A sugar cookie is a cookie made from sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and either baking powder or baking soda. Sugar cookies may be formed by hand or rolled and cut into shapes. They are commonly decorated with frosting, sprinkles, or a combination of both. They can also be cut into decorative shapes and figures. In North America, sugar cookies are popular during the holidays of Christmas and Halloween.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_cookie
I would say that am not a prefect or experienced baker, but I love to bake. One of my best method for baking is “Trial & Error”. Recently while searching for perfect sugar cookies, I found this blog http://www.hanielas.com/ . After I watched her recipe on you tube, I got my sugar cookies so perfect. For sugar cookies, choosing butter is very important, neither too hard nor creamy (butter should not break while bending it).
I decorate my valentine’s sugar cookies by Royal icing.
Ingredients:
All-purpose flour – 2 cups + more for rolling
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Unsalted butter, room temperature – 1/2 cup (1 stick)
Granulated sugar – 1 cup
Egg – 1 large
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Royal icing (optional)
Method:
- Preheat the oven 325 degrees.
- In large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and sift it.
- By using hand mixer, add butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Now, add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat for a minute.
- Gradually add flour mixture to the wet ingredients & beat until combined on low speed.
- Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes (thaw in refrigerator overnight).
- Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out ¼ inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed.
- Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets & refrigerate for 10 minutes, before baking.
- Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size).
- Cool the cookies completely on wire racks.
- To ice cookies, spread with the spoon.
- Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.
- Serve & enjoy it.
My Southern Flavours 