Tasty Tuesday: Make Valentine’s Cookies!

My original plan was to make these yesterday with the kids so I could have the post up early this morning. We pulled everything out, started gathering the ingredients and realized we didn’t have eggs! Normally a quick run to the store would have gotten us back on track, but my husband’s car was in the shop so he had my van. He brought us some eggs home last night and we made the cookies today, so I apologize for the late posting.

This recipe, I pulled out of my Good Housekeeping The Great Christmas Cookie Swap Cookbook. Even though it’s not Christmas, it has a great sugar cookie recipe that turns out great every time.

Cookie Ingredients:

6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups butter (4 sticks), softened
3 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

First up, beat the butter and sugar until blended and then add in the eggs and vanilla. This is where having a good, strong boy comes in handy!

Next in a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. Slowly add this to the butter/sugar/vanilla/egg mixture.

When it is well blended, you may have to get your hands in and shape it into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight preferably (or at least for several hours!)

When you’re ready to start cutting, roll the dough out on a well floured surface until it’s about 1/4 inch thick. I rolled ours out in sections so I didn’t have all of the dough used at once.

Using a cookie cutter, cut out your cookies and place on cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Preheat oven to 350 and bake about 12 minutes.

When they are done, transfer them to a cooling rack and start working on your icing!

Buttercream Icing:

3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk (or to desired consistancy)

Mix all of these together with a spoon and add in desired food coloring. I chose pink!

When the cookies have cooled, spread or pipe the frosting onto them. I like using a sturdy ziplock baggie with a hole in it for the frosting tip. One of these days I’ll actually go get decorating bags!