There
is no better way to say “Be My Valentine” without a tasty treat to win over
their hearts! If you’re anything like me you’re reading this because you love
to bake. In my case, I always bake treats for gifts, parties, friends, work,
holidays, or even just as a treat for myself. Buttercream cookies are my
favorite go to cookies that look super cute and fun to eat. My family owns a
third generation bakery in North Carolina, so I’ve been baking my entire life!
So
today is your lucky day! I’m going to share three of our family recipes for our
delicious homemade Buttercream Cookies with dipping icing and Buttercream
icing! Let’s get baking!
So
we are going to start by baking the dough for the cookies and then while they
are baking, we will work on making the icing. Very
important note: dipping icing for these cookies has to stay hot because
when cooled it will become hard and you will not be able to manage the icing.
The buttercream icing is easier to manage and does not harden over time, but we
have found way easier to work with when it is at room temperature.
Ingredients for Dough
-2 cups all-purpose
flour, plus more for rolling
-1/2 teaspoon baking
powder
-1/4 teaspoon of
salt
-1/2 cup (1 stick)
unsalted butter, room temperature
-1 cup granulated
sugar
-1 large egg
-1 teaspoon vanilla
extract
Directions for Dough
1.
In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer,
mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With
mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until combined. Divide dough
in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic and put in the fridge to
freeze until firm (minimum 20 minutes). If there is too much dough and you will
not be using it all in one day, you can place the dough in a re-sealable bag
and place in the freeze up to 3 months.
2.
Now is the time to roll out the disks and choose your favorite cookie cutter!
With the cookie cutter, cut the cookies and place on a baking tray from baking.
If you are using a cookie tray, lightly spray the tray with Pam or spread a
thin layer of Crisco just so the cookies will not stick to the tray. If you
don’t have either of these non-stick methods around your house just simply put
down a baking liner to line the tray.
3.
Place cookies in the oven and bake rotating the tray half way through, or until
edges are golden brown. Set aside to completely cool before trying to ice. If
cookies are iced before cooling properly the dipping icing will not stick and
you will be left with a mess and not a cookie!
Ingredients for Dipping Icing
-3 cups
confectioners’ sugar
-3 tablespoons white
corn syrup
-1-1/2 teaspoons
unsalted butter, melted
-1/4 cup water
-1/2 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
-food coloring of
your choice to color icing
Directions for Dipping Icing
1. Mix all of the
ingredients with a hand mixer on medium for 1 minute.
2. Scrap the bowl
and beat again for about 10 seconds.
After
the Dipping icing is made set aside until cookies are cooled. The icing will be
hard by the time the cookies are cooled, but that’s okay! All we have to do is,
when ready to use, is heat the icing up in the microwave starting with 1 minute
and then 30 second intervals, stirring in between. We want the icing to be
runny but not like water. The consistency need to be like warm cheese. If at
any time during the dipping process the icing becomes hard again just repeat
this process again so that the cookies won’t break in half when dipping.
When
dipping the cookies, take it one cookie at a time. Place the cookie face down
in the icing covering just the top of the cookie; spin the cookie in a circular
motion while lifting up out of the icing. This will give you a flat surface
rather than clumps of icing on the top of the cookie. Place cookie back on the
cookie tray to dry. The icing will become hard and then it will be time to
decorate. Repeat this process until all cookies are all iced.
Place
cookies on a cute tray, or in a box for display! And of course, you have to eat
one to make sure they are Valentine’s Day worthy! The person receiving these
cookies will be the luckiest Valentines in the world, how could they say no to
you?
- Tabatha B.
