Spiced Sugar Cookie

A Christmas-y twist on the classic sugar cookie.  Loaded with holiday spices, it's a warm and cozy tasting cookie.  It pairs well with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

We enjoy them soft baked and plain, but you're welcome to bake to your preference and top with your favorite royal icing!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup avocado butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp all spice
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs and the extract.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredients until you form a rough dough.
4. Press the dough together into a ball.  Wrap the ball in cling wrap, then press into a disc.
5. Place the disc of dough into the fridge to chill for at least one hour. I typically leave my dough overnight and bake cookies the next day.
6. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F.  Lightly flour the counter before rolling out the cookies.  Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch, press the stamp, then cut the shape.
7. Optional: Chill the cutout cookies on the cookie sheet again in the fridge for about 10 minutes before baking.  This helps the cookies retain their shape and the stamped details.
8. Bake the cookies for about 8-10 minutes for a soft baked finish.  If you prefer a crunchier cookie, I recommend baking about 11 minutes.  Bake time will vary depending on the oven, so make a test cookie first!

Makes about 3 dozen 3" cookies.

Tips:

Keeping your dough cold is super important!  I will often split my dough into two balls and rotate them into the fridge while I'm working to keep them as cool as possible.  If you are working in a hot kitchen or on a hot counter, cookies may need to chill in the fridge longer to keep their shape.

Flour amount can also vary slightly depending on when and where you are baking.  If you find your cookies sticking to the counter or cutters, add a little more flour.  If they are too dry and crumbly, you can add a little oil or a little extra butter to get them back to the correct consistency.

I'm lactose intolerant, so I don't use regular butter in my baking.  The avocado butter I use does come in sticks, so any standard stick butter should substitute just fine.