Cut-Out Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you all have someone special to share the day with: a significant other or a best friend or your family.  Have fun today!

One of my friends asked me if I would do some high-heel shoe sugar cookies for an event she was in charge of & even though I hate cut-out sugar cookies for a reason (read why HERE) I said that would be fine.  I wanted to try my hand at royal icing again because it has been like 7 months since I last tried it.  These cookies weren't that bad actually.  The dough was easy to work with & it didn't look awful re-rolled.  They are actually quite soft & a perfect base for a sugar cookie.  I tried a different royal icing this time, but it still made a TON of icing.  Maybe third time is a charm & I will realize I need to like half the recipe, even if I am icing like 90 cookies.

Anyway, if you want a soft sugar cookie that holds it's shape this is great.  If you want to give royal icing a go, this recipe was super easy to whip up.  I am still figuring out how to thin it (for different consistencies), and I think I am going to go buy clear plastic bottles next time & give that a go instead of my pastry bags.  I think it might be easier & I won't have icing pooping out the top of my bag (even when there is a rubber band on it.)  

Okay, enough talk...check out the cute shoes!  I think they turned out fairly nice.  Sadly, I hit my groove & picked up the pace on the last tray I was decorating, but now I know what works best & will give you my tips so you can have success!
 

Cut-Out Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Recipe from The Yummy Life & re-written by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 5 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt.  Set aside.
2. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy.  Add sour cream, eggs & vanilla until combined.  Scrape bowl.  
3. Gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.  Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap; flatten dough, wrap tightly & refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. (Tip: Dough may be made to this point & refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
4. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
5. Generously flour work surface & rolling pin.  Unwrap one of the chilled pieces of cookie dough, place on floured surface & sprinkle extra flour on top.  Starting at the center, roll the dough out until about 1/4" thick, sprinkling with additional flour if needed, to avoid sticking.  Dip cookie cutter in flour & cut out dough shapes.  Transfer cut-out cookies to baking sheets.  
6. Bake 8-10 minutes until just done; before they brown on the bottom.  Do NOT over-bake if you want a soft cookie.  Allow cookies to cool on a baking rack. (Tip: cooled, unfrosted cookies, may be stacked in a sealed container & stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

Makes 5-7 dozen cookies depending on size.

Royal Icing

Recipe lightly altered from Bee In our Bonnet by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

*HALF this recipe if decorating the full recipe of cookies above.

• 1 cup water
• 6 Tbsp meringue powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want white icing)
• 2 lb bag of powdered sugar

1. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the water & meringue powder until it is incorporated & slightly foamy.
2. Add extracts & mix for a few seconds.
3. Add the whole bag of powdered sugar.  Mix on low until incorporated, then on high for a few minutes.  It will become fairly stiff, & look smooth, glossy & leave peaks/ripples in the bowl where the paddle passes through the icing.

*Use the icing AS IS for piping, details, or words.

**Divide icing into separate bowls for different colors.  COVER unused BOWL(s) with a damp dish towel while not in use.  Mix in color until desired shade is achieved.

***Thin icing using 1 tsp of water at a time until desired consistency. (For more information about consistencies go HERE.)  

****Use clear pastry bags with rubber bands on the ends to help keep icing moist.  Also, place unused pastry bags into a cup with a damp paper towel on the bottom to keep the tip from drying out when not in use.

Have fun decorating!

• For these shoe cookies I used a Wilton #3 tip for the white, pink & purple.  I had colored & thinned my purple & pink icing to help it spread, but not so thin it falls off the cookie (which it did a little if I got too close to the edge.)
• I piped the border, did a zig-zag with the icing to fill in the cookie & used my finger to help spread the icing if it didn't quite fill on it's own.  Technically I should have had two different bags for this part:
• The icing as stiff as it is when it's made (no thinning) for the edges
• The thinner icing to fill the center
• You may also use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that form.  I did have a few bubbles in my icing that I didn't catch.
• Then I let the base colors (pink & purple) dry for an hour or so before I piped the white trim & bows with the icing AS IS when it was first made.

Pretty simple, just a lot of cookies & I was using my toothpick to help spread the icing to fill in the gaps, but then I realized that was stupid & used my finger.  LOTS faster.  Then popped any air bubbles with the toothpick (do this before it dries, so only do a couple cookies at a time before moving on.)

Next time I wouldn't be so lazy & I would use the white to pipe the edges & then thin the pink & purple enough to spread on it's own without my finger.  You live & learn right?  But they still turned out cute so I am happy. :)

First of all, Happy Valentine's Day!  I hope you all have someone special to share the day with: a significant other or a best friend or your family.  Have fun today!

One of my friends asked me if I would do some high-heel shoe sugar cookies for an event she was in charge of & even though I hate cut-out sugar cookies for a reason (read why HERE) I said that would be fine.  I wanted to try my hand at royal icing again because it has been like 7 months since I last tried it.  These cookies weren't that bad actually.  The dough was easy to work with & it didn't look awful re-rolled.  They are actually quite soft & a perfect base for a sugar cookie.  I tried a different royal icing this time, but it still made a TON of icing.  Maybe third time is a charm & I will realize I need to like half the recipe, even if I am icing like 90 cookies.

Anyway, if you want a soft sugar cookie that holds it's shape this is great.  If you want to give royal icing a go, this recipe was super easy to whip up.  I am still figuring out how to thin it (for different consistencies), and I think I am going to go buy clear plastic bottles next time & give that a go instead of my pastry bags.  I think it might be easier & I won't have icing pooping out the top of my bag (even when there is a rubber band on it.)  

Okay, enough talk...check out the cute shoes!  I think they turned out fairly nice.  Sadly, I hit my groove & picked up the pace on the last tray I was decorating, but now I know what works best & will give you my tips so you can have success!
 

Cut-Out Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Recipe from The Yummy Life & re-written by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

• 5 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, & salt.  Set aside.
2. Cream butter & sugar until light & fluffy.  Add sour cream, eggs & vanilla until combined.  Scrape bowl.  
3. Gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.  Divide dough in half onto two pieces of plastic wrap; flatten dough, wrap tightly & refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. (Tip: Dough may be made to this point & refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
4. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
5. Generously flour work surface & rolling pin.  Unwrap one of the chilled pieces of cookie dough, place on floured surface & sprinkle extra flour on top.  Starting at the center, roll the dough out until about 1/4" thick, sprinkling with additional flour if needed, to avoid sticking.  Dip cookie cutter in flour & cut out dough shapes.  Transfer cut-out cookies to baking sheets.  
6. Bake 8-10 minutes until just done; before they brown on the bottom.  Do NOT over-bake if you want a soft cookie.  Allow cookies to cool on a baking rack. (Tip: cooled, unfrosted cookies, may be stacked in a sealed container & stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.)

Makes 5-7 dozen cookies depending on size.

Royal Icing

Recipe lightly altered from Bee In our Bonnet by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

*HALF this recipe if decorating the full recipe of cookies above.

• 1 cup water
• 6 Tbsp meringue powder
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want white icing)
• 2 lb bag of powdered sugar

1. In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix the water & meringue powder until it is incorporated & slightly foamy.
2. Add extracts & mix for a few seconds.
3. Add the whole bag of powdered sugar.  Mix on low until incorporated, then on high for a few minutes.  It will become fairly stiff, & look smooth, glossy & leave peaks/ripples in the bowl where the paddle passes through the icing.

*Use the icing AS IS for piping, details, or words.

**Divide icing into separate bowls for different colors.  COVER unused BOWL(s) with a damp dish towel while not in use.  Mix in color until desired shade is achieved.

***Thin icing using 1 tsp of water at a time until desired consistency. (For more information about consistencies go HERE.)  

****Use clear pastry bags with rubber bands on the ends to help keep icing moist.  Also, place unused pastry bags into a cup with a damp paper towel on the bottom to keep the tip from drying out when not in use.

Have fun decorating!

• For these shoe cookies I used a Wilton #3 tip for the white, pink & purple.  I had colored & thinned my purple & pink icing to help it spread, but not so thin it falls off the cookie (which it did a little if I got too close to the edge.)
• I piped the border, did a zig-zag with the icing to fill in the cookie & used my finger to help spread the icing if it didn't quite fill on it's own.  Technically I should have had two different bags for this part:
• The icing as stiff as it is when it's made (no thinning) for the edges
• The thinner icing to fill the center
• You may also use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that form.  I did have a few bubbles in my icing that I didn't catch.
• Then I let the base colors (pink & purple) dry for an hour or so before I piped the white trim & bows with the icing AS IS when it was first made.

Pretty simple, just a lot of cookies & I was using my toothpick to help spread the icing to fill in the gaps, but then I realized that was stupid & used my finger.  LOTS faster.  Then popped any air bubbles with the toothpick (do this before it dries, so only do a couple cookies at a time before moving on.)

Next time I wouldn't be so lazy & I would use the white to pipe the edges & then thin the pink & purple enough to spread on it's own without my finger.  You live & learn right?  But they still turned out cute so I am happy. :)