The season of fall is finally here, and there is no better way to welcome it than by making festive cookies.

Cookies are an easy treat to make, and an even better one to enjoy. They are the perfect treat to please any crowd, or to save for yourself. There are a wide variety of cookies to make in the culinary world, but sometimes sticking to the basics works the best. With a simple recipe, and a few tips on decorating cookies, you can make bakery worthy cookies in your own kitchen! Let’s get baking.

For the sugar cookies:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ of a cup of butter
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Begin by creaming the butter either by hand or with an electric mixer.
3. Add in the egg and sugar, and mix until well combined.
4. Add in the milk, vanilla, baking powder, and salt.
5. Once all ingredients are in, add in the flour in ½ cup intervals for easier mixing.
6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and cut out cookies with festive cookie cutters.
7. Place in oven for 7-8 minutes, or until the edges are firm. (Times will vary depending on size of the cookie).
8. Cool for at least 30 minutes before attempting to frost the cookies.

Instead of frosting the cookies, dippping half of the cookie in melted chocolate works just as well, if not better. To make the melted chocolate, use 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of either butter or vegetable oil. To melt these ingredients, there are two options.

The first option would be to use a double boiler which is where there is a pot of boiling water and a heat-safe bowl on top with the ingredients in it. For this method, nothing should be in the pot, only in the bowl above the pot. If you choose this method, all you have to do is stir the chocolate mixture constantly until it is completely melted. Then, remove it from the heat, and it is ready to dip the cookies in.

For a slightly easier approach, you can place the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave the mixture in 15 second intervals. After each interval, stir the chocolate mixture until it is completely melted.

Now, dip each cookie halfway in the chocolate and place the cookies on a parchment lined sheet so that they won’t stick to the pan. After this, add any festive sprinkles to enhance the look (and taste) of the cookies. Leave the cookies on the parchment until the chocolate has dried. Now you are ready to enjoy your very own festive cookies!

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Maggie Murphy

Preparing the dough