desired color, if necessary. Repeat with remaining dough portions and gel food colors.
• Shape each dough into ball; flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Working with half of each dough color (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), drop tablespoon-size pieces of dough from each color onto well-floured surface in random pattern with dough pieces touching. Roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness, forming marbled design. Cut with 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters.
• Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Bake 7-9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack.