In modern history it is hard to imagine a year more reviled and collectively hated than 2020. But, from Tiger King (remember that?) to halloween candy shoots there were some bright spots on a year that can only be described at best as a moldy piece of home baked sourdough bread.
So, even if the party to say bye to this “dumpster fire” of a year is small and at home, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be sweet. Cookies are in order! These are based on my favorite party of NYE, bubbly drinks! The template is below, no cookie cutters are needed for these hefty cookies! I would stick with Alton’s Sugar Cookie recipe for these guys, and make sure to keep them in long enough- other recipes and shorter bake times might be too fragile. These New Years Eve cookies are hand cut, and the template is here. If you are doing the secret compartment, just cut out too label rectangles and hollow one out (see photo below).
And, you know what makes every “at home, apart from other people” celebration better than blah? Pop rocks. I had left over popping candy from Ireland (where they sell it in the baking section, like sprinkles. Add that to the list of things America needs to make happen!) that I used sparingly for these cookies (inside the secret compartment behind the champagne bottle label and on the top of the glass of bubbly). But I would more generously fill the champagne bottle’s secret compartment with pop rocks, if this hadn’t been 2020 where trips to the grocery store have to be justified with buy at least a few days’ worth of stuff. Speaking of grocery store trips, on the way home from Safeway, I heard a great story on NPR about getting through the pandemic. And the people who are getting by the best aren’t just the ones married to Jason Momoa (although I feel like that would help) but actually the ones finding activities that give them flow- or doing things that take a lot of concentration and that are interesting enough that you actually want to do them. I would highly recommend decorating cookies as a perfect flow activity! Just grab some tipless piping bags, follow these recipes and find your flow! So, here’s to a year that’s been what it has been (the actual motto for 2020 is “it is what it is”) , and hopefully 2021 will be better! If not, at least you will have some cute cookies out of it! Happy New Year!
royal icing
Ingredients
- 6 c confectioners sugar sifted!
- 3/4 c water
- 1/3 c meringue powder
Instructions
- with mixer on low, drizzle water over confectioners sugar
- mix on low for about 7 minutes, do not put mixer any higher than low or you get loads of air bubbles
- add coloring as needed, if you want thicker frosting, add more sifted confectioner sugar in 1/4 c increments
alton brown's sugar cookie
Ingredients
- 3 c flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 c butter softened
- 1 c sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbs milk
- powdered sugar for rolling out dough, or flour
Instructions
- sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
- with stand mixer, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy
- add egg and milk and combine
- add in flour, mixing on low. beat until mixture pulls from side of bowl
- make 2 disks of dough, place in plastic bag and put in fridge for at least 2 hours (longer is better, so egg protein has a chance to spread)
- pre heat oven to 375
- powder rolling surface or parchment paper with powdered sugar and roll out dough about 1/4'' thick. you can either pull dough away from cutter and leave shape on parchment paper or transfer the shape to another sheet of parchment paper using a spachula.
- place parchment paper on cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 mintues
Being the sentimental hoarder that I am, I love a good year in review worksheet for the kids in my life. I pack these away with the Christmas stuff, so each year we can see and remember what the year before held. Here is one for 2020, add your own notes about toilet paper shortages and face masks! We also do some long jumps, high jumps and other feats of strength each New Year’s Eve to see how much stronger they have gotten, because, you know, boys. That data can also be recorded on the year in review sheet so they can beat their best the next year. Moms can keep track of how long they can go before popping the sparkling wine. Everyone is a winner!