Sugar Cookies that keep their form when baked!

 I've always just used my favorite sugar cookie recipe when making them for holidays and wanting to ice them....well they look like blobs and definitely don't keep their shape.  A neighbor shared this recipe with me and it WORKS!  HOWEVER....you must read all the tips to get it to work.  I was skeptical at first when making it but it came together!  It's a must try!  I found the recipe on Our Best Bites HERE.

Ingredients

1 cup real butter  at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
3 cups flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled (don’t scoop!)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Note:  We recommend a stand mixer for this recipe. If you use a hand mixer, be patient.  It will take SEVERAL minutes to get the dough to combine but can be done!

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. A very important note: It’s important to correctly measure your flour or you will end up with a dry, crumbly dough. Don’t use your measuring cup to scoop up the flour. Use a regular sized spoon and spoon the flour into the cup and then level it off with a knife.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.  Your dough will first look crumbly, but keep mixing with a stand mixer and it will quickly turn into a soft cohesive dough.

Refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 350 F, then roll out and cut shapes or use our preferred method:

Gather half of your dough and form into a large ball.  Place on a silicone baking mat (or a large piece of plastic wrap) and press down gently.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of your dough and then roll on top of the parchment into an even layer about 1/4 inch thick, or thicker if you desire thick cookies.  Pick up your silicone mat and flip the entire thing over.  Peel off silicone baking mat so you are left with your sheet of parchment with your rolled dough on top.  Place this parchment-lined dough on a baking sheet and place in the fridge or freezer.  Repeat with remaining dough.  (See recipe tutorial for photos of this process.)  Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or pop in the freezer for about 10.

Remove chilled dough, cut into shapes and bake for 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your cookies.  Baking time is a personal preference.  Watch for the edges and tops to be set. If you like your cookies crisp on the edges, roll them thinner and bake until just golden brown.  If you want thick, soft cookies, remove from oven before you see golden brown.

TIPS:

1. Use the best ingredients.  This means real butter, at room temperature.  A great way to get your butter to room temperature quickly is to cut it into small chunks and leave it sitting out on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
2. Cream your Butter and Sugar for the best sugar cookies.  Start by beating your real butter and sugar and continue creaming for a full 2 minutes or so.  Your mixture will turn light and creamy in texture.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
3. Carefully Measure Dry Ingredients for the Best Sugar Cookies.  When baking in general, it’s important to carefully measure dry ingredients (especially flour) but in this recipe it’s particularly important.  Use a spoon to lightly scoop flour into your measuring cup and then level with a knife, as opposed to scooping your flour with your measuring cup which often leads to packing too much in there.
4. Use a Stand Mixer (if you have one) for the Best Sugar Cookie Recipe.  You can absolutely make these cookies with a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer, definitely use it.  After your dry ingredients are added, the dough will usually first look a little dry and crumbly but they will absolutely come together quickly into a soft, cohesive dough.  It takes a little more time with a hand mixer, but a stand mixer will whip it up in a hurry!
5. How to Easily Roll Sugar Cookie Dough with no Additional Flour.  One of the problems with dusting your surface with flour before rolling cookies, is that you add a bunch of extra flour to your dough.  Try to handle it as little as possible.  Here is the best method to do that.  Start by taking half of your dough and forming it into a rough ball and then flattening a little onto a silicone baking mat.  If you don’t have a silicone baking mat, you can use parchment or plastic wrap but they tend to slide around the counter so it just takes a little more effort. Then place a piece of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) over your dough and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough between the baking mat and the parchment. This makes it so you can easily roll the dough with no flour needed, and nothing sticks to anything.

Chicken Pillows with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

 My neighbor made these for my family a little bit ago and EVERYONE loved that.  That is very unusual!  So of course I needed the recipe!  It is found on Mel's Kitchen Café HERE.  

INGREDIENTS

FILLING:

•  4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 – 3 pounds)
•  2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
•  1 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1 teaspoon salt

ROLLS AND COATING:

•  1 batch buttery crescent rolls
•  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
•  2 cups panko bread crumbs
•  1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

PARMESAN SAUCE:

•  3 tablespoons butter
•  3 tablespoons flour
•  1 chicken bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
•  1 1/2 cups milk
•  3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
•  1 cup sour cream, light or regular

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To begin, cook the chicken (or use already cooked, shredded chicken). My preferred method is to put the chicken breasts in 2 cups chicken broth seasoned with salt and pepper in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. When the chicken is cooked and cooled slightly, shred or cut into small pieces. In a medium bowl combine the chicken, cream cheese, garlic powder and salt and mix until well combined. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Make the buttery crescent rolls according to the recipe but after the first rise, deflate the dough and separate into two pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a 13X20-inch rectangle and cut each rectangle into 12 pieces (cutting lengthwise in half and then each half into six pieces). One by one, flatten each dough piece slightly and spoon about 1/4 cup of the chicken/cream cheese mixture into the center. Fold up all the sides and pinch them together to seal well.
3. When all the chicken pillows have been formed, combine the panko crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl or flat dish (like a pie plate). One by one, dip each chicken pillow in the melted butter and roll in the panko/Parmesan mixture. Place seam side down about 2 inches apart on baking trays lined with parchment paper, a silpat liner or lightly greased.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken pillows are lightly golden brown and the dough is baked through.
5. While the rolls are baking, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour, cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden and bubbly. Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper once the milk has been completely added. Stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce thickens and bubbles, about 5-10 minutes, taking care to adjust the heat accordingly so the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cook, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the sour cream. Thin the sauce with a little milk if needed.
6. Serve the rolls warm from the oven with Parmesan cream sauce drizzled over the top.