Sugar Cookies

I found a great snowflake cookie cutter and just had to throw in the sugar cookie for Christmas Cookie Week.  I decided you have to be very patient to make decorated cookies and I am not the most patient person so this was a bit of a challenge for me.  I have learned two things that are important when you make sugar cookies, and that is to never roll the dough out to thin and under baking is best if you want a soft cookie.  I do love how the icing makes itself pretty if you just wait a minute for it to smooth itself out.  This icing also gets hard when it dries so you can stack the cookies.  These are best made a day ahead so. The frosting hardens up yet soft when you bite into it. I don't know the flavors just meld together and they taste less sweet, if that makes sense. This is a new recipe I tried from Taste and Tell and I really liked it. It will be my go to sugar cookie.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla and blend.
Add the salt, baking powder, vanilla and flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is soft, but not sticky.

*The wonderful thing about this dough is that it doesn't have to be refrigerated first.  I did use a little flour when I rolled it out and it made all the difference in the world because my dough was still a little sticky. The flour won't hurt the cookie and you can ball it up and re roll if you have too.

Roll out (1/4 inch thick) and cut into shapes.  I have the rubber rings for my rolling pin to measure the thickness. Makes all the difference. 

Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees. (yep, 8 min. worked for me even though they looked not quite done, they are done.) If you bake them to long they will end up getting hard.  Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before moving them to cooling rack.

Decorating Icing

2 3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat all ingredients well.  If you want your icing thinner just add one teaspoon of water at a time until desired consistency and the icing flows a little.  Practice makes perfect.