1-1/2 cups butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (10 to 12 ounces) white baking chips
1 tablespoon shortening
Black paste food coloring, optional
Silver edible shimmer dust or sugar
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough into quarters. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. bell-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. If desired, tint with food coloring. Spread over cookies. Let stand until set; brush with shimmer dust.
My mom and grandma are known for their signature Christmas cookies. I decided to create my own, inspired by one of my favorite Christmas songs. Edible shimmer dust gives them their iconic shine. Look for the dust in the cake decorating section of craft or grocery stores.
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min./batch + cooling
YIELD: about 4 dozen.
Nutrition Facts
1 cookie: 188 calories, 8g fat (5g saturated fat), 32mg cholesterol, 126mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (16g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.