Sugarbelles Perfect Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sugar Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.
• Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; beat just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it with a wooden spoon.)
• Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop dough (about 3 tablespoons at a time) and drop on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 3 to 4 inches apart.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely, then top with sanding sugar or lemon glaze and candied zest (below).
• Lemon Glaze: In a large bowl, whisk together egg white, sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. (If necessary, at up to 1 teaspoon more lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Glaze should be opaque but not so thin as to run down the edges of a cookie when dipped. If glaze runs, add more sugar; if too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Use immediately. Makes: About 1/2 cup
• Candied Citrus: With a sharp paring knife, slice the ends off citrus. Following curve of fruit, cut away outermost peel, leaving most of white pith on. Slice peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• In a pot of boiling water, cook peel until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer and let dry slightly, about 15 minutes.
• In a saucepan, bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peel and boil until translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer peel to rack, separating as needed. Let cool 1 hour. Toss with remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Use immediately.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Steps:

• Works best with an automatic mixer. Add the powdered sugar and meringue powder to the mixing bowl. Mix well using the whisk attachment.
• Add the flavoring (vanilla and almond work well, but you can use whatever you prefer) into the warm water, then mix into the dry mixture. *it's very important that your flavoring be oil free. Also, if you want pure white icing, stay away from extracts with color.
• Mix at medium speed 5-6 minutes. (As it mixes, if any sticks to the sides, simply spritz it with a bottle filled with water until it's incorporated.)
• As it thickens up, turn mixer up to high for 3-4 more minutes until it's stiff and fluffy like meringue.
• EXTRA NOTES ABOUT THIS RECIPE: -Royal icing and oil are NOT friends. make sure all of your utensils are oil free, including your bowls. wash them well in hot water, and give them a rub with lemon juice or vinegar before using them. -Royal icing keeps for a long time. MANY leave it covered on the counter for up to a month with no problem. Or you can refrigerate it. -If you need to refresh it, you can fluff it up again with the mixer, and it will be like new. -If you are expecting humidity, add a little less meringue powder, and a little cream of tartar. Cream of tartar is a stabilizer and helps when it's humid. It seems to work. -It's also alright to add a little bit of corn syrup to your icing if you want it to be a bit shinier.
• To see how to color your icing to prepare it for use, go to the recipe link in the comments "How to: Prepare & Color Royal Icing for Decorating", or go to http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/2011/03/coloring-and-preparing-royal-icing/