I have always loved making sugar cookies, and the most fun of course is getting to decorate them afterwards. After trying many many recipes over the years, I’ve modified enough of them to create my own perfect sugar cookie recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!
Cookies:
What you need:
1 cup butter (real butter works best)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 tsp vanilla
1 tsp butter extract
1/2 block cream cheese
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese together until smooth
2. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and butter extract
3. Add the flour (slowly), baking powder, salt and powdered sugar. Mix on medium until smooth.
4. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6. Roll dough onto flat surface (I have a pastry mat to roll it out on which I dust with powdered sugar. I also dust the rolling pin so the dough doesn’t stick to it) and use cookie cutters to cut shapes out.
7. Line cut out shapes onto a greased cookie sheet (or better yet onto a non-stick silicone mat on a cooking sheet).
8. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. (all ovens are different so continue to check for your first batch)
Royal Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp meringue powder
5 tbsp warm water
Directions:
1. Mix on low until it looks matte (about 7-10 minutes)
2. Divide out the icing into small bowls and add desired food coloring (I find the Wilton gel colors work best and they last a long time)
3. If the icing is too thick, add a small amount of water.
4. Add icing to piping bag and using tip #3, pipe an outline around your cookies. Let dry
5. Once all your outlines are done, add some more water to your icing until the icing drips off a spoon. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or plastic bag with a small hole cut out of the corner. Use this to fill the remainder of the cookie in.
