Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are the perfect companion to cookie cutters. I usually find sugar cookies to be a dull tasting excuse for making fun shaped "edible" items. Do you know what I mean? However, this cookie recipe gives the cuteness of cookies a run for their money! I don't think I'll make cookie-cutter cookies without using this recipe again.

Anyways, my first shot at making these was a doozy! My friend - who is an awesome interior designer ... Dana Nauta ... wuduupppp!?? - wanted to make chair shaped cookies! She made her own cookie cutters (yeah, it's true... check out her blog post about them here) and came over. We did the eames eiffel chair & the arne jacobsen egg chair. It was a process... but a fun process!!

Also, when doing sugar cookies I only use the royal icing. It dries smooth, shiny and clean. You can stack the cookies high with this icing!

3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 C butter
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla

2 large egg whites
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 C confectioners sugar

Combine the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.

In your kitchenaid, beat the butter and sugar for 4 minutes (stopping to scrape down the sides once). Add the eggs, one at a time and beat in between each one. Add vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts and mix to combine.

Divide the dough in half and refrigerate each half for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to 1/4" thick and cut the dough into the shapes you desire. Return the cookies to the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until the edges are golden browned.

While they are cooking, you can make the royal icing by beating the egg whites w the lemon juice for 1 minute, then sifting in the sugar until combined and smooth. If not using this frosting immediately (which is recommended), you need to cover it and store it in the fridge as it hardens.

Have fun decorating!!! There are so many fun sprinkles, decals, PENS!