Just Sugar Cookies
Just Sugar Cookies
Makes: Up to 150 cookies, and enough icing for about 2 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS:
Dough (makes up to 150 cookies)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 3 eggs, well beaten
- 1 & ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Maple Icing (makes enough to ice about 2 dozen cookies)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- sprinkles for decorating
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 375°. Whisk the flour and nutmeg together in a medium bowl. Set aside. Place the room temperature butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the butter and sugar are very well incorporated and have become light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn the mixer’s speed to low and add in the beaten eggs. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the baking soda into the buttermilk. With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour into the stand mixer and, once blended, add ½ of the buttermilk. Continue, adding an additional 1/3 of the flour, followed by the remaining buttermilk, and then finally the last of the flour, mixing well between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl down as needed.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, bringing it together and pressing down to form a large square about 1 inch thick. Cut into four equal pieces and wrap each piece completely in plastic wrap. If saving for later, place the squares of dough into a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer until ready to bake. Remove from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before baking. If baking that same day, transfer the covered squares of dough to the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes, giving the dough a chance to rest and harden up a bit in the cold, making it easier to roll out.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place one square of the dough on a well-floured countertop. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a large square, about ¼ inch thick. Use cookie cutters
or a biscuit cutter to create your preferred shapes, placing the cookies onto the baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned and slightly puffed up, keeping a close eye. Remove from the
oven and let the cookies remain on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely for icing.
While the cookies are cooling, make the icing. Place the powdered sugar in a large bowl and whisk to break up any clumps. In a separate bowl, add the cream and mix in the maple syrup and vanilla. Whisking constantly, slowly pour the cream into the powdered sugar until a golden glaze is formed (you may not need to use the entire cup of cream).
Once the cookies are fully cooled. Drizzle the glaze over top of the cookies or dip them face-side down into the glaze to cover the top. Decorate with sprinkles as desired and enjoy!
From Season 6, Episode 6