Frosted Cutout Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
These cutout cookies with fresh milled flour are a delicious sweet cookie treat for every holiday. They are also super easy and don’t require any time in the fridge before baking.
Each year I make frosted cutout cookies for Christmas. December just wouldn’t be the same without them. I have the very best cookie decorators/sprinkle artists in the entire world, as you can see above.
Also, these cookies are Santa approved!
Sifting:
When I first started milling my own flour I was determined to keep the entire wheat berry intact and not sift out any bran and germ. I discovered that I missed the regular flour texture in cake and some cookies. I use these sifting screens to create the desired texture. The biggest one, 40 mesh, is perfect for these cutout cookies with fresh milled flour. Store the bran and germ that you sift out in the fridge or freezer for up to a week and add it to your next bread recipe.
Frosting:
If you’re just going to spread on some frosting, this recipe will likely make more than you need for 30 cookies. If you intend to make multiple colors and pipe on the frosting, this recipe makes the perfect amount of frosting to decorate all the cookies.
My brother-in-law prefers unfrosted cookies and has a great method for adding colored sugar to cookies. Bake the cookies for 7ish minutes then take them out of the oven and sprinkle on colored sugar. Return the trays of cookies to the oven to finish baking. That is a great alternative to frosting and looks quite festive.
I’m sure you could also use royal icing. I never have and don’t have a recipe for it, but it’s definitely an option for these cookies.
Decorating:
I prefer to make 5 different colors and use different piping tips. For all the green on the Christmas trees I used leaf tip #352 and piped it different ways to vary tree textures.
To fill piping bags, bend over the tip end and place it into the bottom of a cup. Then fold the sides over the cup and add frosting.
Cutout Cookies with Fresh Milled Flour
Ingredients
- 350 grams soft white wheat sifted to remove larger pieces
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter 170 grams, room temperature
- 1 ounce cream cheese room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 grams
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting on parchment paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two light colored cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- Mill the wheat berries into a medium bowl. Add the baking powder and salt, whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter and cream cheese and beat for 1 minute. Next, add granulated sugar, beat on medium until lightened in color 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl a couple times. Add the egg and both extracts and beat on low until combined, then beat on medium until mixed well. Add the flour mixture and mix on the lowest setting just until incorporated.
- On a surface dusted lightly with powdered sugar, roll out to desired cookie thickness, 1/4 inch. Cut out shapes and place an inch apart on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cutout Cookie Frosting
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoon butter 170 grams
- 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar 487 grams
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or half and half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Gel food coloring
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter for one minute, add the powdered sugar in two additions, alternating with 1 tablespoon of milk. Mix on medium between each addition. Add the extracts and mix well. Check the consistency to see if you need more milk, you'll likely use closer to 4 tablespoons of milk total. Once everything is mixed well, add in gel food coloring.