Heartfelt Cookies from goodhousekeeping.com
Ingredients
Cookie Recipe
- 1 (batch) Classic Sugar Cookie Dough recipe, see below
- 3 cup(s) confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1/4 cup(s) lemon juice, milk or water
- sugar crystals, red, pink and white (optional)
Classic Sugar Cookie Dough
- 3 cup(s) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
- 1 cup(s) (2 sticks, unsalted) butter, softened (don't use margarine)
- 1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
Directions
- Prepare cookie dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs and vanilla until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended. Divide dough into 4 quarters; flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350-degree F. On a lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough until slightly less than 1/4-inch thick; keep remaining dough refrigerated. With floured 2- to 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on 2 ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings, one disk at a time.
- For glaze, stir together confectioners' sugar and juice until icing is spreadable (add more juice if you need to). Spread glaze onto cookies and sprinkle sugar crystals on top, if you like. You can also use 1 tsp. of glaze to "glue" a smaller heart to a larger one.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.