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Joe Thomas’ Cut Out Sugar Cookies

by Exmark

This cut out sugar cookie recipe is easy to cut out, holds its shape after baking, and yields soft and chewy sugar cookies.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies
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Cut Out Sugar Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1 cup 1 salted butter (2 sticks) cold & cut into chunks

  • 1 cup 1 granulated sugar (or vanilla sugar)

  • 1 1 egg

  • 3/4 tsp 3/4 pure vanilla extract

  • 1 1 vanilla bean scraped (optional)

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 pure almond extract

  • 3 cups 3 unbleached all-purpose flour

  • 2 tsp 2 baking powder

  • ICING INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups 4 (480g) confectioners sugar, sifted (I use and recommend Domino brand)

  • 3 tablespoons 3 meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)

  • 9–10 tablespoons 9–10 room temperature water

  • optional for decorating: gel food coloring

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg, extracts, and vanilla bean. In a small bowl, stir flour and baking powder together. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients.
  • Roll the dough out onto the floured surface to be just over 1/4″ thick. Cut cookies out using cookie cutters and place them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  • Freeze for 5-7 minutes, then bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottoms have lightly browned but edges are still light in color. Cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to cooling racks. Decorate as desired.
  • ICING INSTRUCTIONS
  • Pour confectioners sugar, meringue powder, and 9 tablespoons of water into a large bowl.
  • Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment beat icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5-2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds.
  • If it’s too thick, beat in more water 1 tablespoon at a time. It may take up to 12-14 tablespoons. Remember that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep beating it to introduce more air, OR you can add more confectioners sugar.
  • When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If the icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thickly on cookies, it will also take longer to dry.
  • If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.

Notes

  • When you’re not working directly with the royal icing (for example, you are decorating cookies but you still have some icing left in the bowl that you intend to use next), place a damp paper towel directly on the surface of the royal icing. This prevents it from hardening.

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Brian Latimer’s Sugar Cookies

by Exmark

Sugar cookies are a holiday favorite and MLF bass pro, Brian Latimer agrees! Follow along with his tasty recipe to bake some delicious and irresistible holiday cookies.

Brian Latimer’s Sugar Cookies
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Brian Latimer’s Sugar Cookies

Servings

4

servings
Total time

0

minutes

Cookies

  • 2 ¾ cups 2 ¾ all-purpose flour

  • 1 tsp 1 baking soda

  • ½ tsp ½ baking powder

  • 1 cup 1 butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups 1 ½ white sugar

  • 1 1 egg

  • 1 tsp 1 vanilla extract

  • Frosting

  • ½ cup ½ shortening

  • 4 cups 4 confectioners sugar

  • 5 tbsp 5 milk, or more as needed

  • 1 tsp 1 vanilla extract, or more to taste

  • Food coloring (optional)

COokies

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  • Stir flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
  • Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place 2 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Frosting
  • Beat shortening in a large bowl until creamy. Gradually mix in confectioners’ sugar in small amounts, alternating with 5 tablespoons milk, until smooth. Mix in vanilla and continue to beat until frosting is stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes, adding more milk if needed.
  • Mix in food coloring, separating into smaller bowls if using multiple colors.
  • Spread frosting on cookies or fill piping bags and decorate cookies as desired.

Notes

  • Top these sweet cookies with a sugar cookie frosting to really impress!

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Austin Dillon’s Holiday Sugar Cookies

by Exmark

Put on your apron, grab your baking supplies, and get ready for some fun! Follow along as Exmark Ambassador Austin Dillon shares his delicious holiday sugar cookie recipe.

Holiday Sugar Cookies
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Holiday Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 cups 3 all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 teaspoon 3/4 baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon 1/4 salt

  • 1 cup 1 unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup 1 sugar

  • 1 1 egg, beaten

  • 1 tablespoon 1 milk

  • Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

  • Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as-is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container or up to 1 week.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Grae Buck’s Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Exmark

Bake up these delectable macadamia nut chocolate chip cookies this holiday season. Exmark ambassador Grae Buck shares his favorite recipe with you!

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • ½ cup ½ butter, softened

  • ⅓ cup ⅓ packed dark brown sugar

  • ⅓ cup ⅓ white sugar

  • 1 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon 1 vanilla extract

  • 1⅛ cups 1⅛ sifted all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon ½ baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

  • 1 cup 1 macadamia nuts, chopped

  • 1¼ cups 1¼ semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets with vegetable shortening.
  • Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually blend into the batter. Stir in the chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven, and transfer the cookies to cooling racks.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Greg Mrvich’s Spiced Sugar Cookies

by Exmark

Be the envy of the holiday party with this recipe for spiced sugar cookies from Exmark Ambassador Greg Mrvich. Get your ingredients ready and get baking.

Spiced Sugar Cookies
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Spiced Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1¾ cups 1¾ all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon ½ salt

  • ½ teaspoon ½ baking powder

  • 1 ½ teaspoons 1 ½ ground ginger

  • ½ teaspoon ½ pumpkin pie spice

  • ½ cup ½ unsalted butter

  • ½ cup ½ + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1 large 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon 1 vanilla extract

Directions

  • Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, ground ginger and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until incorporated, and set aside. In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Next, add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Gradually add in the flour mixture, switching to silicone spatula. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Scoop the cookie dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, covering it well. Shape the dough into a small disk and chill for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat oven to 350ºF and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Allow chilled dough to soften a bit for about 10 minutes at room temperature.
  • Dust your work surface with flour and roll dough a about ¼” thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough as you like.
  • Place the freshly cut cookies onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake the cookies for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown. Let the cookies cool for several minutes on the tray, then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool completely before icing.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Fall Garden Vegetable Side Dishes from David Bancroft

by David Bancroft

The harvest comes around every year. It’s the season that allows us to truly enjoy the fruits, or veggies, of our labor. You can kick your feet back after and take a rest, if only for a few minutes. And there’s no better way to enjoy your tasty work than cooking up delectable fall vegetable side dishes. David Bancroft, Exmark’s James Beard nominated ambassador and acclaimed chef, is back again with some unbeatable dishes you can pair with all your favorite fall dishes. Whether you’re looking for something light and easy or hearty and warm, Bancroft has got you covered. These recipes are terrific and simple, making them perfect for your holiday gatherings, fall feasts, and backyard parties. 

David Bancroft's Orzo Salad Fall Vegetable Side Dish
Orzo Salad
David Bancroft's Green Goddess Dressing Fall Vegetable Side Dish
Green Goddess Dressing
David Bancroft's Sweet Potato Fall Vegetable Side Dish
Sweet Potato

A Little About the Fall and the Harvest

As we all know, the harvest comes around every year and is always in the fall. What you might not know is that when the harvest comes depends on several factors. The first is geography; location is one of the biggest determinants of when the harvest will fall. The second is temperature; if it’s too hot, the harvest won’t happen when you think, and if it’s going to get chilly sooner, you’ll want to know so you can harvest at the right time. Keeping an eye on the weather trends will help you determine when to harvest. Finally, the plants themselves affect the harvest; each vegetable will have its own harvesting schedule and that’s important to keep in mind before you get to plucking. 

Keep In Mind

There are a few things you should keep in mind as the harvest comes around. The first is that you can always craft delicious recipes like these fall vegetable side dishes with your gardens. The second is that you can always preserve your harvest using these helpful tips Canning and Preserving 101. If your harvest was particularly bountiful, you can always do both. One of the best things about growing your own food is the ability to feed yourself and your family year-round.

Fall Garden Vegetable Side Dishes from David Bancroft

Servings

4

servings
Total time

0

minutes

Ingredients

  • Butter Bean-Orzo Salad

  • 1.5 lbs 1.5 blanched butterbeans

  • 4 4 ears white sweet corn

  • 3 cups 3 cooked orzo (just past al dente)

  • Goat Cheese Dressing

  • 1 cup 1 mayo

  • .5 cup .5 buttermilk

  • .5 cup .5 sour cream

  • ¼ log goat cheese

  • 3 3 minced garlic cloves

  • 1 1 lemon & zest

  • 10 10 basil leaves

  • salt & pepper to taste (about a tsp each)

  • Green Goddess Dressing

  • 1 cup 1 Mayo

  • 1 cup 1 Sour Cream

  • 1 cup 1 Greek yogurt

  • 1 1 lemon and zest

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 diced green onion

  • 1 oz 1 fresh basil

  • 1/2 oz 1/2 fresh tarragon

  • 1 oz 1 fresh parsley

  • 3 3 garlic cloves

  • 1 tsp 1 fresh ground black pepper

  • 1 tsp 1 kosher salt

  • Goat Cheese Butter

  • 1/2 lb 1/2 salted butter, softened

  • 6 oz 6 fresh goat cheese

  • Dash garlic powder

  • 1/4 tsp 1/4 white truffle oil (optional)

  • Hot Honey

  • 1/4 cup 1/4 local honey

  • 1 tbsp 1 favorite hot sauce or sriracha

Directions

  • Butter Bean-Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing
  • Simmer butterbeans in salted water until just tender.
  • Drain butterbeans and allow to cool to room temp.
  • Add all ingredients for dressing to blender.
  • Puree until smooth.
  • Pour dressing over butterbeans, corn, and orzo.
  • Fold and chill.
  • Garnish with some fresh basil and some extra goat cheese crumbles.
  • Add some crispy bacon bits too if you’re feeling fancy!
  • Green Goddess Dressing
  • Add all the ingredients to a blender and puree until very smooth.
  • Make sure to taste for any adjustments to match your preference.
  • Feel free to other favorite herbs or more lemon.
  • Make sure to chill completely before serving.
  • Baked Sweet Potato with Whipped Goat Cheese Butter and Hot Honey
  • Rub 4 medium size sweet potatoes with chopped fresh rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Bake unwrapped at 350° for about 30 minutes or until soft.
  • Allow to cool slightly for easier handling.
  • Add all goat cheese butter ingredients to mixing bowl.
  • Whip butter and chèvre mixture together until smooth.
  • Whisk together hot honey ingredients.
  • Preheat oven to broil.
  • Slice center of soft sweet potato and squeeze ends toward center gently to create a pocket for butter.
  • Spoon a generous portion of goat cheese butter into the center of each potato and place on a non-stick baking sheet or Pyrex dish.
  • Broil until butter begins to toasts and edges of sweet potato begin to char a little.
  • Remove at desired color.
  • Place potato onto dinner plate and drizzle with hot honey.
  • Garnish with fresh dill and oregano and try some za’atar spice or everything bagel spice for fun!

You’ve got these terrific fall vegetable side dishes now, so you can create the ultimate fall feast for your guests or just for you and the family. Either way, we definitely recommend sharing!

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