Valentine Cookies - Better late than never
Valentine Sugar Cookies
I'm late posting this cookie recipe.
I know it.
I can't help it.
There was a whole plethora of things going on this past week.
A planned cake that got rescheduled.
Snow.
The laundry needed done.
The house needed cleaned. No seriously. The dust bunnies were laughing at me from their little hiding spots in all the nooks and crannies. I could hear them!
My hair was a mess.
And there wasn't enough caffeine in my system.
But I managed to buckle down anyways and churn out these pretty darn cute cookies, if I do say so myself. And I do.
Oh, and there was this too.....
I wasn't sure my son was going to school last week at all. Due to wintery conditions he has been out of school for 2 weeks. So when they called Thursday evening telling us they would be going on Friday with a two hour delay I wasn't able to get anything done that night. So we worked on it over the weekend and finally finished on Sunday night.
I packaged them all up and got them tucked securely in his backpack for the morning trek through the snow, up hill, both ways....barefoot! Ok, so he's only got about 40 yards to walk to the bus stop, it's even terrain and he has boots. But I've gotta make him feel guilty for something, otherwise what kind of mother would I be?
Hopefully he'll make a Valentine or two tomorrow. Knowing him, he'll come home with a pocket full of cards!
Sugar Cookie Dough
1 1/2 stick butter - room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring
2 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add in flour and salt and mix untill a ball forms. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 1 hour.
Roll between plastic wrap to about 1/4 of an inch then cut with cutters. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. You should be able to get 8 (4 inch) cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Thicker cookies may take longer so watch them carefully.
Cool for a few minutes then remove from baking sheet to cooling rack.
Decorate as desired.
Royal Icing
Adapted from Bridget350 on Tasty Kitchen
4 Tbsp Meringue Powder
1/2 cup water
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp clear extract (vanilla or almond)
Mix together the meringue powder and water in a mixer until foamy. With mixer on low speed add the powdered sugar in batches of three, mixing well after each addition. Add the extract. Raise speed to high and beat until glossy and thick. The icing should stand at a peak. Divide into bowls and tint, if desired.
This icing is thick and is generally used for piping and detailing. However, if you want to use it for flood icing, add water by the teaspoon full until it is the consistancy of thick syrup.