Who doesn’t like to bake these wonderful cookies?

 

 

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups (281 g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• ¼–½ tsp almond extract (optional but recommended)

Easy Cookie Icing

• 3 cups (360 g) confectioners’ sugar

• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract (or replace with water for stark white)

• 2 tsp light corn syrup

• 4.5–5 Tbsp (67–75 ml) room temperature water

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: gel food coloring & sprinkles for decorating

Procedures

Make the Cookie Dough

1. Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

2. Cream butter & sugar: In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes).

3. Add egg & extracts: Beat in the egg, vanilla, and optional almond extract until combined.

4. Combine: Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture; mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be slightly soft.

Chill & Roll

5. Divide & roll: Divide dough in half. Roll each half out on lightly floured parchment or silicone mat to about ¼-inch thickness.

6. Chill: Stack the rolled-out dough with parchment between layers and refrigerate at least 1–2 hours (up to 2 days). This helps cookies keep their shape.

Bake

7. Preheat: Heat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.

8. Cut shapes: Remove chilled dough, cut shapes with cookie cutters, and re-roll scraps as needed.

9. Bake: Place cookies ~3 inches apart. Bake 11–12 min or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet 5 min, then transfer to a rack to cool fully before icing.

Easy Cookie Icing

1. Combine icing ingredients: In a bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar, vanilla (or water), corn syrup, water, and salt until smooth.

2. Decorate: Tint with food coloring if desired. Use a squeeze bottle or piping tool to decorate cooled cookies; add sprinkles if you like.

3. Dry: Let icing set about 24 hrs before stacking or transporting (though you can eat sooner if you don’t need fully hardened icing).