![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hottie-biscotti.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/cookieplacecards1.jpg\" "\\"Easter")
<\/a><\/p>\nDon’t worry, I’m not going to give Betsy her own china place setting.<\/em><\/p>\n I’ve made my fair share of sugar cookies but haven’t ever stuck with one recipe. \u00a0I almost always find myself trying a new one. \u00a0Not because the others have been bad, but I have an idea in my head of what I want a decorated sugar cookie to look and taste like, and I haven’t yet found it. \u00a0This one is much closer to what I’ve been looking for. \u00a0It’s sturdy and thick, it holds up well to rolling, transferring and baking and also has good flavor. \u00a0Part of that is due to cutting them thicker than I normally do, and part to a new method I tried this time around for cutting the shapes. \u00a0It’s genius and greatly decreases the floury mess my kitchen becomes when I make cut outs.<\/p>\n Whenever I decide to make these decorated cookies I have the tendency to make too many shapes which means lots more coloring of icing and piping different designs which translates into late nights, a messy kitchen, color dyed fingernails and sore hands. \u00a0It’s more work than you think on those muscles! \u00a0Making just a couple different shapes makes life easier and allows you to get really good at decorating that particular shape and design.<\/p>\n I chose eggs (no fancy edges) carrots and bunnies. \u00a0I kept everything simple since I’d be writing names on the cookies. \u00a0And I kept the colors muted to not distract from the table or stick out like a sore thumb.<\/p>\n The\u00a0icing recipe here<\/a>\u00a0is the best I’ve tried for these cookies. \u00a0It takes a while to dry completely, but dries with a nice gloss and isn’t rock hard like royal icing. \u00a0You can add more powdered sugar to small amount of this icing to make it good for piping.<\/p>\n For rolling these out I used a new method. \u00a0Instead of chilling the dough and then rolling it out (which can often be difficult when the dough is cold from the fridge) I rolled it out right after mixing \u00a0in between two pieces of parchment. \u00a0Then I placed the sheets of dough in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. \u00a0Then I cut out the shapes, moved them to a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked them. \u00a0The dough never once touched the counter and I didn’t have to use any flour or get frustrated with a cookie falling apart or sticking to the counter top. \u00a0This is definitely the method I will be using from now on. \u00a0Thanks to The Kitchn for introducing me to it!<\/p>\n I used the\u00a0recipe from The Kitchn<\/a>\u00a0for these cookies, just left out the lemon zest and added an extra egg yolk for a sturdier cookie. \u00a0Since they’re made with all butter, the flavor is still there, but without the super crunchy texture some sugar cookies often have. \u00a0And to be honest, I prefer that texture if I’m eating the cookies plain or with just a sprinkling of sugar. \u00a0But when I’m going to be decorating them and giving them as favors or gifts, I want them thicker and therefore not as crunchy. \u00a0Since the cookies are so thick, I reduced the baking temp to 325 to prevent the bottoms of the cookies from getting too dark before the centers are set. \u00a0Then I increased the baking time. \u00a0The baking time with depend on what size and just how thick your cookies are. \u00a0Mine, which were just about 1\/4 inch thick, cooked for almost 15 minutes. \u00a0They should be just beginning to brown on the edges \u00a0when you remove them from the oven.<\/p>\n You can find lots of good tips on decorating sugar cookies on the web. \u00a0But here are some of the cookies I’ve decorated, some with step by step instructions and some without.<\/p>\n And here are the tools I find to be very helpful when making these types of cookies.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
\n