I'm giving out my top secret cookie recipe today that has made me a resident celebrity down here. This is a no fail recipe, guaranteed to produce great cookies no matter what!
6 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream sugar and butter together until fluffly, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla.
Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to butter mixture. Mix well with a mixer. The dough will seem dry and crumbly. That's the way you want it.
Put a handful of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll with a rolling pin to the desired thickness. (Keep in mind, depending on your cookie cutter, sometimes thicker is better.) I usually roll mine out to about 1/4" thick. Place the rolled dough, in the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before using cookie cutters.
Use your cookie cutters to cut the desired shapes and place on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake on 350 for 10-12 minutes, for 1/4" thick cookies. Let cool on a wire cooling rack.
For the
Royal Icing:
Look at Lil Eezy with my cookies, is she not precious!?
1 lb. confectioner's sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. meringue powder
1/2 c. water
Combine all ingredients in a bowl of a mixer. Mix until smooth and creamy, about 7-10 minutes. I typically reduce this way down and only make as much as I need. This recipe is in bulk and will typically ice all your cookies. I just like to make mine different consistencies, it helps with decorating.
Color your icing with food coloring and off you go decorating!
Some useful tips I've learned in my decorating experience:
1. Always outline your cookies and let them dry before you fill them in. It helps the icing not run over the side of your cookie.
2. When making the icing for your outline, make it a little thicker than you would the filling in. You can make the icing thicker by adding more confectioner's sugar.
3. When you go to fill in the middle of your cookies, use a spoon to push the icing to the edge of your outline.
4. Let the filled in cookies dry completely before adding additional details on the cookies.
5. When you add additional details to your cookies make sure you have thick icing again so that it doesn't spread.
6. Always stop to smell the roses. In other words, always eat one of your own beautiful creations. I have learned that after making your masterpiece, if you wait until you take them to eat one, you are very likely not to get one because they go FAST!! :)
Happy cookie making!!!
