No Fail Sugar Cookies & Royal Icing

My extremely talented friend Jami makes cookies and cakes for weddings and events. Recently she made and decorated some cookies for an Eagle Court of Honor. I had to take care of some other assignments so I never made it to the refreshment table. On the way home, my husband raved about the cookies. They looked perfect. They tasted perfect. I told him, "I bet Jami made those." He said, "No way, those cookies were too perfect. They bought them." (Well...yes, they did...Jami is a professional.)


Now, keep in mind. Neither my husband or I are huge fans of sugar cookies. All of my sisters have these traditions of decorating sugar cookies with their kids around the holidays. I've always wanted to do that but it always seems so wasteful to me. It always ends with me throwing them in the trash. Afterall, if I don't like them, why would I deliver them to someone else? I've tried several recipes over the year but to no avail. Nothing appeals.

So, I begged and pleaded with Jami to share her recipe. And guess what? She posted it to her blog and gave permission for me to post it here. So, for all of the sugar cookie grinches out there like me...give it one more try and prepare to be converted.

The link to Jami's post of the sugar cookie recipe is here. You can check out her gallery here but be aware that Jami has recently announced a temporary hiatus from her profession in the interest of her family. Here's hoping she is back at it soon.

No Fail Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
6 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

2 cups butter (make sure it is at room temp)

2 cups sugar (white granulated)

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

Instructions
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes in a kitchenaid mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to the butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
Chill for 1 hour.
Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. (This recipe is great because it holds it shape even when using complex cookie cutters)

Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350
degrees for 8 to 10 minutes (in my oven they bake for 6 min. 45 sec) or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Antonia74 Royal Icing
Ingredients
3/4 cup of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 bag (2.25 lbs.) powdered icing sugar

Instructions
In kitchenaid mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
Pour in all the powdered sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.

Let me just warn you though that royal icing can be very tricky the first few times you use it. The consistency is VERY important...too runny or too thick and it can be a disaster.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (Breadmachine Option)

These are our favorite cinnamon rolls. We also make orange rolls with this base recipe. See the directions for the orange roll alternative at the end of this post.


Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe #76864 | 1¼ hours | 1 hour prep |

By: Lightly Toasted
Nov 18, 2003

These are THE BEST cinnamon rolls! The recipe is from Todd Wilbur's MORE TOP SECRET RECIPES. Ooooey, goooey and rich! The dough can easily be prepared in your bread machine, just follow your manufacturer's order of ingredients. I put the ingredients in the night before, and then roll out and bake in the morning.

SERVES 12 (change servings and units)
Change to: Servings US Metric Close


Ingredients

* 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
* 1 cup warm milk
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1/3 cup margarine
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 4 cups flour

FILLING

* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
* 1/3 cup margarine, softened

ICING

* 8 tablespoons margarine
* 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
* 1/4 cup cream cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. For the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.
2. Add sugar, margarine salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.
3. Knead the dough into a large ball, using your hands dusted lightly with flour.
4. Put in a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 21 inches long by 16 inches wide.
6. It should be approx 1/4 thick.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
8. To make filling, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
9. Spread the softened margarine over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the surface.
10. Working carefully, from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge.
11. Cut the dough into 1 3/4 inch slices, and place in a lightly greased baking pan.
12. Bake for 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
13. While the rolls are baking combine the icing ingredients.
14. Beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.
15. When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.


Orange Rolls

Make the dough as shown in recipe above. Replace filling and frosting as shown below.

FOR THE FILLING:

* 3 Tablespoons softened Butter (not melted)
* ½ cups Sugar
* 2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Rind

Roll dough into a large rectangle. Brush with softened butter and sprinkle with mixture of sugar and orange rind (or sugar and cinnamon). Roll up from the long side.


FOR THE FROSTING:

* 4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
* 1 pound Powdered Sugar, Or As Needed
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla
* 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice, Or More, To Desired Consistency

For the frosting, combine frosting ingredients and mix well. Vary the amount of powdered sugar and orange juice as needed to achieve a spreadable frosting. Spread over rolls while still hot.

Added 10/2/11 -- Here is another orange glaze and cinnamon roll glaze I tried this weekend that we really liked. The cinnamon roll glaze was a little lighter which I really preferred.

Orange Glaze:
1 c. confectioner’s sugar
2 TBL orange juice
1/4 tsp. orange extract or grated orange peel

Cinnamon Roll Icing:

• 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups