Celebrate Celebrations
There are just certain foods you expect at every family gathering, am I right? Certain standby recipes, if you will. At Thanksgiving there will always be turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie. At Christmas there will always be ham and homemade candy. I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.
In my family, something we have always come to expect is my sister’s Dot Cookies. My sister is the baker in our family. I love to cook but baking is just not my thing. The taste is always there but the presentation, not so much! Oops!
Dot Cookies are tiny sugar cookies with just a “dot” of icing on top and are just the perfect size to pop in your mouth and eat! Or, if you are my niece Paycen, you lick the icing off and give the cookie to your Aunt Ricci to eat. HA!
I believe the Dot Cookies came about when my aunt worked at a local bakery that made them. She started making them for our family get-togethers and then my sister started making them when my aunt didn’t want to any more.
The recipe has been tweaked a few times throughout the years but I love them no matter how they are made, HA!
I think these cookies are just adorable and I love these cookies are completely customizable in that you can make the icing whatever color you want to match your event. These cookies are perfect for holidays, birthday parties, baby showers, wedding showers, potlucks, really just whatever! They also travel well which is always a plus in my book!
While they may be a little time consuming, only in that they have to chill for a few hours, I think Dot Cookies are the perfect addition to any celebration!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon cear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups sifted powdered sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar together in mixer.
- Add egg, vanilla, and extract and beat well.
- Sift all dry ingredients and slowly add a little at a time to butter/sugar mixture
- When all is incorporated together well, wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours
- Roll out on floured surface and cut with cookie cutter
- Bake at 375 until light brown
- Tip: Don’t over bake or they will be hard, not soft sugar cookies
- Beat shortening until fluffy
- Add vanilla and almond extracts
- Slowly add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time
- Tip: If icing becomes too thick while mixing add a little milk. After all powdered sugar is in add more milk to thin to spreading consistency.
I love this story! Makes me want to make them, Ricci! Bite-sized? Sign me up.
They are so addicting because they are bit size…I just keep eating them!! HAHAHA!!
I needed this recipe last month!!! I was trying to make cookies that looked like snowballs…used royal icing and sprinkled sugar glitter on, but it just wasn’t quite right. THIS would have been perfect.
Next year! 🙂
Yes!!!
Love bite-size concept and that it’s a family recipe. I saved your recipe and will make them. Thank you!
You’re welcome!!
Love this! I love the story, the cookies and the festive colors … but what really thrills me is the recipe. Many years ago I had a sugar cookie recipe with cream of tartar, and I lost it. I finally gave up on it but never forgot that it was the best sugar cookie recipe I’d ever used. I’m not sure whether it was because of the cream of tartar — I just know that’s what made the recipe different from others I’d tried.
Totally saving this one. Thanks, Ricci! (And if I were eating them, I wouldn’t lick off the icing and hand the cookie back. Gotta stuff that whole thing in my mouth!)
I think it’s a mix of the Cream of Tartar and Almond Extract, YUM!!
So when you say your aunt worked at the local bakery, does this mean this is the recipe for a famous dot cookie we have in town?????
Yes she did!! YUM!!
Do you think she’d share the cake and fruit bar recipes?!!
If so I would LOVE to have the cake recipe!!