Roll-Out Sugar Cookie Tips/Tricks

Hello, happy Foodie Friday. I mentioned last week that my daughter’s birthday was in June and we did a Minnie Mouse theme. I made cake as well as cupcakes and cookies. The cupcakes and cookies were for one birthday party (at the lake, cupcakes make for easy transport and distribution) and the cake was for her other birthday party (with family at home).

I took cake decorating classes, but we never really worked with cookies. I had to do a little research on how to decorate cookies and I want to share some tips and tricks that I learned, plus my favorite recipe for making sugar cookies for decorating. I have a whole other favorite sugar cookie recipe if you aren’t decorating with icing!

· When it says butter should be at room temperature, make sure it is at room temperature. Baking is a scientific method where cooking is more art. You need to be precise and putting the butter in the microwave to “come to room temperature” doesn’t really work well. It just messes with the consistency of the butter. The standard “room temp” degrees is about 70. You don’t have to put a thermometer against the butter, but keep that in mind for room temperature.

· Even if your recipe doesn’t call for placing the dough in the refrigerator, do it, trust me. 15-30 minutes max. This allows the butter to harden up a smidge and makes it easier to roll out your sugar cookie dough recipe as well as hold the shape when moving from the cutting board to the cookie sheet.

· Also, placing a cooler cookie in the oven allows the outside to hold the shape a little longer allowing the middle to melt and bake to help with uniform cookies.

· Place parchment paper on your cookie sheet. It makes it easier to transfer cookies off the sheet when they come out of the oven, allows a nice golden crust on the cookies while baking, and better yet, makes clean up a cinch.

· There is a method to the madness in the order to add ingredients. Butter and sugar is always creamed together first before adding wet ingredients. You also add wet ingredients before the dry ingredients. And go ahead, even if it makes another bowl dirty, mix the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet ingredient mixture.

· Adding the butter to the sugar and mixing has a purpose. It allows air to incorporate into the mixture. It also allows the sugar to start breaking down. So beat it for 3-5 minutes to make sure you have the sugar broken down as well as making sure that there is air added to the mixture for a fluffier cookie. Go ahead and scrape down the mixer bowl to make sure all the butter is incorporated and then beat it for another 1-3 minutes just for good measure.

· Make sure to check the weather. The higher the humidity, the harder it is to get the moisture out of your cookie and your cookie will tend to be a little more on the flat side. Being inside an air conditioned house during the summer helps with that a little, but if you’re having trouble, check the weather outside.

· Use real butter. It’s the right thing to do. These treats are supposed to be treats in moderation, so it’s okay.

There are many more and I could probably go on for days, but I’ve probably bored you so let’s move to this recipe I found.