Sugar Cookies

For Valentine's Day, I made my first batch of sugar cookies from scratch. I wanted to make my own royal icing, but could find the meringue powder, so I just used Betty Crocker icing. I found out later, Wilton makes the meringue powder. You need this powder in order for the icing to harden.


Basic Vanilla Sugar Cookie
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and combine until egg is completely incorporated. Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until no trace of dry ingredients remain.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Royal Icing

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup meringue powder

1/4 cup water

gel food coloring

Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder in bowl of stand mixer until well combined. Slowly add water and mix until you get the consistency you want*. Add food coloring to achieve your desired color.

For outlining: consistency should be like glue paste

For flooding: add enough water so that the consistency is pretty runny

* Note: Royal Icing is extremely forgiving. If you find you've added too much water and the icing is too runny, just add more powdered sugar. Vice versa if your icing is too thick.

Recipe courtesy of http://treats-sf.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentine-cookies.html