The Best Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

prep: 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes resting
bake: 8 to 10 minutes

makes about 24 cookies (depending on the size of your cookie cutter!)

you’ll need…

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup superfine sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1 package Wilton Royal Icing mix

1 package Wilton Candy Eyeballs

1 Wilton Icing Color (I used black)

let’s get to it…

Mix the flour, sugar and salt at low speed in a stand-up mixer. Add the butter a piece at a time until the dough looks crumbly. Add the vanilla and cream cheese and mix until the dough forms large clumps.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand once or twice. Cut the dough in half. Form two 4-inch disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator for 30-minutes.

Place oven rack in the center and heat oven to 375°F. Place 1-dough disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out to ⅛-inch thickness. Place on a baking sheet.  Cut into desired shapes about 1-inch apart. Remove excess dough from around cutout cookies and set aside.

Bake for 5 minutes; rotate pan and bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Repeat with second dough disk. Leftover scraps can be mashed together and rolled out to make more cookies. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

decorating the cookies…

Prepare the Wilton Royal Icing mix according to package directions. Decorate with Eyeballs and Icing color, or with whatever candy you have on hand!

Hatch Chile Aïoli with Fried Green Tomatoes

prep: 30 minutes
cook: 30 minutes

makes about 1 cup

for the Hatch Chile Aïoli you’ll need…
2 eggs
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
2 mild Hatch Chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

for the Fried Green Tomatoes you’ll need…
3 firm green tomatoes
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning (or your favorite herb seasoning)
canola oil

let’s get to it…
Place the eggs, garlic, lemon juice and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse to blend. Pour the olive oil into the mixture in a VERY slow stream while pulsing the machine. Pulse until the sauce has thickened and all of the oil has been added.
Spoon the mixture into a bowl and fold in the chopped Hatch Chiles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Slice the tomatoes into ½-inch rings.
Blend the flour and garlic powder in a shallow bowl; set aside. In a separate shallow bowl, beat the egg and salt and set aside. In a third shallow bowl blend together the Panko breadcrumbs and herb seasoning.
Heat enough canola oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet on medium heat.
Dip the tomato slices (one at a time) in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip the tomato into the egg mixture and then into the Panko breadcrumbs to lightly coat.
Fry a few tomatoes at a time for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer. Place cooked tomatoes on a paper-towel lined baking sheet or rack and keep warm. Repeat until all tomatoes are prepared.
Serve warm tomatoes with the Hatch Chile Aïoli.

Cobb Salad inspired by The Hotel Bel Air’s Infamous Salad

prep: 45 minutes
cook: 30 minutes

serves 6

for the salad you’ll need…
1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
3 to 4 tomatoes (depending on size) chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 half red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

for the Herb Vinaigrette you’ll need…
1¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, finely minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon finely minced chives
2 tablespoon finely minced parsley

let’s get to it…
Wash the lettuce before beginning. Tear romaine lettuce in bite size pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
Place the chopped eggs, avocado, tomatoes, chicken, onion, bacon and blue cheese in even rows on top of the salad greens. Refrigerate.
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the chives and parsley and whisk until well blended.
Pour about ½ of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently. Serve remaining vinaigrette with the salad.

Cook’s Tip: Use a blender to make the vinaigrette! Place the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together in a blender container. Blend on High for 30 seconds. Add the chives and parsley and pulse 5 times until mixed.