Sweet Success

For years I have baked sugar cookies that tasted good but did have the visual effect I wanted to achieve: an even, consistent height and straight sides. I would like to thank Paula at Salad in a Jar for showing me the light. Her method is based on tips from Baking: From My Home to Yours. Although I have that cookbook, I had not tried the method prior to seeing Valentine's cookies on Paula's blog.

The recipe for the cookies is one from Rebecca Rather's The Pastry Queen cookbook. Again, I have the cookbook but had not tried this recipe, and I'm so glad I did. The cookies are delicious and have exactly "the look" I desired. Dipping the cookie into a thin icing provides a nice surface on which to pipe whatever design I choose, and I prefer it to the thicker icings found on some sugar cookies.

I served these cookies and the cookies shown above at a church reception, and so many people sought me out to comment on how good they tasted.



Shortbread Cookies
adapted from The Pastry Queen

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (my addition)
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg (my addition)

Measure flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into a bowl and whisk together; set aside. In another bowl, beat butter till fluffy, add sugar and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. Slowly add flour mixture, beating on low speed just until mixed.

Divide dough into two equal portions and transfer each into gallon-sized ziplock bags. Place bag on flat surface, leave top open, and roll dough to edges of bag, turning and lifting occasionally to prevent creases. Seal bag, pressing out air bubbles. Place on cookie sheet and chill at least two hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and prepare cookie sheets, using your preferred method (I like parchment paper). Place one bag on counter, carefully open three sides of bag, exposing dough, and cut dough with cookie cutters. Carefully peel cutouts off plastic and place on baking sheet. (My cutout dough remained inside the cutter, so I gently pushed the dough onto the parchment.) Refrigerate scraps for a few minutes and place back inside plastic; roll to quarter-inch thickness and cut out as before.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown around edges. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then remove with spatula to wire rack to cool completely.

Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
pinch of salt (my addition)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
Food gel or coloring, as desired

Whisk sugar, salt, milk, and extract till smooth. Add food coloring, if desired, and mix until evenly distributed. Take cooled cookie and dip, facedown, into icing. Place cookies, icing side up, back on wire rack and let icing harden before further decorating.

Yield depends on size of cookie cutter - I got about 40 cookies from two sizes of cutters

Cookies may be stored in airtight container up to one week.