Sugar cookies are a perfect base for decorating and getting your creative on! I heart cookies!!! Especially iced sugar cookies. Make some hearts or some cute ghosts with gingerbread or angel cookie cutters for halloween!
INGREDIENTS
300g plain flour
1/2t baking powder
1/4t salt
170g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
150g caster sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Royal Icing (330g Queen premix packet)
50ml water
METHOD
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed (about 2 minutes). Add the egg, vanilla bean paste and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be relatively soft.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion between 2 pieces of baking paper. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness (I use a pair of chopsticks as a height guide - see picture). The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly thick. Refrigerate for approx 1-2 hours (to firm up the butter).
Once chilled, preheat oven to 170C (fan forced). Take out one of your rolled out doughs. Peel the top layer of baking paper off and use it to line your baking tray. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Set aside any remaining dough. Repeat with the other rolled out dough.
Re-roll the remaining dough between your two pieces of baking paper and put back into the fridge. We need to repeat cookie cutting until all the dough is used (if you are like me and only have 2 oven trays, do this after the first batch of cookies have been baked).
Bake for 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing. I just use the Queen premix packet - you just add the 50ml water and if you want to colour, it has a guide on the side for how many drops to make various shades. All you do is whisk and pop into a piping bag (I just use a Multix piping bag and make a small snip at the tip to pipe). Pipe your icing designs and use a skewer or toothpick to shape.
Enjoy your cookies immediately or wait until your icing sets before serving. Both plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Comments
Post a Comment