Easter Sugar Cookies Recipe

Make these cookies instead of buying gifts from the store. Not only will you be saving money, but you will be giving them something handmade that they will cherish.

These sugar cookies are versatile and can be adapted for any holiday. They also make a perfect gift to give to friends and family from kids. Everyone will rave about the delicious cookies they received, and how you took the time to make them a homemade gift. Nobody will ever know that these cookies are really simple and quick to make.

Easter Sugar Cookies Recipe

You will need the following ingredients:

• 1/2 cups butter, softened
• two cups of white sugar
• four eggs
• one teaspoon vanilla extract
• five cups all purpose flour
• two teaspoons baking powder
• one teaspoon salt
• one cup confectioner' s sugar
• two teaspoons of milk
• two teaspoons of light corn syrup
• food coloring
• paint brushes
• small plastic containers to store colored icing
• plastic cookie cutters

Directions:

1. In a large bowl mix the butter, sugar and cream together until they reach the ribbon stage. You can tell when you reach the ribbon stage by lifting the mixer out of the bowl and the mixture smoothly falls off the mixer creating ribbons of batter.
2. Slowly add the eggs to the mixture one at a time.
3. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the flour mixture into the batter slowly.
6. Once the dough begins to come together, kneed the dough on a floured surface until the dough forms a tight ball.
7. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
8. Once the dough is chilled remove from the refrigerator, and place onto a floured surface.
9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
10. While the oven is heating roll the dough out on the floured surface to ¼ inch thickness.
11. Layout your cookie cutters on the dough to ensure you get the maximum amount of cookies from the dough.
12. Once the cookie cutters are in place, firmly press straight down on the cookie cutters.
13. One at a time carefully remove the cookie, and place onto an ungreased baking sheet. Using a spatula to help remove the cookies will help ensure the cookie holds it shape.
14. Bake for six to eight minutes.
15. Remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place on a cooking rack to cool thoroughly.

To Make the Icing

Combine confectioner’s sugar, milk, and light corn syrup in a medium bowl.
Divide the mixture into smaller bowls. You will need one bowl for each color you want.
Add in food coloring to mix the colors you desire.

Decorating the Cookies

Once the cookies are cool you can begin decorating them. Use paint brushes, sprinkles, or any other toppings you would like. This is the perfect tasks for children in the kitchen.

Helpful Tips:

- Plastic cookie cutters are the better choice over metal cookie cutters. Metal cookie cutters can bend easily and lose their shape; they can also cut little hands.
- When you choose your cookie cutters try to choose cutters that are simple in design. The more rigid edges the cutter has the greater the chance of the cookies tearing while transferring them to the baking sheet.
- Be careful not to over mix the dough or you will produce dry cookies.
- If available powdered food colorings are superb as they do not alter the flavor of the icing. If powdered food coloring is not available gel food coloring is the next best.
- If you are letting children decorate the cookies, cover a table in wax paper and lay out a bunch of paint brushes. The wax paper will prevent your furniture from getting painted by accident.
- To use these cookies as gifts you can purchase cellophane baggies for the season you wish, and tie a picture of your child making the cookies to the bag. The picture will serve as a memento of your gift long after the cookies are gone.