Wedding Blog

Today my bridesmaids and I ventured into the wonderful world of Martha Stewart. We are planning on baking cookies for our out of town guests, and I will be placing them in pink gable boxes.

Our first attempt was a disaster. Our first clue should have been the 9 cups of flour that was required. Needless to say we will now be serving them at the wedding brunch as breakfast pancake flavored cookies.  The second attempt went much smoother. We had a plan. This time we were determined to produce cookies and not pancakes disguised as cookies. We were girls on a mission. And failure was not an option. Enter Martha Stewart.

And a few hours later, of course with tons of girly talk in betwen *ding* cookies are done! I was really pleased how they turned out aesthetically. We added edible silver balls for an understated sparkle, and the royal icing was really great to work with.

Will they rock your cookie world? Probably not. To be quite honest they still have the makings of a wannabe pancake. Darn that underlying pancake taste. But factoring look and taste I am quite satisfied.

Sugar Cookies - Makes 2 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons brandy, or milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With mixer running, add egg, brandy (or milk), and vanilla; mix until incorporated.

Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more. Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Decorate with Royal Icing.

Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies - Makes 2 1/3 cups

1 box confectioners’ sugar (1 pound)
5 tablespoons meringue powder, or 2 large egg whites
Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.

Miss Jelly Beans Out!