SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING
This recipe for sugar cookies is perfect to make your cutout cookies. They bake into melt-in-your-mouth, soft to bite but firm enough to cut-out and then get covered in a sweet and slightly crispy icing sugar topping. This super-easy recipe turns out perfect every time and are eaten up pretty quickly in my house. When the kids were younger we would make pumpkin, black cats and ghost cookies for Halloween, for Valentine's day we make all different heart cookies, and year round we use every cookie cutter imaginable to make fun cookies on indoor, snowy or rainy days.
You can double the recipe and freeze the dough in smaller balls wrapped in cling wrap and store for up to 6 months. Simply remove dough from freezer the night before and defrost at room temperature.
For the cookies
3 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine.
In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add dry mixture to butter mixture gradually mixing until incorporated well.
On a piece of parchment paper, roll mixture into a ball and with a rolling pin, roll into 1/8" thick disk. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Once dough is chilled and ready to be cut-out, preheat oven to 350F.
Cut dough into desired shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely before icing.
For Royal Icing
2 cups confectioner's icing sugar
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp water
gel food colouring, if desired
In a large bowl, combine sugar, egg white and water. Mix until the icing reaches a smooth, thick consistency. Add colouring at this point to desired colour. Add a tiny bit of water, being careful not to add too much if the icing becomes too thick
