Heather says:
It’s time for the age old Christmas classic, sugar cookies. I will be honest, royal icing is way too sweet for this salt loving gal, but it is indispensable for its gorgeous sheen. If you are not scared of a mess, let the kids get in on the decorating. There are tons of new items available in the cake decorating section of your grocery store that will work just fine with these sugar cookies.
Sugar Cookies:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Directions after the jump.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. This may take about three or four minutes. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the eggs, one at a time.
Mix until well combined.
Gently stir in the flour.
Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom.
The dough will be very thick, but quite soft.
Divide the dough in half, flatten into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for an hour, until firm.
Roll out to 1/4″ thick and cut with a floured cookie cutter. Mine is a top-of-the-line, cutting edge jar band. A glass will do just fine.
Place on a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 5-10min to prevent the dough from spreading during baking.
Bake at 350F for 8 – 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.
Cool on the baking sheet for five minutes and then gently transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cool completely before frosting.
Royal Icing
- 2 egg whites
- 3 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla*
*optional and do not use if you want the icing to remain pure white
Whip the egg whites and slowly add the the sugar, scraping the sides with a spatula. Whip until smooth. Stir in food coloring. Cover tightly with plastic wrap as this frosting hardens when exposed to air.
Store cookies in an airtight container and separate with wax paper if cookies are frosted.
