Christmas Cookies

Usually I only make one kind of cookie for Christmas: Mrs. Wagner's cookies.

Here's the recipe; I do not recommend trying to reduce quantity as it doesn't yield good results. But you can freeze the dough!

Mrs. Wagner's Cookies
Makes 10 dozen, at least, depending on the size of your cutter.  I've gotten as many as 180 cookies out of a single batch.

1 pound butter -- softened (margarine works also)
7 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks (reserve whites)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup bourbon (we use Jack Daniel's)
1 cup milk
TOPPING:
5 egg whites
Colored sugar/sprinkles for decorating

Cover your baking sheets with parchment paper.  Mix flour and butter like pie dough.

Beat remaining ingredients (except egg white and colored sugar) and add to dry mix.  If using a stand mixer, use the mixer to beat those ingredients and then add the dry mix to the mixer bowl.

Dough should be STIFF.  Chill the dough for at least one hour before rolling.

Roll thin and cut into shapes.

Brush with egg white and decorate.

Reserve scraps and roll into the next section of dough.

Bake on parchment-covered sheet, 6 to 7 minutes at 375. Bottoms should be light brown, tops should be white.  Allow to cool on pan for a minute or two, then remove to a rack.

Just a fraction of the finished product!

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As I said, I usually only make ONE kind of cookies at Christmas.  However, this week I made some delicious chocolate cookies and decided that if I made a batch of these, they'd make a nice addition to my cookie tray. Barbara's Fudge Cocoa Cookies are really good.

And then I got a message from my niece, asking me to make a batch of Michelle's Molasses Crinkle Cookies. How do I say no to that?

There's going to be a lot of cookie-baking this week, I think!