Sugar Cookies – a versatile recipe for mix-ins

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Prep 30 mins   Bake 10 mins   Eat 40 mins

Not a lot of time to bake cookies this year?   Try this delicious Sugar Cookie recipe and do some mix-ins.

At the cookie exchange.

That’s what I did to create this Cranberry-Orange Walnut Sugar Cookie when I was pushed against the clock before meeting up with the outrageous bakers in the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles for our annual Cookie Exchange.  (See links to all the FBLA recipes below.)   This was my first time at this event, since it usually conflicts with my Holiday Cookie Baking Class, which will be next Saturday, December 14, 2013.

The Table of Cookies at the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles Cookie Exchange

I must say, there are some mighty fine bakers in this group and I’m making my way through the cookie tin I took home so I can taste them all.  Below you will find a link to all of these wonderful recipes from the Food Bloggers of Los Angeles.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies

How to make the Cranberry-Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies.

I took my basic Sugar Cookie recipe we bake every year in my Holiday Cookie Class and mixed in some dried cranberries, orange zest and walnuts.  So easy – try adding your own mix-ins.  Be creative.

What was left in my icing bag at the end.

Then I made a simple icing out of powdered sugar and orange juice.

Print This Recipe

Sugar Cookies with Mix-Ins and Icing

• 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Mix-Ins: (use these or vary it up)

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp zest from 1 large orange (orange part only, not the bitter white underneath part of the peel)

Icing:

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbs. orange juice or use milk

1. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

2. In large bowl with mixer, cream butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until slushy.  Gradually add flour mixture and mix-ins to butter mixture and blend just until combined into a soft dough.

3. Shape dough into 3/4″ size balls and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten the balls so you have a flat top.

4. Bake in a 350° oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Transfer to wire racks to let cool completely before decorating.

5. While cookies are cooling, make icing.  Mix powdered sugar and orange juice together in a heavy zipper plastic bag.  Massage mixture with your hands until it is smooth.  Dribble in more orange juice as necessary. Cut off a tiny piece from the corner and squeeze the icing decoratively onto the cookies.  Let the cookies sit until icing is dry and the cookies can be stacked between sheets of wax or parchment paper for storage.   Enjoy with a glass of milk!

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5 from 1 vote

Sugar Cookies with Mix-Ins and Icing

I've been using this Sugar Cookie recipe for more than ten years with great success. It is a basic dough that is easy to make and the cookies are sturdy for icing. Here I've added some mix-ins to add some variety to the cookie plate.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 80

Calories: 60kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 sticks, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Mix-Ins: (use these or vary it up)

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 tsp zest from 1 large orange orange part only, not the bitter white underneath part of the peel

Icing:

• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbs. orange juice or use milk

Instructions

• In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In large bowl with mixer, cream butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until slushy.  Gradually add flour mixture and mix-ins to butter mixture and blend just until combined into a soft dough.
• Shape dough into 3/4" size balls and place slightly apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten the balls so you have a flat top.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Transfer to wire racks to let cool completely before decorating.
• While cookies are cooling, make icing.  Mix powdered sugar and orange juice together in a heavy zipper plastic bag.  Massage mixture with your hands until it is smooth.  Dribble in more orange juice as necessary. Cut off a tiny piece from the corner and squeeze the icing decoratively onto the cookies.  Let the cookies sit until icing is dry and the cookies can be stacked between sheets of wax or parchment paper for storage.   Enjoy with a glass of milk!
• ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com

Nutrition

Calories: 60kcal

FBLA 2013 Cookie Exchange Recipes

• Chai Tea Cookies — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought (She also got tired of rolling the dough and refashioned the rest into Baby Hedgehog cookies.)
• Butter Pecan Fudge — Dorothy Reinhold (me!) from Shockingly Delicious.
• Antioxidant Chocolate Bark — Erika Kerekes (our hostess) of In Erika’s Kitchen.
• Sweet Potato Marshmallow Bars with White Chocolate Chips — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.
• Chocolate Chip and Apricot Walnut Rugelach and Vegan Chocolate Mini Cupcakes (“Naughty & Nice Cookies”) — Dana of Foodie Goes Healthy
• Vintage Sponge Drops with Double Fudge Filling — Leslie Macchiarella of Bake This Cake.
• Sicilian Christmas cookies — Judy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad.
• Cranberry Orange Walnut Sugar Cookies — Patricia Rose of Fresh Food in a Flash.
• Brown Butter Praline Chocolate Chip Cookies — Valentina Wein of Cooking On The Weekends.
• Mini Chocolate Nut Sandwich Cookies — Kelly Page of Tasting Page.
• Rosemary Raisin Cocktail Shortbread — Sharon Graves of Cheesy Pennies.
• Saketini Christmas Balls, Chocolate Macarons with Japanese Wine Cream Centers, and Matcha Green Tea Cookies with Chocolate Centers & Espresso Cookies with Caramel Fillings — Kim Watkinson of Ninja Baking.
• Blueberry Coconut Mini Cupcakes, Rainbow Chocolate Bark, and Vegan Gingersnaps — Judy Weintraub of Bumbleberry Breeze.
• Chocolate-Dipped Apricots with Pistachios — Adair Seldon of Lentil Breakdown.
• Spumoni Shortbread — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
• Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cardamom Gingersnap Cookies — Alison Ashton of Nourish Network .
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Oat Bars — Alanna Waldron of Eats Real Food.
• Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cookies — Tanaya Ghosh of Tanaya’s Table. (Tanaya’s Table, the blog, will launch in 2014.)
• Black and White Cookies — Tina Kil. (Her blog isn’t up yet, but watch for her contributions in the future!)

Non-Cookie Items

• Chiang Mai Chicken in Endive Spears — Cathy Arkle of She Paused 4 Thought.
• Seasonal salad — Nancy Rose Eisman of Adventures with Nancy Rose.
• Barrel-Aged Sazerac — Jennifer Richmond of Kitchy Cooking.

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