Basic Sugar Cookies

• Meat

  • 32 Heart sugar cookies

• Refrigerated

  • 1 Egg, large

• Baking & Spices

  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 lb Confectioners' sugar
  • 1 Gel icing color
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Meringue, powder
  • 1 Royal icing
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 tsp Vanilla

• Dairy

  • 1/2 cup Butter, unsalted

• Liquids

  • 4 tbsp Water

Found on iamafoodblog.com

Directions

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. With an mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until combined. Divide dough in half and pat to flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes. Alternatively, place in the fridge overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Remove one dough disk and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly dusted work surface, or between two sheets of floured parchment. Lightly dust with flour as needed. Cut out hearts with a cookie cutter. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets and chill for 10 minutes. Re-roll scraps, cut shapes and repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until slightly golden, 10 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Gently mix together the sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of  an electric mixer. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the 4 tablespoons of water. The icing will start out thick and lumpy. Continue to add the remaining water (you may not need all of it) until the icing resembles thick honey. Turn the mixer up a bit and whip until thick and fluffy. Stop mixing when the icing can form a soft peak.
• Separate the icing out into equal amounts in several bowls (the number of colors you want, plus one for white). Use a toothpick to pick up some gel color and stir into an icing bowl. I made 8 different shades of blues and greens (I ended up only using 7) by adding different amounts of gel coloring. A little goes a long way so start out light and move on from there.
• After your icing is colored, make sure it’s the right consistency for piping and flooding. This is a particularly helpful post on getting the consistency right. This is helpful too! When the consistency is right, spoon the icing into your piping bags and close them off. I just tie them off but I’ve seen some people use rubber bands.
• When you’re ready to pipe, cut a tiny corner off of the tipless piping bag. Outline the heart and then fill it in. Let dry for 1 hour, minimum. Pipe on conversation heart saying of choice. Let dry overnight.