- 2 cups, (4 sticks), salted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon
almondextract (vanilla, use both) - 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 ½ - 7 cups all purpose flour
This recipe makes three dozen regular size cookies.
Preheat oven to 375.
Cream together softened butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, almond and salt to the creamed butter-sugar mixed.
Add 3 cups of flour and incorporate. Add the rest of the flower and mix. You can tell the dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. When you handle it it has a little give but does not stick your fingers.
Roll out in between parchment to about 3/8 and inch thick. Use flour for dusting only if you feel necessary. Cut your cookies out, then chill the cut cookies in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes (or 20-30 in the fridge) before biking.
Bake on parchment line baking sheets at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes or until completely baked. If in doubt, if you gently press on the center of the cookie and it starts to spring back they're ready. A little bit of caramelization is OK but be careful not to over back.
Five star vanilla Royal Icing
This royal icing dries to a soft bite. The almond of vanilla transforms it into the perfect pairing for vanilla-almond sugar cookies. The recipe is a large batch and it is enough to mix lots of colors and frost a few dozen cookies.
Add the water and flavoring to your mixer bowl. Add the meringue powder and dissolve on low using your K beater (or equivalent, do not use a whisk attachmen) for a minute or two. Once dissolved and slightly frothy, add the powdered sugar and begin to mix on low. Add the Karo syrup as it all starts to come together. Turn your mixer up to medium to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Be sure not to overmix, once stiff peaks form it's enough. If you overmix, the icing can become crumbly after it dries on the cookies.
Make sure all tools are free of any oil. The icing may not set if there is any amount of oil on the equipment.
