These cookies are a labor of love, but they are beautiful, delicious and well worth the time and energy invested.
First, gather all your yummy cookie ingredients. . .
Then enlist the help of a well-qualified (and adorable) sous-chef.
When the dough is finished, roll it out between two pieces of parchment, using 1/4 inch square dowels as a guide.
Once rolled out, freeze the dough for 15-20 minutes to allow it to firm up.
After freezing, cut into desired shapes.
And bake! You can re-use the parchment paper that you used for rolling.
When the cookies and frosting are ready, invite some friends over to decorate to their little hearts' content!
Put out cookies, piping and flooding frosting in several colors, sprinkles, toothpicks, and anything else you think might be fun. It is also not a bad idea to have lots of wine!
Sprinkles!
The finished product!
Sugar Cookie Recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart)
4 C. sifted all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 C. butter, room temperature
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla (I like mexican vanilla)
1 T. water
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, set aside. In bowl of standing mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and water to standing mixer and stir until just combined. Add flour mixture slowly.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Divide finished dough into 2-3 portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper until it is 1/4 inch thick. I like to place 1/4 inch wooden dowels on either side of the dough as a guide for the rolling pin so that the dough is uniform. Once the sheets of dough are rolled out, pop them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up. Then, take them out and cut into desired shapes. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet (you can re-use the parchment you used for rolling out the dough) for 15-18 minutes. Re-roll scraps in the same way.
Simple Royal Icing
4 C. powdered Sugar
3 T. Meringue powder (you can find this at Hobby Lobby or any craft store in the baking section)
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2-3/4 C. warm water
gel food coloring, or white food coloring if you want white icing
Add powdered sugar and meringue powder to bowl of standing mixer, and stir gently with a spoon to combine. Add extract and water and beat on medium high for a few minutes until well combined and glossy. Add food coloring a little at a time to achieve desired color. Add more water (only a tiny bit at a time) or sugar as needed to get the right consistency. You want a thicker icing for piping (think toothpaste), and a thinner icing for flooding (think elmer's glue). I usually make the thick icing first, pour 1/2 of it in the piping bag, and then thin the remaining 1/2 out for the flood icing so that the colors match. One icing recipe makes enough to cover about 3-4 dozen medium sized cookies.
