WILLIAMS SONOMA CHRISTMAS RECIPES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and, using a small, sharp knife, scrape the seeds into the butter mixture. If using vanilla extract, add it now. Mix well.
• In a sifter, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Sift the flour mixture directly onto the butter mixture. Reduce the speed to low and beat until well mixed.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (The dough can be prepared up to 3 days ahead.) Let it soften slightly at room temperature before continuing.
• Position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out a dough disk 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cutouts to the prepared baking sheets. Gather up and reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough disks.
• Bake until the cookies are golden on the edges, about 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Decorate the cookies as desired with colored sugars and decorating pens. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks and continue beating until thoroughly combined, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about 1 cup at a time, and mix, using either a wooden spoon or the stand mixer on low speed, until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out a dough disk about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes from the dough. Arrange the shapes on baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Gather up and reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough disks.
• Bake the cookies until golden on the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
• To make the icing, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and corn syrup. The mixture should be very thick. Whisk in the milk a few drops at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If you want to use the icing for outlining, you want it to remain quite thick. If, however, you want to cover the cookies with icing, it should be more liquid.
• Decorate the cooled cookies as desired with the icing, using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip or a small plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Decorate with sanding sugar if desired. Store the cookies in an airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size.
• Recipe by Amanda Rettke, creator of the blog I Am Baker and author of <i>Surprise-Inside Cakes</i>