Soft Sugar Cookies and Frosting

The soft sugar cookie recipe is from allrecipes.com by Georgie Bowers and the sugar cookie frosting is also from allrecipes.com by JBS box.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 8 Minutes
Ready In: 3 Hours
Servings: 48

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour (and a ½ cup to roll the dough out)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened on stovetop
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Parchment paper

Directions:
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Tips: Just when the center doesn't look wet anymore, take them out! If you like soft sugar cookies, roll them out thicker. If you like them crispy, roll them thinner.

I also substitute 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup powdered sugar instead of the 1 1/2 cup white sugar. The consistency of the dough is nicer that way.

You can also roll these out in powdered sugar instead of flour.

If you divide the dough into 4 sections, wrap each in plastic wrap or something and freeze while working on one section then you'll won't have to deal with sticky dough as much. It's much easier to work with if it's chilled.

Frosting:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Tips:

I love this icing/frosting because I'm not a huge fan of a lot of fluff on my cookies. This is perfect for me. It looks very wet...make sure it's dry before stacking cookies.

I use spoons, measuring spoons, etc to apply on the cookies and smear. And I seperate the frosting in little bowls and add the food coloring that way.

I add small amounts of milk (1 tsp at a time) to get the consistency that I want. DO NOT add more corn syrup to get the consistency you want---that will make it so the frosting never dries.

You can add flavors to the frosting. I like almond or vanilla.