Cookies are awesome. Homemade cookies are better but the absolute BEST are homemade iced sugar cookies made with the help of a 3 year old. Sometimes there is nothing better an getting up to your elbows in flour and powdered sugar. The mess was GLORIOUS! How people bake in spotless kitchens I will never know, And where is the fun in that? Really? It was 2 days of baking bliss. I started with my mom's recipe. These cookies absolutely taste like childhood. When I was little it seemed like we always had these in the house. Anytime I'm feeling like I need a little home this recipe usually fits the bill. Though on this particular day I wasn't feeling like that at all. This mess was planned and it was fun. I just wanted cookies that looked like flowers. My logic... It is spring and I want flower cookies!
I will say, this recipe rivals fancy bakery cookies and beats most hands down. I don't know the origin of this recipe. If I did I would give credit so if you know, please, let me know. I've been eating this recipe for over 30 years.
The Cookie
6 Tbsp Softened butter (my mom uses margarine but I find there is no substitute for real butter in cookies)
1/3 c. Shortening
3/4 c. Sugar
1 Egg
1 Tbsp. Milk
1 tsp. Self-Rising Flour
Mix butter and shortening. Cream sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add flour and beat well. Cover and refrigerate until firm. A couple of hours will do it but overnight works too.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Flour your work surface and roll out a little dough at a time to desired thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheet. I like the insulated sheet covered with parchment paper. They don't stick and though they may be crispy it takes complete negligence to burn them. But in a perfect world 10-12 minutes is all you need. If you can smell them it's too late. So watch those cookies! Remove them from oven and place cookies on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
When you've baked yourself silly and the cookies a cool, it's time to whip up a glaze. This is beyond easy.
The Glaze
Confectioners Sugar (Powdered sugar)
Milk
Start with 1 cup of sugar. Add 4-5 Tbsp. of milk until desired thickness is reached.
If I'm coloring them all the same color I'll use more sugar if I'm only doing a few each of many colors I'll use less sugar and A LOT of bowls (and here's is where my mess REALLY takes off!!! Use less milk and add small amounts until it is how you like it. Trial and error here.
This is where the 3 year old comes in really handy. Take your cooled cookie and hold it top side down over the glaze and drop it. Lift it and let the excess glaze run back into the bowl then place it back on the cooling rack to dry. You may want to put your rack over a cookie sheet to catch the drips.
Royal Icing
3 Egg whites (these won't be cooked so you may want to substitute the equivalent of pasteurized egg whites here-I use real egg whites but I'm living on the edge-I eat raw dough too. I feel like such a rebel)
1 pound of confectioners sugar)
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
Mix together with electric mixer (use your wisk attachment)until stiff peaks form.
Here is where I bust out my piping bags and tips. Decorate as much or as little as you like. It really depends on my mood. I tend to be less it more but not always.
I like the Wilton paste food coloring but on this day I went with the McCormick NEON colors that you can pick up on the baking aisle of the grocery store.they were bright and fun and I hear they make gorgeous Easter eggs.
Now go make some cookies! I promise the only complaint that you will have is that you ate them ALL and didn't share any. BTW this recipe doubles really well if you're feeling particularly gluttonous or if you are thinking pf sharing.
