It just wasn’t going to be Christmas without sugar cookies.  But on Christmas Eve, it was too cold and too late to get in the car and go to the store for the pre-made ones, or the refrigerated dough ones.  Besides, if I had six dozen, I would eat six dozen, and I didn’t need to do that.  So, what to do?  My solution was to develop a recipe for Just A Dozen sugar cookies.

I looked on the internet, but no such luck.  I went to several cookbooks, and between more than a few recipes, found a way to make fewer cookies.  Yes, it is just as much bother but you are done in half an hour, and it is worth it for the wonderful aroma of fresh baked cookies in the air.

So I got together the wet and dry ingredients.  Mixed well, and rolled out.

With the dough left, I squished it together again and re-rolled it, until I had about a dozen cutouts.  OK, it was 16.

So the really tricky thing is you only use part of an egg.  The rest you can scramble for the dog like I did, or eat it yourself.  Or just pitch it, and consider it the price of not having five extra dozen cookies around your waistline.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.

Decorate as you like.  I decided not to frost them this time, just used a little bit of sprinkles, press them in while the cookies are hot or they will fall off.

Voila!!  Just a few to satisfy my sugar cookie craving.

Just A Dozen Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup flour, plus a bit more for rolling
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) butter flavored shortening
3/8 cup (6 tablespoons) sugar
1/4 of one egg (about a tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda in a bowl and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add egg, vanilla and milk and mix well.  Add dry ingredients, and stir with a spoon until almost combined.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and press together into a ball.  Roll out with a rolling pin, cut out shapes and transfer to a baking sheet.  Reroll scraps, cut out more cookies and place on the baking sheet, until all the dough is used.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned on the bottom.  Decorate and enjoy!!

Update – In 2018, I made a small batch, and realized I could use the leftover egg for frosting the cookies if I separated it first.  So I separated the white from the yolk, and saved about a tablespoon of white. (Then add the yolk back to the rest and beat together before measuring out the amount needed for the cookie dough.)  To the tablespoon of white, add a bit of vanilla and then powdered sugar until it is the consistency of a thick glaze.  Frost the cookies, then sprinkle on some decorative sugars.  Enjoy!

Download a pdf – Just A Dozen Sugar Cookies

Are you baking for the holidays?

If you need more than a dozen cookies, try my Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies.

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