Peppermint Frosted Sugar Cookies Recipe 445

Steps:

• COOKIES: In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, completely incorporating each. Mix in vanilla and yogurt. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low speed. The dough will be sticky, but that's ok. Divide the dough in half onto separate sheets of plastic wrap. Form each half into a rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°F. Prepare two cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silpat. Sufficiently flour your work surface and remove one of the dough halves from the refrigerator. Flour the top of the dough, also, and rolling pin if necessary. Roll the dough out so that it is about 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until just barely golden. Remove cookies from sheets immediately and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Repeat process with remaining refrigerated dough. PEPPERMINT FROSTING: In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and peppermint extract until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and the salt. Frosting will be dry, but should be smooth and creamy. Add the cream, one tablespoon at a time, incorporating each completely. After all the cream has been mixed in, beat on medium-high speed for about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Add food coloring, if desired, and thoroughly combine. Frost cookies and allow frosting to set before storing in an airtight container. Cook's note: Should you choose to decorate with the candy canes, I suggest frosting and decorating them the day you will serve them. I frosted and put the candy canes on, storing them in an airtight container and the next day the candy canes were soft (chewy, actually) and the red ink had run into the frosting. They didn't look too festive at that point. If you're going to frost, decorate, and store, then the colored sprinkles work well and are still very pretty.