Foodie Friday -- Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

I just cut this recipe off a new ten pound bag of C & H sugar. And since I had fresh grocery supplies, I decided to try this recipe out.

As you can tell by the pictures, I am a home cook, NOT a home cook who has the talent to Martha Stewart simple cookies into works of art. My food is for eating, not to admire.

Jus' sayin'

Frosted Soft Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/3 cups butter, softened
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In large bowl, combine sugar and butter and beat with electric mixer until creamy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition. Add vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour, one cup at a time, and mix until all the flour mixture is incorporated.

Roll into 1-inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bottoms turn light brown. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp. water
food coloring

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add cream of tartar. Add powdered sugar once cup at a time, blending until fully incorporated. Add extract and water, mixing until combined. Whip frosting at high speed for 5 minute, until light and fluffy. Add food coloring.

Tips & Tricks :

• Make sure your butter is super soft. Microwave butter for 10 seconds to give it a little extra softness when beating. 
• DO take the time to beat the sugar and butter until fluffy. This helps to make the cookie less "grainy" with sugar.
• Since I wanted to honor Valentine's Day, I had to free-hand my hearts as my cookie cutter heart made the cookies to large. 
  

• I baked the cookies for about 11 minutes, which tanned the bottom of the cookie, but kept them soft. 
• The frosting was a little thicker than I would have liked. I probably should have added a touch more liquid. 
• I forgot to beat the frosting for the full 5 minutes--oops.
• Vanilla tends to tint the white icing, so if you don't want to color the icing, then you might want to use the almond extract. 

Later, Peeps!