Conquering Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing

Give me a cupcake or cake design to tackle, and I can get it done no problem, but sugar cookies and royal icing? Those were completely uncharted territory for me. That is, until yesterday.

I've been lusting over the fabulous cookies at One Preppy Cookie for months now. Seriously, everything she makes is so adorable. I was having major cookie envy so I decided my friend Johnna's annual cookie/ornament exchange party was the perfect excuse to finally bite the bullet and try it out for myself.

Since I'd never really made sugar cookies before (unless you count the slice and bake variety from Pillsbury) I did a quick Google search for the best recipe. I ultimately decided to use one from allrecipes.com:

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Playing with cookie cutters is so fun! Although I need a bigger collection...

makes 5 dozen

1 1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

I followed the recipe exactly, but now that I think about it, the cookies would have been even better with a little almond extract. Next time I make them I will substitute 1/2 tsp vanilla for 1/2 tsp almond instead. Also, the recipe said it makes 5 dozen cookies. I must have been baking abnormally large cookies because I only ended up with around 3 dozen. Whatever I'm still pretending mine only have 109 calories like the recipe says! :) 

I think the hardest part about making sugar cookies is you have to let the dough chill for at least an hour before you start rolling, cutting, and baking. Otherwise you end up with big, unrecognizable blobs after they've baked. I was working with limited cookie cutters so I made stars, snowflakes, trees, and penguins. I didn't have an oval or Easter egg shaped cookie cutter for the penguins so I got creative and used an oval tupperware. Yes I am unoriginal and copied the penguins that One Preppy Cookie had made, but they were way too cute not to make.  I don't know about you, but I am extremely impatient so once I get started on something I want it to be done right away. Between the chilling, rolling, and cutting, just baking sugar cookies is a pretty big time commitment, but they are worth it when you are finished. Yum!

I was just about baked out after rolling and cutting for several hours
so I called it a night and reconvened the next morning for decorating.

This is why I need a stand mixer. What a mess!

Since I'd also never attempted to make royal icing before, I scoured the Internet for recipes and videos on the best ways to use this icing. I decided on the following recipe from JoyofBaking.com:

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder

4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon extract
1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water

I used vanilla extract in the frosting too, but I wish I would have used almond. The articles I read online said this icing dried out very quickly so I was a little nervous, but I just covered it with saran wrap when I wasn't using it and I didn't have any issues. I chose to use piping bags to outline my cookies and then I used a spoon to add frosting to the center and "flood" the cookies. This seemed to work out pretty well, but if anyone has any better ideas of how to do it please tell!

Call me crazy, but I find piping to be somewhat therapeutic! 

The stars, snowflakes, and trees were a breeze to decorate since I was only using one color, but the penguins were a little bit trickier. My patience was put to the test yet again because I had to wait for the first layer of icing to dry before I could add the eyes, nose, and feet.I didn't wait quite long enough on some of them and the penguin's eyes bled slightly. Oh well! You live and you learn!

The finished product!

This icing definitely doesn't taste as good as buttercream frosting, but you really can't deny the fact that is makes some pretty cookies! When it dries it has such a smooth, matte finish! I definitely need to keep practicing, but it was fun to try something new for a change!