basic sugar cookies with royal icing

I blogged about how to make the perfect Christmas cookies a couple of years ago. If you're looking for more in depth discussion, please read that post. If you're just looking for a basic recipe, here ya go:

 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to use a soft wheat, like White Lily for this)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder (not soda, or the cookies will be "puffy")

Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions:

Beat butter & sugar til white & creamy (about 10-15 minutes). Beat in egg, vanill and milk.

Whisk together floour, salt, baking powder and lemon zest; beat into butter mixture slowly. Chill in rounds for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

When ready to roll cookies out, roll out onto surface dusted with powdered sugar (not flour). Cut into desired shapes and transfer to cookie sheet lined with parchment.  

Bake at 375 for 4 minutes; turn/rotate your cookie sheet. Bake an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Let cool on wire racks. When cool, ice and decorate as desired. 

Royal Icing  

1 (16-ounce package) powdered sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder

5-6 tablespoons warm water (I seem to always need more?)

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat at med-low speed 5 to 7 minutes. Divide and tint, as desired.

[Tip: Once you've outlined your cookies with Royal Icing, if you want to "fill" in the tops, you simply add more warm water until the icing "runs". Then you can easily use a spoon (or a ziploc bag with a small cut in the tip works great) to flood/run the icing over the top of the cookie.]