Easter Cookies

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookie Recipe

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar
2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
1 egg
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. 

With the paddle attachment,  cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.  Continue to mix until the all the ingredients are completely incorporated.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on a lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

ICING RECIPE

Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tsps. Milk

2 tsps. Light corn syrup

1/2 tsp. almond extract

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy (may take a little bit of muscle work but believe me, it will become smooth).  If icing is too thick add a another teaspoon of milk.

With an offset spatula, spread the icing - it's a little tricky at first because it's so thick but once you keep working with it you'll start to get the hang of it.  You can dip the cookie into the icing too but I personally don't like that method - it uses too much icing and it's messier.  

Let the iced cookies dry for a couple of hours in a cool, dry room.  You can also let them dry overnight. 

  The cookies are ready when you gently push down on the icing and you don't leave an indention.  Once the icing on the cookies have dried, you can start painting them with food coloring. (I bought my food coloring at Michaels craft store in the Wilton Cake section - they have lots of choices and a good variety).  

Decorating these cookie eggs was fun, I felt like I was decorating real Easter eggs.  Paint any kind of design, anything goes, and paint 'til your hearts content!

Let the paint on the cookies dry for a couple of hours or overnight.  Do not cover as the paint needs air to dry.

Cute bunny!

Happy Easter!!  He has risen......He has risen indeed!!

I'm a big fan of this cookie recipe, this is about the 4th time I've made this cookie recipe as well as the icing.  I will keep making them until I'm sick of them which I hope is never.  ~isavortheweekend