Spring has sprung my sweet friends! The warmth is here, the flowers are all over the place saying hello, the trees are blooming beauties, and I have been running in shorts and a t-shirt! Life is beautiful!
I hope that everyone had an absolutely loving, family and chocolate filled Easter weekend, as mine was filled with far too many chocolate eggs that this morning I still feel as if I am in a coma—yes I ate that much. I decided to change gears a bit and go ahead and freeze most of my chocolate because 1. Out of sight out of mind, and 2. If you didn’t know already, frozen candy, in my family, means zero calories! Now who wants in with us?
So as I say goodbye to Mr. Bunny with his ears bitten off, I am saying Bonjour to my very simple sugar cookies and rather adorable cookie cutters, which I firmly believe that they are a staple in many a bakers life—I mean we can cut out so. Many. Things.
Cookies, candy, fudge, stencils, bread, cake—dare I go on?
Not to brag, but my wild animal + Eiffel Tower collection of cutters is rather fabulous, but I have been using them more as decorations lately than for baking…why Katie, why?!
And here we have it, an ever so simple and delicious sugar cookie recipe that allowed me to show off my goods in more ways than lining the kitchen! Something extra special that I am obsessing over with this recipe is the versatility of it. Yes, I decided to make them orange, but any flavors—citrus or not—are truly perfect with it. Add in crushed mints, put in multiple zests, how about extra sprinkles, they are all possible! Plus, can you just think at how cute and perfect these cookies will be for all things outdoors?! I mean, who doesn’t want a margarita and sugar cookie on the back porch? No one! Let's just add in a martini, margarita and wine glass to that cookie cutter collection of yours.
You’re welcome!
ingredients
Butter, room temperature—8 oz, or 2 sticks
Sugar—12.25 oz, or 1 ½ C
Eggs—1
Orange Extract—¼ tsp
Flour—15 oz, or 3 C
Salt—½ tsp
Baking Soda—¾ tsp
Orange Zest—1 medium
Milk—½ TBL
process
In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.
Once light and fluffy, add the egg and extract.
*You can use any flavor extract you would like, the orange just adds more depth and flavor.*
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients.
Add in the zest.
Once all combined, add in the milk.
When your dough is nice and smooth, remove from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap—put into the refrigerator to chill.
When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350˚ F.
Remove the dough from the fridge.
On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough to warm it up just slightly, this allows the dough to become slightly more pliable when you are rolling it out.
Roll out the sugar cookie dough until it is about ¼” thick.
*If it is easier for you, you may roll the dough out in sections so that you are working with less.*
Using whatever cookie cutters you have, stamp out as many as the rolled out dough will allow.
Place all cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment, a Silpat or sprayed with nonstick spray.
Put in the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes.
Repeat these steps until you have used all of your dough.
Before baking, you may either sprinkle with some coarse sugar, sprinkles, chocolate chips, whatever you’d like to decorate!
Place the cut, chilled and decorated cookies in the oven to bake for about 12-15 minutes, until just slightly golden on the edges.
Allow to cool on a rack, and enjoy with a cozy cup of tea!
Bon Appétit!