Sugarbelles Perfect Sugar Cookies Recipes

SUGARBELLE'S PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Cream together softened butter and confectioner's sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, and add the flavoring. Add that to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated.
• 2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. **You can tell the dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When you touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to your fingers. The dough will stiffen up as it rests, so wait 5-10 minutes before working with it.**
• 3. Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Then, cut your shapes. Remove the extra around your cookies and transfer your cookies on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
• 4. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes until tops appear dry rather than shiny. Do not brown. Freshy baked cookies will be slightly fragile. If you can, let them cool for 4+ hours before moving them into an airtight container.
• 5. About this recipe: -Day-old cookies make easier decorating . They are less likely to leach oil back into your icing if they have had a day or two to "dry out". They are still soft, however. -The dough DOES NOT need to be refrigerated. -Do NOT soften your butter in the microwave. Take it out of the fridge, and it will be ready in about 2-3 hours. Or cut it into smaller pieces, and it will be ready in about 30-45 minutes. -Baking times are approximate. Watch them the first few times you bake them. Do not over bake. If the cookies are browning you have gone too far. -Start with with 2 1/2 cups of flour. Add another 1/4 of a cup if the dough seems too sticky.
• 6. -The recipe doubles well. -This dough can be flavored any way you like. -The cookies freeze well. -This recipe does spread a little. If you don't like that add a little flour. -If you don't like salt, leave it out altogether. -If you only have salted butter, use that and reduce the salt.

SUGARBELLE'S ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Works best with an automatic mixer. Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to the mixing bowl. Mix well using the whisk attachment.
• Add the flavoring (vanilla and almond work well, but you can use whatever you prefer) into the warm water, then mix into the dry mixture. *it's very important that your flavoring be oil free. Also, if you want pure white icing, stay away from extracts with color.
• Mix at medium speed 5-6 minutes. (As it mixes, if any sticks to the sides, simply spritz it with a bottle filled with water until it's incorporated.)
• As it thickens up, turn mixer up to high for 3-4 more minutes until it's stiff and fluffy like meringue.
• EXTRA NOTES ABOUT THIS RECIPE: -Royal icing and oil are NOT friends. make sure all of your utensils are oil free, including your bowls. wash them well in hot water, and give them a rub with lemon juice or vinegar before using them. -Royal icing keeps for a long time. MANY leave it covered on the counter for up to a month with no problem. Or you can refrigerate it. -If you need to refresh it, you can fluff it up again with the mixer, and it will be like new. -If you are expecting humidity, add a little less meringue powder, and a little cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is a stabilizer and helps when it's humid. It seems to work. -It's also alright to add a little bit of corn syrup to your icing if you want it to be a bit shinier.
• To see how to color your icing to prepare it for use, go to the recipe link in the comments "How to: Prepare & Color Royal Icing for Decorating", or go to http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2011/03/coloring-and-preparing-royal-icing/