Cutout Sugar Cookies

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 7-8 minutes

Yield: ~18 Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1c butter

• 1 1/2c powdered sugar

• 1 egg

• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp almond extract

• 2 1/2c flour + more for rolling out the dough

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

Frosting

• 2c powdered sugar

• 1 tbs meringue powder

• 1/4c water + 1-3 tbs

Tools

• Rolling pin

• Cookie cutters

• food coloring

• piping bags

• decorations (sprinkles, edible pen)

Baking the Cookies

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F

2. Combine dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl (flour, baking powder, salt)

3. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Add you egg and extracts

4. Add dry ingredients in thirds, mixing just to incorporate

5. Stop mixing once all of the ingredients are incorporated, do not over mix.

6. Turn out onto a floured work surface and roll to 1/4” thick. Cut out with a cookie cutter and bake for 7-8 minutes. These do not need to chill, and the don’t spread much while baking

7. Cool before frosting

Making the Icing

1. In a mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. Beat on medium speed until desired consistency is reached.

   You will need at least 2 thicknesses for your frosting, one for the outline and one for flooding. I make my frosting for the outline first. I go for “20 second” frosting, meaning that when frosting is dripped on itself it takes about 20 seconds for the drop to disappear. I then color the frosting and transfer some into a piping bag. You don’t need much! Then I thin it out to flood consistency, which is “10 second “ frosting. By adding the color to the outline frosting and then thinning out, it keeps the color consistent. I repeat this for as many colors as I need.