Spring Sugar Cookies

I love these cookies!  The cookie dough itself is easy and very tasty but what I really love is that each cookie is like a canvas for creativity and design.  I'm sharing one technique for decorating but use your imagination.  

Cookie dough:
4 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup of powdered sugar
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy.  Toss in the lemon zest.  Now add the eggs, mixing one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated.  Next the vanilla.  Finishing by adding the flour, baking powder and salt and mix on low until blended.

Turn the dough out on to a counter and with a light touch, form it into 2 discs.  Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  

Work with 1 disc at a time and roll it out to approximately 1/2 thick.  Be sure to flour your surface first. You may need to set the disc out and let it warm up a bit if the dough has been chilling for more than an hour.    Use any cookie cutter you like.  I used a bunny, umbrella and flower.  Place your cut outs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until the bottom edges start to lightly brown.  Remember that baking times vary depending on your oven's temperature.  These cookies should be very pale but baked through.  You can re-roll any scrapes to make more cookies.

Cookie glaze:
2 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup 
2 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Food coloring

Mix the above ingredients together until smooth.  For the technique I'm showing you, you want the glaze to be slightly thick but still pourable.  You may need to add more milk or powder sugar to get this consistency.  Just add small amounts at a time.

Place some of the glaze in a shallow bowl.  Make sure that your baked cookies will fit in that bowl before you start.  Now add a small amount of food coloring to your bowl of glaze.  I use gel food coloring from Wilton.  I feel like I have more control over the amount I use and I like the fact that it doesn't add more liquid to my glaze.  Using a toothpick, start to swirl the color through the glaze until you are happy with the design.  Now gently dip the cookie into the glaze and lift straight up.  You may need to rotate your wrist a bit once you lift the cookie out of the bowl to get the excess glaze back in the bowl.  Place glazed cookie on a cooling rack or on parchment to set.  Continue on with the rest of your cookies.  You can also pull other colors through the glaze as you go along.  If you notice that there are a few bubbles on your glazed cookie, just gently pop them with a toothpick before they dry. Let the cookies dry uncovered for 24 hours.  Each cookie becomes a work of art!