VALENTINE’S DAY SUGAR COOKIES

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until creamy.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Add then vanilla and beat until smooth.

Gradually add the dry ingredients until blended.  The dough will be tacky.

Divide dough into 3 equal parts and place one lump of the dough on a large sheet of parchment or wax paper.  Top the dough with another sheet of paper and press the dough into a flat even disk with your hands.  Roll the dough between the paper into an even round about ¼” inch thick.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Stack the dough sheets on a cookie sheet and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350° and top your baking sheet with parchment paper.  Remove one of the dough/paper sheets from the fridge (keep the others cold until you are ready to use them).  Remove top sheet of  paper from the dough and, using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes.  Transfer the cookies to prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 3-4″ apart.  If you are not icing the cookies you can decorate before baking with colored sugars and sprinkles.  If you are icing them, cook plain and you will add icing decorations after they have cooled.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden.  Cool on wire racks.

Repeat with remaining dough.  Form any scraps into a ball and roll them out on a lightly floured countertop to ¼” and cut more cookies.  Repeat until all of the scraps are used.  (If dough becomes too soft, return to refrigerator for 10-15 minutes).

If you are icing the cookies, let cool completely and then spread icing (recipe below) over the tops of the cookies and decorate with sprinkles or colored sugars.

Royal Icing:

2 egg whites, room temperature

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

food coloring (optional)

Combine the whites and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixture.  Beat with the whisk attachment until frothy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar and whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-6 minutes.  Spread the frosting on the cookies with an offset spatula or use a piping bag to neatly frost cookies.  Sprinkle with sugars or sprinkles if desired while the frosting is wet.  Let set for 2-3 hours for the frosting to harden.