Recipe | Easter Sugar Cookies

Happy Monday!

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay-cation spring break.

Now it's back to school for the boys and time for me to start thinking about summer plans.

This morning is Charlie's only day of nursery school for the week.

I sent him off with something sweet for his classmates and teachers

to wish them a Happy Easter.

Sugar Cookies!

I finally have a recipe that I love, thanks to another preschool mom who

made them for Charlie's class on Valentines Day.

{thank you, Kate!!}

I've made numerous sugar cookies since Andrew was born.

While I am more of a brownie or chocolate chip cookie lover, 

I can't deny that there is something about childhood and cut-out cookies, 

they just go together. So, since my very first Christmas as a mother, 

I began what turned out to be a nine year quest to find the ultimate sugar cookie. 

I was determined to find a recipe my boys would fondly remember when they are grown.  

And I do declare this to be it...

 

Sugar Cookies
1 c unsalted butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract {optional}
3 c flour

Cream butter + cream cheese until fluffy, add sugar and mix. Add egg, salt, vanilla + almond extract; mix well. Add flour. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Let sit on counter for 5-10 min before rolling out.  Roll on a well floured surface, be liberal with the flour so the dough doesn't stick. Roll to 1/4 inch for a softer cookie, roll to 1/8 inch for a crispier cookie.  Cook at 375 degrees on parchment lined baking sheets for 10-13 minutes until edges are just golden.  I do not recommend using a convection oven setting for sugar cookies, it changes the texture.

Royal Icing

3 egg whites
4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
water or fresh lemon juice

Combine egg whites + powdered sugar + vanilla in mixer with the paddle attachment.  Whip until thick.
I use the thick consistency to outline the cookies.  Then I add a splash of water or lemon juice {and whip again} to thin the icing to flooding consistency for the inside of the cookie.

{If you are concerned about using raw egg whites you can add 5 TBS meringue powder to 1 pound of powdered sugar.}

This icing dries matte and hard, quickly.  I typically use disposable pastry bags with the tip cut off.  I'm not an expert decorator, at all.  Actually, looking at my pictures I'm noticing lots of room for improvement! :)  If you want to get better techniques and step by step instructions to working with royal icing, click this for an awesome tutorial.

I use the blunt edge of a small bamboo skewer or a toothpick to gently spread the flooded icing.

My friend said she gently shakes the cookie to spread the icing, so there are many ways to do it.