It’s true! I received my first gift from a reader!
It was my aunt, but it still counts!! *Thanks Aunt Mimi!!* I knew I had to feature it on the blog, and it lined up perfectly because I am to bring cookies to Easter lunch at my sisters.
One of our favorite cutout cookie recipes is Sour cream cookies. They are so delicious. Similar to sugar cookies, but different enough to think about them randomly at 1am at night with a mad craving.
The thing with the recipe that I completely forgot about was how many it made. I was thinking that I might need to double it, having to feed it to the fam and maybe have a couple leftovers for The Chef, Little man, and myself.
Yea… I made probably about 4-5 dozen, and didn’t even bake half of the dough….
Just FYI.
We’ve had this recipe for as long as I can remember. It has become a fast tradition to bake these up in weird different shapes, depending on what the season calls for. We usually just bake them and get to lazy to decorate a whole bunch at one time so we just frost them as we go. But whatever floats your boat.
For the pictures, I decorated the cookies with Royal icing. I see Martha Stewart with all of her gorgeous magazine cover cookies and have desperately wanted to try them. This was my first attempt. They might not be ready for their cover shot just yet… Without a doubt, I need more practice.
That’s half the fun right??
At least I have a lot of cookies to practice on.
Uuuuhhh….
Anyways, I highly encourage you that you try this recipe.
Sour Cream Cookies– This is the single batch amount.
1 Cup Butter
2 Eggs
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 1/2 Cups AP Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Nutmeg
First, put sour cream and baking soda in a separate bowl and combine. Let is rise for a couple minutes.
In the mean time, combine butter, sugar, and eggs (one at a time).
Add in sour cream mixture.
(It’s going to look regular on top, but when you start scrapping it into the big bowl, you’ll see the “bubble” texture that it attained.)
Sift the flour, salt, and nutmeg together.
Slowly add it to the wet mixture. Chill the dough for at least 1-2 hours. It can even go overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 375˚. Roll out dough to 1/4″-1/2″ thick. Be sure to use plenty of flour. It’s going to be sticky. I used my handy dandy pastry clothe. Less clean up=more fun.
Cut out whatever shape that pleases you. I for one love my spring time/Easter cookies.
Bake for 5 minutes at least. Check to see if it needs extra time. It will depend on your thickness and how big your cutouts are. 5-7 minutes should get you pretty close though.
Royal icing if you dare…
2 Egg Whites
2 tsp Lemon Juice
3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
You want the “edging” icing to be thicker. This is where you outline your cookies with just a thin amount of icing, and let dry. When royal icing is left out in the air, it gets hard, which is perfect for icing decorative cookies, but make sure the icing is covered or in an air tight container when you’re not using it right away (while decorating) because it does harden pretty quickly.
To “flood” the cookies, the icing needs to be a little thinner, so it’s easier to spread. Use a wide tip knife or frosting spreader to fill the icing in completely inside the edging. Spread the icing even across the top of the edging so it’s seamless.
To give decorative flare, you need thicker royal icing. Just like the edging. Yes, it’s a lot of work. Give yourself plenty of time and a stress-free area, because it takes your full attention if you’re doing it for the first time.
And maybe grab yourself a comfy chair… Or have your significant other on hand for an impromptu shoulder/back massage.
Like I said, I need more practice to get to the legendary Martha Stewart level.
I think for the kids I’ll be making plain ol’ colored buttercream. But at least the cutouts look fantastic! Even without any icing! Winner winner chicken dinner.
I mean, if more people want to send me stuff so it can be featured on here, I wouldn’t hate it 😉 This was a ton of fun!
Happy Easter everyone!!!
-The Wife… And The Chef with crumbs on his face.
maryanna lake says
Oh my goodness! Am I famous or what! I love your frosting designs. They are beautiful. I can almost taste them. Good for you. Thank you for the mention. Aunt Mimi
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