Shut Up and Eat.: December 2012

Ahh, it's finally Christmas. The time of year when our heads are filled with thoughts of Christmas anticipation, finding the perfect presents and pushing through whatever obstacles stand between us and the most wonderful time of the year.
I personally had the obstacle of 5 finals in the way of precious family time and the best food on earth, my mother's. I was so looking forward to all of our traditions, picking out the tree together, decorating it, making Christmas cookies and watching our family's favorite movies... and lots of sarcasm.
Finally the day had arrived when I loaded up my car and sped home to find my house filled with all the great smells of the holidays and the loving embrace of my parents accompanied by the forceful, bone crushing choke holds of my brothers.
I was informed that our schedule leading up to Christmas was JAMMED packed and that cookie day was to be today, Wednesday. And so, as a family, our whole day has been filled with cooking making, cutting, decorating, baking and of course, eating.
The cookies we look forward to making the most each year are the sugar cut out cookies. My family always manages to make it extremely entertaining. As you will see in a few of the pictures below, my brothers made cookie making more than enjoyable to watch. My brothers making cookies is relatable to watching Martha Stewart Living meets South Park. Normal.
My mom does her best to supervise us, but eventually resorts to sighing and saying "Where did I go wrong?" My darling father sits off to the side and irrationally criticizes my decorating skills. Oh yes...I am home for the holidays.
Regardless of my family's inability to function normally, we do make some damn good cookies. They are super buttery, light and fun to decorate! SO here's the recipe and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas/Chanukah and a very happy New Year!

Butter Cookies
2 cups of butter, softened
1 1/2 cups of sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons of Vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups of unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

First, separate the yolk from the eggs and set aside in a small bowl.

Next, add the softened butter to your mixer, you can also use a hand mixer for this! Beat butter until smooth.

Add sugar to butter. Keep the mixer on.

Then add eggs to sugar/ butter mixture.

Then add the Vanilla

Keep the mixer going as you combine the flour and salt in sifter.

Sift flour and salt mixture.

Gradually add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients.

Your batter should look like this when all of the ingredients are combined.

Scoop the batter into a mixing bowl and cover with foil. Then refrigerate the bowl for 20 minutes so the dough becomes harder and easier to work with.