Sunday, July 1, 2012

Frosted Sugar Cookies for the Fourth and an Announcement

Before I dive in to the recipe, I have an announcement for you guys.

I'm taking an indefinitely long hiatus. This was a very difficult decision to make. When I first started this blog almost exactly a year ago, it was with the intention of it being an experiment. I love to bake but I never had enough excuses to bake something new. This blog allowed me to try recipes I would never have considered otherwise. However, I am a full time student with a time consuming major and a job on top of that. This fall, I'll be moving into my very own apartment and I'll be starting pretty much from scratch on my kitchen utensils. Baking is an expensive hobby and this year, I just don't know that I can maintain a schedule of making treats once a week.

However, I want to thank my readers so much. It was so exciting to watch the number of viewers grow. I hope to one day write about my cooking adventures once more and I hope that some of you will give me your attention once more. I don't know that it will be on this blog specifically. I'll probably move over to a tumblr where I can communicate with readers much more effectively. But thank you for  your time and I hope I inspired some of you to make some of these delicious recipes.

So without further ado, please enjoy this recipe for frosted sugar cookies.
What you need...

For the Cookies:
6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups light sour cream

For the frosting:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Food coloring
Sprinkles
In a medium bowl, whisk together 5 cups of flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla and sour cream. Beat at low speed until combined.
Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Now add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time and only up to 1 cup, until your dough reaches rolling consistency. At this point, it should be too thick to really use the mixer so I suggest stirring it with a wooden spoon. It will still be sticky and very soft when it is done. Divide in half. Flatten each half into a rectangle about 1 1/2 inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in fridge overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out your dough until it is about a 1/4 inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out your cookies and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 7-8 minutes until very lightly golden. These do not get very dark so don't accidentally overbake them. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting: Cream butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting has reached desired spreading consistency. If desired, add food coloring and mix. When cookies are completely cool, frost and add sprinkles.
These cookies are great treats with coffee. The cookies themselves are very mildly flavored so they go really well with the sweetness of the frosting.
I got over 70 cookies out of this recipe! If you need something for a party, this is a quick, tasty recipe that will serve a lot of people.

Good luck, happy baking and thank you for all of your support!
Rosie

Source:Sweet Pea's Kitchen