Sugar Cookies

As party favors for the wedding last weekend, Butthead and her hubby gave out cookie cutters to each guest. As resident Willy Wonka, I received one of just about every cookie cutter. As you could probably guess, I was OVERWHELMED with the urge to roll out some dough and cut it out with my new little friends. Needless to say, each cookie cutter alone is completely random and if you didn't know the bride and groom, you wouldn't understand why there is a hammer or a fleur de lis.

I also really wanted to try my hand at real royal icing, the kind where you outline the shape and then flood it with icing.

Success! I made sugar cookies and had so much fun decorating them! It was fun experimenting with the consistency of the icing to outline and flood each cookie and then go back and add some detail. I got a little impatient with the last step and didn't completely wait for each cookie to dry, but they turned out well anyways! I'm ready for Christmas cookie time now =)

I gave these cookies to one of my roommates to bring to work (she works on the Broadway show Billy Elliot) and they all LOVED them! I got a picture of a cast member partaking of some sugar cookie deliciousness.

Rolled Sugar Cookies
All Recipes

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.


Royal Icing
All Recipes

4 egg whites
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat egg whites in clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened. NOTE: When dry, Royal Icing is very hard and resistant to damage that can occur during shipping/handling.