Brooke's Ultimate Sugar Cookies

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
• food coloring

Recipe

• 1 cream sugar and butter. mix in egg and flavorings.
• 2 blend dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture.
• 3 refrigerate 2 or 3 hours.
• 4 heat oven to 375*.
• 5 divide dough in half and roll out on lightly floured board 1/4 inch thickness. cut into shapes. sprinkle with plain or colored sugar -- or use the royal icing recipe below. place on lightly greased baking sheet. bake 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. makes 5 dozen 2 to 2 1/2 inch cookies.
• 6 royal icing.
• 7 in a microwave-safe bowl (i use a pyrex measuring cup) stir together until combined:.
• 8 2 large egg whites.
• 9 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar.
• 10 microwave on high 1 1/2 to 2 min until mixture is bubbly or it reaches 160°f
• 11 then add mixture to another 1 1/3 cups of powdered sugar and beat with an electric mixer at high speed (adding food coloring if desired while still runny) until the icing is cool and stiff peaks form when the beatersa re lifted out of the bowl.
• 12 keep a damp dishtowel over the bowl as you're working so it doesn't dry out -- and of you feel its getting too stiff, add a little water and stir or beat again -- its super easy to work with (i usually do mine with it the consistency of paint so it dries smooth on top) have fun!