Cupcake Sugar Cookies

It was my BFF daughters 1st birthday over the weekend and she asked me to make the cake, I deciced to do a cupcake themed cake. I also made sugar cookies and white choc cupcakes to go along with the cake. For the sugar cookies I used Martha Stewarts recipe.

Martha Stewart Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing.
Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen 4-inch cookies


4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and more if needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing

Directions

1.Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Turn out dough, and divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

2.Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to just under 1/4-inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Chill in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out cookies using desired cutters or templates. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets as you work. Roll out scraps, and repeat once. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Chill cookies in freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes.

3.Bake cookies, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Decorate with Royal Icing. (Cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.)


Royal Icing
Ingredients

Makes 5 cups


2 pounds confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed

2/3 cup water, plus more if needed

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons meringue powder (wilton.com)

Gel-paste food coloring (sugarcraft.com)

Directions

1.Mix sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.) Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved; if making more than 1 color, divide icing and work in batches. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before using.


Read more at Marthastewart.com: Royal Icing - Martha Stewart Recipes
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Sugar Cookies - Martha Stewart Recipes