Sugar Cookies!

I have been watching way too many baking shows. After all is done and I collapse at the end of the day, I watched baking competitions. There are so many kinds of sugar cookies! I've been listening and learning. Add honey. Use a little bit of brown sugar. Make them with some buttermik!

Wow. So many options! This year I've been pressed for time, which makes it a little scary to experiment. After all, I don't want to make two batches if the first one bombs! Fortunately, it didn't. In fact, this will become my go-to recipe for sugar cookies. I love how easy this dough is to work with.

I admit that I left it in the fridge a little bit too long (just over an hour) while I took Baron for his walk. It was quite stiff when I started to roll it out, but when I worked it in my hands a little bit, it became very pliable and absolutely lovely to roll out. Yay! I was terrified that the cookies would melt into blobs in the oven. Surely such a nice cooperative dough would spread. But it didn't! Yay!

And best of all—so far it's getting all thumbs-up for flavor.

Krista's New Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

2 3/4 cup flour + more for rolling out
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup softened unsalted butter (soften at room temp, not in microwave)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg
1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional: powdered sugar*

Soften butter at room temperature and bring eggs to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugars well. Beat in the egg and the egg yolk. Add the vanilla. Add the flour mixture slowly while beating. The dough will be thick but feel soft. Beat only until it's well mixed. Do not keep beating!

Divide in half. Pat it flat and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes before rolling out. Flour your rolling pin and board lightly with flour or *powdered sugar. Cut out the cookies and place on the parchment paper to bake.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Note: the thicker your cookies, the more time they will need to bake. Thin cookies may need less than 10 minutes.

Sugar Cookie Icing

2 cups powdered sugar, plus extra
3 tablespoons milk, plus extra
1 teaspoon vanilla
warm water (1-2 teaspoons as necessary)
sugar pearls, nonpareils, sprinkles, colored sugar

Material

Wilton number 2 tip
Condiment dispenser bottle or Wilton number 4 tip
tweesers
toothpick or bamboo skewer
1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon

Step One

The objective is to make two thicknesses of the same icing. One will be used to outline the cookie and the other will be used to flood the top of the cookie.

Place the powdered sugar in the mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons milk. Mix. Add one more tablespoon of milk. It should now be almost usable. If it's too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon warm water and mix. It should hold its shape but be soft enough to push through the number 2 tip. Fit a disposable icing bag with the number 2 tip and add a little of the icing. If you find it's too thick to push through comfortably, add drops of the water and mix again.

The best thing to do is experiment a little first. I found it easiest to hold the tip about 1/2 inch above the cookie. The tiny thread of icing will follow. If you mess up, don't worry, You can wipe it off with a paper towel and start over.

When finished, set aside to dry for a short time before going to the second step.

Step Two

If you need more icing than is left, add another cup of powdered sugar. Either way, add another tablespoon of milk to the icing in the bowl. Mix and add 1/2 teaspoon of warm water at a time, mixing after each addition. After several attempts, I can tell you that it's easiest if the icing consistency is a little runny. I found it easier to use a squeeze bottle than a tip for this step. Fill the bottle or the pastry bag fitted with number 4 tip. Follow the general shape of the cookie as you flood it.

Tip! Place an egg in warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes to warm it up!

Thick but very pliable.

Pat into a thick round.

Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate.

Bake on parchment paper.

Cool on a rack.