{"id":3176,"date":"2010-02-05T13:12:52","date_gmt":"2010-02-05T19:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/?p=3176"},"modified":"2010-02-05T18:24:03","modified_gmt":"2010-02-06T00:24:03","slug":"perfect-cut-out-sugar-cookies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/2010\/02\/05\/perfect-cut-out-sugar-cookies\/","title":{"rendered":"Perfect Cut-Out Sugar Cookies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This is the recipe I used to make the bird cookies for my sister’s baby shower that I was unable to attend. \u00a0See here<\/a> and here<\/a> for the nitty gritty details of that debacle. \u00a0I have been making decorated sugar cut-out cookies since college when I took a cookie decorating class at Central Market in Austin.<\/p>\n

Decorated sugar cookies are time consuming, but they are pretty simple once you know a few tricks and they are a lot of fun to make. \u00a0They are also very much worth the effort. \u00a0I will write more on those tricks later. \u00a0For now, you can satisfy your need for cookie decorating tips here at baking911.com<\/a>. \u00a0This is a good site, although a bit hard to navigate due to the amount of ads.<\/p>\n

Some recipes that I have tried for sugar cookies are not meant to be a cut-out sugar cookie. \u00a0For example, this cookie <\/a>was delicious, but spread too much during baking to be a cut-out. \u00a0A heart would end up looking an amoeba. \u00a0No good. \u00a0“I ‘heart’ you!” is not the same as “I ‘amoeba’ you”.<\/p>\n

The dough for a cut out cookie has to be firmer so that it can stand up to rolling, cutting and baking without losing its shape. \u00a0This usually means less butter and more flour. \u00a0You also do not want a lot of leavening because decorating a cookie that had risen too much in the oven can be tough to decorate.<\/p>\n

This cookie recipe was perfect for my bird cookies. \u00a0The cutter I used is quite large, which can be troublesome when transferring a cut-out piece of dough to the cookie sheet, but this dough was so sturdy! \u00a0I got the recipe from Joy of Baking<\/a>. \u00a0This site has a lot of delicious sounding recipes with the majority including pictures, which, in my opinion is very nice. I look at the site quite a bit but I haven’t tried many of the recipes. \u00a0I plan to try more things from now on. \u00a0Let me know if you try something delicious from the site.<\/p>\n

I have made some lovely cookies in my time, but these birds are not the best. \u00a0They are just OK. \u00a0I used mini chocolate chips for the eye. \u00a0 \u00a0My mistakes include:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Frosting them at 10pm<\/li>\n
  2. Using old gel colors (resulting in the neon hues)<\/li>\n
  3. Thinking no one would see them<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Give yourself some time to decorate your cookies and make sure to let them set before trying to add more detail or transporting them.\u00a0 I also make extra cookies to practice with so that I can see what’s going to look great and what isn’t.<\/p>\n

    I usually like to outline my cookies first, then fill them with glaze.\u00a0 But I didn’t have the time with the birds which is why the one above is spitting up purple. \u00a0Keep up with my blog for the secrets! \u00a0I always use a glaze of powdered sugar, water or milk, corn syrup and almond extract. \u00a0I also am committed to Wilton gel colors. \u00a0They provide a vibrant color, so be careful! \u00a0Pink can become PINK too quickly!<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>These cookies are what I aspire to create some day. \u00a0Aren’t they beautiful? \u00a0I really love the natural colors and details. \u00a0The eggs are adorable. \u00a0You can get all the details about these cookies\u00a0here<\/a> and about Eleni’s in New York who made them\u00a0here<\/a>. \u00a0My neon pink birds will do for now! \u00a0At least mine tasted good. \u00a0That is one of the most important things isn’t it?<\/p>\n

    Cut Out Sugar Cookies<\/h5>\n