by Heather Naples

My favorite holiday memories include Christmas music, hot chocolate and sugar cookies. I have decorated holiday cookies with my mother each year for as long as I can remember. This holiday season I was able to continue that tradition but with my own daughter! It was a fun and messy adventure that I hope I will never forget. I am providing you with my favorite sugar cookie recipe and I hope you will use it to create memories of your own either baking with or baking for someone you love this holiday season.

Sugar Cookies

sugar cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 stick margarine
1 large egg
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1.  Beat margarine in large mixer for 1 minute.
2.  Add sugar. Mix 1 minute.
3.  Add in large egg.
4.  In separate bowl mix together flour, salt and baking powder.
5.  Add vanilla to wet mixture.
6.  Slowly add in flour mixture.
7.  Scoop contents of bowl onto plastic wrap. 8.  Cover securely and refrigerate overnight.
9.  Heat oven to 350 and bake 8-10 minutes.

Allow cookies to fully cool on drying rack before icing.

Royal Icing

mommy’s helper!

Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
6 tablespoons water

Directions:
1.  Lightly combine powdered sugar and meringue powder.
2.  Gradually mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3.  Mix well, about 10 minutes, until mixture appears glossy.
4.  If mixture is too stiff, add in additional water 1 tablespoon at a time. If mixture becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar one teaspoon at a time.

Royal Icing Tips:

•  Create a border around the outside of your cookie with the royal icing and allow that to dry (1-5 minutes) before icing (or “flooding”) the rest of the cookie.

•  Allow royal icing to fully dry before packaging or stacking on top of each other. Sometimes this may take 24 hours.

•  An easier icing tip: Check your local grocery store for premixed and pre-colored tubes of gel icing! These work great, are less hassle, and produce easy results!

Please see the video below* for instructions on how to decorate these exact sugar cookies using the royal icing, a squeeze bottle and toothpicks!