Mr. and Mrs. Claus

Decorated Sugar Christmas Cookies

I love baking Christmas cookies; especially sugar cookies.  There are so many fun cookie cutters … I just love Mr. & Mrs. Claus and the traditional colors of Christmas.  These cookies were decorated with Royal Icing.  I taught myself to decorate cookies with Royal Icing several years ago.  I read a lot of blogs on how to decorate and found  Sweet Sugar Belle to be a very talented cookie decorator with a lot of tutorials and great tips!  There is still time … so go ahead and get your supplies and get your sugar cookies and mad decorating skills on, put on some Christmas music and have fun!

This recipe for sugar cookies is really good – the dough doesn’t spread when baking and the cookies are perfect!  Sometimes I omit the almond flavoring and just double up the vanilla.  Always use the best ingredients possible when baking … it makes a difference!

Recipe Source:  food.com

Kittencal’s Buttery Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I use Madagascar Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4. Set oven to 400°F.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only)
6. On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
7. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
8. Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
9. Bake 8-9 minutes (oven temperatures vary so keep an eye on the cookies)

(I do not use the icing recipe that come with this cookie recipe.)

I’m Seeing Bunnies in My Sleep

I spent this week-end baking and decorating sugar cookies for Easter.  I usually make cookies for everyone in the office during Christmas time and this past Christmas slipped by without decorating any sugar cookies.  This year everyone is getting Easter cookies.

The recipe I use can be found in this post Sugar Cookie Recipe.  If you’ve never decorated sugar cookies with royal icing I encourage you to give it a try.  It’s really not hard, it’s fun and the cookies are adorable.  There are several sites on line that give step by step instructions on decorating with Royal Icing.  Enjoy!

 

Easter Cookie Basket

Happy Easter!  This was an Easter Cookie basket I completed for a client.  I love the way this turned out.  The 3-D eggs were fun to design and decorate.  When I first started decorating cookies a couple of years I really loved doing it and then it turned into “I don’t think I like doing cookies” and for whatever reason, this Christmas it turned back to “I love decorating cookies” and now this year I’ve started a home business selling my creations!  LOL  Who says women can’t change their minds.  It has been fun also to observe my progress and improvements in technique in cookie decorating.  I look back at some of my first cookies I decorated and almost cringe seeing them being “Pinned” on Pinterest and I almost want to delete that post!  I’ll leave it, it’s good to see progress and improvement.

I’m happy to see Spring finally arriving … green grass, daffodils, trees budding and blooming … it is so uplifting.  Enjoy your Spring and your Easter!

 

All Aboard for Thomas the Train Cookies

 

 

I just completed these cookies for Tommy’s 3rd Birthday.  These are one of my favorite cookies I’ve made; so much fun and adorable!

 

 

 

 

Minnie Mouse Sugar Cookies

I had fun making these cookies for a little 2 year old’s Birthday Party – 45 cookies.  Minnie Mouse was the theme for this party, ha, ha, as if that isn’t obvious.  It was also fun designing the customized bag toppers.

 

 

Dreaming of Spring Flowers and Butterflies – Sugar Cookies

I’ve been a busy baker!  It seems I have gone from the Pasta Princess to the Cookie Queen!  I started a business from my home “Sugar Cher’s Cookies” and have been selling my cookies and have had quite a few orders these past couple of months, leaving me with not much time for anything else.  I will be slowing down as the weather turns nicer as I will need to devote time to my garden and enjoying the outdoors.  I had fun creating these flower and butterfly cookies.  ENJOY!

It’s All About Hearts – Valentine Heart Sugar Cookies

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s all about hearts . . . decorated heart sugar cookies.  The design options are endless.  Have you tried decorating sugar cookies yet with Royal Icing?  There are so many different ways to say “I love You” … and today I’m saying it with cookies.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  food.com

Kittencal’s Buttery Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4. Set oven to 400°F.
5. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only)
6. On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
7. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
8. Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
9. Bake 4-6 minutes.

(I do not use the icing recipe that come with this cookie recipe.)

Winter Cookie Bouquet – Say it with Cookies

Soft, with a slightly crunchy exterior these sugar cookies are delicious!  I made these cookies with my new Sugar Cookie recipe which is now my favorite.  If you are not a fan of almond you can swap it out and just use all vanilla extract.  I don’t use the recipe for the frosting, just the sugar cookies.  I use Royal Icing for decorating.

This is the first cookie bouquet I’ve used with tissue paper … and I like it!  My friend liked her cookie bouquet … and purple is her favorite color.  Mix up a batch today, get your decorating tools out and make a friend smile!

Recipe Source:  food.com

Kittencal’s Buttery Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. For cookies; in a large bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; beat using an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. In another bowl combine the flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the butter mixture until well blended.
3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4. Set oven to 400°F.
5. Line cookie shee
6. ts with parchment paper (do not grease cookie sheets use parchment paper only).
7. On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
8. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
9. Place cookies 2-inches apart on cookie sheet.
10. Bake 4-6 minutes.

Valentine’s Day Cookies – Pretty in Pink

I decorated my first batch of sugar cookies with royal icing in December and loved the results so much I couldn’t wait for the next holiday to decorate more cookies. Valentine cookies were fun to decorate, after all, what girlie girl doesn’t love pink?!

To make these cookies refer to my previous post for the recipe and how to decorate cookies using royal icing.

Sugar Cookies – Decorated for Christmas

Looks like I’ve caught the sugar cookie fever!  I tried decorating sugar cookies with royal frosting for the 1st time the other week and enjoyed it so much I made another batch this weekend!  Put on some Christmas music and give it a try!  You can find the recipe  and instructions here.  Happy Holidays!