Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 12:01Valentine’s Day always provides a good excuse for baking. So this year, I made a bunch of sugar cookies. I’ll be the first to admit that sugar cookies are not my forte. They have either been too thin, too dense, too flavorless, or the icing is just not right. So this time, I set out on a mission to find the perfect sugar cookies recipe and the perfect icing with which to top it.
Recipe:
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened to room temp, but not melted
- 2 cups white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
In large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Then, add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time until the dough has formed.
Chill the dough at least an hour, or overnight. Personally, I find that the longer it is chilled, the better the flavor.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Layout parchment paper, and dust lightly with powdered (confectioners’) sugar. Roll out the dough on top of the parchment.
Then, using your heart-shaped cookie cutter (or whatever cookie cutter you desire), cut out cookies. Then casually pull the scrap dough away from the cut-outs. This part is easy when you roll it out on the parchment. Not only do you avoid the edges of the cookies getting all wonky when you transfer them to the pan, you have a great non-stick surface without any extra oils.
Cut out the cookies right on the parchment
Bake for about 6 – 8 minutes, then let the cookies cool completely before you even attempt to frost them.
Icing:
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 4-6 teaspoons milk
- 4 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- assorted food coloring
>Combine everything and mix until the icing is shiny and glossy. Then divide into different bowls and color (I prefer paste colors or gel colors to liquid food coloring) as you desire.
Mix up the icing
To make a nicely decorated cookie, begin by tracing the outside of the cookie, creating a sort of “dam” along the edge.
Start on the edge, then fill in
Then, fill in the rest of the cookie with some icing. Spread it around, closing in the gaps with a toothpick.
- Filled-in cookie
Ready to go!
Nat says:
February 10th, 2010 at
These do look really easy and yummy.
Annalise says:
February 10th, 2010 at
Thanks, Nat! I will try to make some for next week for y’all!
Jennifer says:
February 11th, 2010 at
Excellent tip on rolling the dough out over the parchment paper, then peeling away the scraps, to prevent wonky edges! I never thought of that — and it seems so simple, I’m feeling ‘duh’ at not having thought of it. *laugh* Will try it next time!! (Good excuse to make cookies soon, too, yay!)
Annalise says:
February 12th, 2010 at
Thanks, Jennifer! I had the same feeling when I tried it first, too. One of those moments where you think about all the hassle you could have saved if you had only started doing it earlier!
And, you can reuse the parchment, too. So when one pan is cooking, I roll out the next on the previously used parchment.
Lindsey in Alabama says:
February 17th, 2010 at
Annalise, I discovered your blog this year while searching google for homemade bread recipes. I know nothing about cooking from scratch and have been terrified of yeast (what was I so afraid of, anyway?) but your posts made bread-making look like an easy process. I haven’t tried this particular recipe (we made sugar cookies the DAY BEFORE this was published–wish you had been reading my mind earlier) but my step daughter and I have made the dinner rolls from scratch step-by-step from your awesome tutorial. My sweet girl is 10 and shares my love for cooking. For years now we’ve been hosting our very own (and very pretend) cooking show from our kitchen, walking our “viewers” through the experience. It has served as a great way for the two of us to bond and has helped to build in her a sense of pride and accomplishment. I say all that to say this: this year, you (and your blog) have already played a large part in our family bonding. We have taken on some exciting tasks, and have been pleasantly pleased by the results. No words could describe the deliciousnessthat exists in the dinner roll recipe–and thanks to your video tutorials we were able to form them perfectly! Thank-you for taking the time to share your recipes, tips, techniques, and all the things you love and hate about certain recipes. You have helped to educate us both and have explained recipes in a way that a 10 year-old can follow with no problems! It must be time-consuming and difficult to take pictures and videos throughout the recipe process, but rest assured that all your hard work is very much appreciated. We can’t wait to see what you come up with next, and I look forward to featuring more of your recipes on the Holt Family Cooking Show!
Annalise says:
February 18th, 2010 at
Lindsey,
Thank you so much for your kind words! You have no idea how big the smile is on my face right now. I appreciate the gratitude more than I can say. You and your stepdaughter are exactly who and why this blog was created. Please do keep reading and I’d love to see how some of your versions of my recipes have turned out!
Many thanks and have a lovely day!