Little Bites of Love

A friend of mine and I needed to make cookies to donate to a fundraising event tomorrow, so we went ahead and made these pretty hearts. Children love sugar cookies (as do I), and since tomorrow's event centers around kids, we thought heart shaped sugar cookies would go over well. These were made using a sturdy dough that will hold up to being made ahead of time and the havoc that transport can wreak, with a royal icing, but I must recommend using the recipe below for the most awesome buttery, tender, delightful sugar cookies ever.

Royal icing gets really hard once it dries, so it's a perfect choice for a treat that needs to hold up well. I did post a simple recipe, but you may be much more pleased with my classic whiskey buttercream instead. There is hardly any alcohol in the frosting, just a hint, but it's what makes them so special. You just can't quite pinpoint what that flavor is when you're eating them! If you make these butter cookies with this special frosting, I can almost guarantee they won't last long, maybe two days if you're lucky (and have some self restraint). You'll want to make them over and over again, for all holidays or special cookie-deserving celebration.

Buttery Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

Combine softened butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, soda, salt, soda, and cream of tartar, beating until well mixed. If dough is too sticky, you may need to wrap it in plastic and chill.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Divide dough in half. Roll out on a well-floured surface to 1/4" thickness (not too thin or they won't be as soft and tender). Cut into shapes and place onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2" apart.

Bake for 7-10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whiskey Butter Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp whiskey

3-4 tbsp milk

Beat butter and powdered sugar until crumbly. Add vanilla and whiskey on low speed. Slowly add milk, 1 tbsp at a time, until desired spreading consistency.

Royal Icing

1 lb powdered sugar

5 tbsp meringue powder

1/3 cup water

juice from one lemon

Beat on high speed until whipped. You may need to add more water, depending on the consistency desired. An easy frosting trick is to first pipe icing around the edge of the cookie. Add a bit more water to make the rest of the icing more fluid, and then lightly spread it in the "shell" to fill in the outline. If using decors, sprinkle them immediately on, as the icing dries quickly.