Cut-outs: Vanilla Cut-Outs, Ginger Folk, and Chocolate Reindeer

VANILLA:

Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter and 2 cups granulate white sugar together till fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla extract, and mix well. In another bowl, sift together 4 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and 4 tsp baking powder. Alternately blend this dry mix into the creamed mix with 1/2 cup milk. Wrap and refrigerate four hours. Preheat to 275 F. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with lightly floured cookie cutters (chilling other half of dough). Bake 8 - 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 F. When cool, decorae as desired. Easiest: Whip together 1/2 cup confectioner’s powdered sugar with 1 frothy egg white, then sprinkle with colored sugars and / or sprinkles.

GINGER FOLK:

Cream the sugar and butter till combined, then add eggs and molasses, and mix till combined. Sift together dry ingredients, add to butter mixture, and combine with spoon or spatula. Dough will seem rather dry. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least an hour. To bake, preheat oven to 350 F, line cookie sheets with parchment paper, allow dough to sit at room temp for 15 minutes till pliable. Roll out about 1/2 cup at a time to 1/8" thickness (very thin because they puff a lot). Cut out and transfer with spatula to prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool. These are not sweet so need icing.

CHOCOLATE REINDEER:

Preheat oven to 375 F. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup room temperature butter with 3/4 cup granulated white sugar, 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt on high with an electric mixer till well-mixed, scraping sides occasionally. Beat 1 egg, 1 egg white, and 1 tsp vanilla extract into this mixture until combined, then beat in 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Divid into 3 equal portions, wrap, and chill in fridge 3 hours. On a surface lightly coated with cocoa (do NOT use flour to avoid white streaks), roll one dough portion (chilling the others) into a circle six inches in diameter (about cereal bowl size). Using a knife, cut each circle in 8 wedges, then plac them two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet -- NOT air-cushioned (since they puff and this makes it worse). For antlers, press a tiny twist pretzel into each upper corner (2 per cookie) just before baking. Bake each sheet of cookies 6 minutes till edges are firm. Remove sheet from oven and immediately press 2 blue or green (or brown) button chocolate candies (such as m & m) into each cookie for eyes and 1 red or pink button chocolate candy (such as m & m) for a nose as quickly as possible (putting “m” downward onto cookie dough so it is not visible) so candy will stay. Do not bake with these candies in place, or they crack. Cool on cookie sheet 3 more minutes. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely before storing in airtight container.