Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies Easy Vanilla Frosting Recipes

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a second large bowl and mix well. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Chill the dough for 3 to 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Roll out the dough and cut it into shapes with cookie cutters or a knife. Place the shapes on the prepared cookie sheet. If decorating with colored sugar, brush the cookies with milk and sprinkle with colored sugar (if using royal icing, leave unfinished). Bake until the cookies are just beginning to brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies.
• Remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely. If using royal icing, decorate the cookies as desired.
• Combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 3/4 cup water in a large bowl. Mix slowly with an electric mixer until stiff enough to form peaks; the icing should be pure white and thick, but not fluffy and bubbly. If the frosting is over-beaten, it will get aerated which makes it harder to work with. If this happens, let the frosting sit to settle, and then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the frosting.
• Add up to 1 tablespoon food coloring and mix with a rubber spatula until the color is uniform. Gels are best with royal icing. You don't want to thin them with liquid colors. Be careful of adding too much color, which reduces the sheen of the frosting and can break down the consistency of the frosting over a couple of days. Store the icing at room temperature, covered, with plastic wrap on the surface.
• Yield: 3 1/2 cups icing

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and mace. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or rub between your fingers. When butter pieces are no larger than pea size, stir in the egg, vanilla and heavy cream. Blend thoroughly. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges begin to brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.
• To make the frosting: In a medium bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 tablespoons of cream and salt until smooth and creamy. Spread on top of cooled cookies. Let the frosting dry before storing or serving.

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES AND FROSTING

Steps:

• Make cookie dough: Cream butter, adding sugar gradually. Cream until soft and fluffy. Then add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift dry ingredients together. Alternately add ingredients and cream to egg sugar mixture. Mix well.
• Chill 3 hours or overnight. Roll out on a well-floured board or countertop to 1/4-1/2 inches thickness. Shape with floured cookie cutters. Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 350 for 8-10 minutes. (They won't be brown at all when they are done - if the cookie springs back when pressed down lightly, it is done.).
• Make frosting: Whip softened butter and softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and powdered sugar mixing until well combined. Add milk to bring frosting to desired consistency. When cookies are completely cool, frost. Add sprinkles if desired.

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES & EASY VANILLA FROSTING RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl and hand mixer), cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg.
• Add vanilla, salt and sifted flour.
• Form dough into a ball and chill 3-4 hours in the refrigerator before rolling.
• Flour surface and rolling pin.
• Divide the dough into halves and turn one half of the dough onto your floured surface.
• Place remaining half of dough back in refrigerator.
• Roll dough out until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Flour cookie cutters and cut out cookies.
• Repeat with remaining half of dough.
• Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheets (I use baking stones) and bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes or until just barely colored.
• Allow cookies to cool on wire racks.
• Stir melted butter, milk, vanilla, lemon juice and powdered sugar together until smooth.
• If desired, divide frosting into small bowls and add gel food coloring until desired colors are reached.
• Frost cookies and add sprinkles, sugars or jimmies.