Iced sugar cookies
I'm actually not a huge fan of sugar cookies, but when I ran across these Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy cookie cutters, I just couldn't resist. I first made this recipe at Christmas for our holiday party, and they seemed to be a big hit (for those who enjoy iced sugar cookies), so I figured I'd give them another go.
Recipe
from The Food Network
Makes about 24-36 cookies
2½ cups cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing (makes about 2¼ cups)
1 lb confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp meringue powder
5 tbsp water
Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt onto parchment paper or a bowl and set aside. Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce to low speed and beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, just until incorporated. Divide dough into 2 pieces and shape each into disks; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (can be frozen for up to 1 month).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out each disk on a floured surface until about ⅛" thick. Cut out shapes with 2" - 4" cookie cutters and arrange on baking sheet, about 2" apart. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake cooked until they are slightly puffed and golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring them to racks to cool completely and icing.
Icing
Whisk confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add water and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 tbsp water if necessary.
Transfer a quarter of the icing to a plastic bag and snip the corner off. Use this to pipe a thin border around the edge of each cookie. Let set for a few minutes. Thin the remaining icing with a few drops of water until it has the consistency of syrup. Tint icing with gel food coloring if desired. Fill in the cookies with the thinned icing and let set at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Musings
David declared these cookies to be super amazing and delicious! They're everything you want in a sugar cookie: a little bit chewy and sweet, and, if you've iced things well enough, can be very pretty. You can make some super pretty designs if you have time, patience and are dexterous with toothpicks. A delightful addition to any party spread!