Recipe: Amanda’s amazing sugar cookies

Amanda’s amazing sugar cookies

Submitted by Amanda Rettke of Shafer, Minn.

“This recipe was groundbreaking for me in that it changed how I perceived myself in the kitchen. I am not a great cook and am still a beginning baker, but this recipe is one of those magical concoctions that can transform even the most horrific of wannabe chefs.”

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus chilling time for the dough and decorating time

Servings: About 7 dozen cookies

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Amanda’s amazing icing1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 drop lemon juice

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon milk, more or less as desired

Food coloring, if desired

Flavored extracts, if desired

In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and corn syrup. Whisk in milk to make a thick, spreadable icing. If coloring the icing with liquid food coloring, you might want to add a little less milk as the coloring will dilute the frosting. For different flavors, add drops of vanilla, almond or lemon extract. For shinier icing, use a little more corn syrup and a little less milk. The frosting will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Amanda’s amazing sugar cookies and assembly

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons almond extract

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Amanda’s amazing icing

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, until combined, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.

2. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly beat the flour mixture in with the butter mixture until combined to form a smooth dough.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or until well chilled.

4. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about one-eighth inch. Cut out cookie shapes from the dough. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

5. Remove from the sheets and cool completely before icing. Ice as desired.

Each of 7 dozen cookies: 80 calories; 1 gram protein; 11 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 4 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 19 mg cholesterol; 6 grams sugar; 36 mg sodium.