Valentine Sugar Cookies

In Dec., I made my very first batch of sugar cookies. I stumbled across Our Best Bites and saw super cute cookies and I just HAD to make them. Between baking cookies for the boys' classmates, friends, family and my Bunco group, I ended up baking about 11 dozen over a period of a couple weekends. Crazy, I know!

I baked cookies for the boys' classmates since they'll miss Valentine's Day festivities at school. We're leaving for Mammoth this afternoon! YAY! I can hardly wait! They're a little sad to miss the V-Day activities but they're definitely looking forward to going snowboarding. Anyways, these cookies taste great and the icing is wonderful, too. Most icings are rock hard and don't have any flavor. These cookies are DELICIOUS! 

Egg-free sugar cookies stacked and set aside. 

I was short a few cookies so I baked a "regular" batch with eggs. I overbaked the first eight but they were crispy and delicious once I scraped some of the burned parts off. :) They tasted like Japanese Hato Sabure cookies. YUM! We're keeping those!

Glacé icing must be totally dry before packaging into clear, cellophane bags.

The cookies have white icing and I swirled hearts in the center.

If I had more time, I would've played around with different designs.

Oh my GOSH! Super CUTE heart-shaped hole punch shape, right?!

Borrowed the puncher from my next-door-neighbor/friend...thanks, J.!

Sugar Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c butter (do not use a substitute!)
• 1 c sugar
• 1 egg (I used EnerG Egg Replacer)
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 c flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar for 2-3 mins. until light and fluffy. Add eggs (or egg replacer) and extract. Mix well.
2. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Combine thoroughly.
3. Shape dough into 2 flat disks and wrap in waxed paper. Place in fridge and chill 2 hrs. OR...to save time, immediately roll dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/4" thickness and place on flat surface in fridge. When dough is chilled, it will be ready for immediate "cut-outs." :)
4. If you need to roll out dough, lightly flour work surface. Roll out dough on Roul'Pat and cut out shapes.
5. Bake at 350F for 8-12 mins.. For a soft cookie, bake for 8-9 mins. If frosting and need a firmer cookie, bake for 10 min..
6. Use glacé icing if giving away cookies for a special occasion.

Source: Our Best Bites


Glacé Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 c)
• 1/4 c whole milk
• 1/4 c light corn syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. With whisk, mix sugar and milk until smooth. Then stir in corn syrup and extract.
2. If coloring the icing, separate icing into bowls and add gel food coloring.
3. If piping cookies, add icing in separate bowl and add more powdered sugar. If it's too thin, add more sugar; if too thick, add more milk. Step-by-step tutorial on Our Best Bites...check it out!
4. Happy decorating!

Souce: Our Best Bites