Cedar Hill Farmhouse

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Don’t Count Your Cookies Before…

By 22 Comments

I wanted a special Valentine’s Day post for you, something to make you feel special, something pretty and fun.  So, my daughter and I made some heart-shaped cookies with royal icing.

We rolled out the cookie dough, and used heart-shaped cookie cutters, then baked them in the oven on parchment paper so they wouldn’t stick.

We whipped up some purple and pink icing royal icing to decorate them, and added sprinkles and dragees.  They’re not perfect, but we decided on fun versus perfection.

I explained that the cookies were for us to enjoy, but also I wanted to get some photos for the blog.  Well I couldn’t take the photos right away because it was late and dark. The next day, was another gloomy day, so again, I couldn’t take photos. Finally I had a glorious sunny day; the sun was streaming into my dining room. I was ready to take the photos.  I thought of the photo I wanted to take, a big pile of luscious cookies on a ginormous platter.

 

I opened the box of cookies, and well… I was horrifed by what I found.  Actually I was horrified by what I didn’t find; most of the cookies were gone, *poof* into thin air.  After a little investigating, I found they had not going into “thin air” but into certain tummies.  So that brings me to the lesson I learned this week.

 

Don’t count your cookies until you take your photos.   If you missed it, you can see my Valentine’s Day buffet table, here.

Here’s the recipe.  (You might want to double the recipe… just in case.)

SUGAR COOKIES
1 1/2 cups butter, softened

 2 cups white sugar
 4 eggs
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 5 cups all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  • Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

 

(If you really want the cookie to hold their shape use Crisco instead of butter. I just really prefer using butter for health reasons.)

 

 
ROYAL ICING

3 egg whites

 

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

 

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

Food coloring (optional)

 

 
Directions
  • Combine egg whites (at room temperature  and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl.
  • Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well. Add almond         e­xtract. Beat 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Color icing with food coloring. if desired. (Icing dries very quickly; keep covered at all times with plastic wrap.) Yield: about 2 cups.

 

Note: Royal Icing dries very hard and is crunchy like candy.

 

 

Comments

  1. Dawn says

    The same thing happens in my house all the time, nothing is safe with teen boys. LOL What cookies you have left are beautiful though.

    Reply

  5. Sarah says

    Anita, I chuckled out loud on this one. My husband is frequently guilty of eating my next photo opp. I’ve learned to leave a note or put them in the dining room out of sight. Ha!
    Love your sweet heart cookies, and your photo is perfect just the way it is. I bet those tummies are feeling pretty happy! ~ Sarah

    Reply

  7. Gee Singh Newbanks says

    I was reading thins and thinking to myself.. ‘how lucky is she to have the cookies just sit and wait for her to take pictures.’
    Hahahahaha, now I know… life is normal over there.. cookies do end up in tummies when left around. 🙂
    At least you had some to use…
    Giggling… Gee

    Reply

  20. On Crooked Creek says

    Anita,
    That’s (truly) the way the cookie crumbles!!!
    Couldn’t help myself, dear friend!
    I’d say your tray of cookies is “close enough to perfect” for me!
    I could feel the love!
    Fondly,
    Pat

    Reply

  21. Jenny Lynn says

    I was just making some plans to create some valentine fun for my children. The cookies would be a fun to make with my children. We did not get a chance to make sugar cookies at Christmas time like we usually do.

    I want to ask how you got the link buttons to look the way they do at the bottom of your post? I like that they are all the same size.

    Reply

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