Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Sugar Cookies

To accompany my recent royal icing post, it only makes sense that I share my sugar cookie recipe next. This is the first sugar cookie recipe I ever tried and I liked it so much I never tried another.  Easy to make, roll, bake. What more could you ask for!  I've made this so many times it's engrained in my brain.



Ingredients

1 cup of softened unsalted butter
1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
3 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 salt

Method

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add the eggs one at a time. Beating each time until just combined
3. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined
4. Add the flour to the bowl
5. Sprinkle baking powder and salt over flour

6. Turn mixer back on, and mix until everything is combined.  Once your mixer can't do anymore, mix with your hands until you have a smooth dough. 
7. Separate dough quarters and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap. You want each quarter to resemble a pancake for easy rolling. 
8. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.  Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Remove one quarter of the chilled dough and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/2cm using a floured rolling pin.  Keep turning the dough as you roll, adding more flour if needed, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter. 
11. Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. 
12. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for a minimum of 15 minutes.  This will help cookies retain their shape while baking.  
13.  The original recipe calls for a bake time of 8-10min.  Personally I've always needed a least 10min and often needed 14min.  It depends on the size of your cookie and your cookie sheet.  For smaller cookies I would start checking at 8 min.  Cookies will be done when edges are just starting to brown. 
14. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. 
15. Once cooled, frost with royal icing

Makes around 20 3.5inch cookies

Tips
-Forgot to take the butter out of the fridge?  Cut up butter into as many cubes as possible. Butter will soften faster this way. You can then toss the butter into the mixer and let it beat for a few minutes (before sugar is added) to further soften it. 
-Crack eggs in a separate bowl before adding to your recipe.  This way if you get any shell it will be easier to remove. 

Blog post coming soon on my favourite tools!  I never knew I could love a rolling pin so much.

Elmo Sugar Cookies

Adapted recipe found from http://www.joyofbaking.com/ChristmasSugarCookies.html 

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