Decorated Sugar Cookies

​​I've partnered with Five Acre Farms to spread the word that June is National Dairy Month! Local dairy farmers across the US are having a super hard time because of the low prices of conventionally-produced dairy products. We can help by buying local dairy products, which are almost always higher  quality, transparently-sourced, ethically-produced and better tasting!! I feel so lucky that here in NY we have family-run farms and cooperatives like Five Acre Farms supplying us with awesome local  dairy items.

I made these cookie cows with super fresh Five Acre Farms eggs. I just love how the farmer's story is inside each egg carton. The "pasture" is made from chives and lantana from my garden. You can get the cookie & icing recipe below. 
​
My love for buying local food whenever possible started about 20 years ago, back when i was living in San Francisco and frequenting the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. It soon became my Saturday am ritual. I'd stay for hours, getting to know the farmers, and eventually i started working there. My meals seemed even more delicious with that added dimension of knowing where my food comes from, and that sense of community that forms when you are connected to the source.

---

​SUGAR COOKIES
Yield: About 3 dozen 2.5" cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3.5 cups all-purpose flour (425 grams)
 
You will also need:
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
wax paper
kitchen scale -- weighing the flour is the most accurate way to go!

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or baking mat.
2. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add baking powder, salt, vanilla. mix for one minute. Add egg. mix until well-combined.
3. Stir in flour just until incorporated and smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over mix. Dough should be firm and hold together well, but should no longer be sticky. It should easily fall away from sides of bowl and paddle. You may need to add a little more flour to achieve the above result -- add 1 Tbsp at a time and mix.
4. Divide dough in quarters and place each quarter on a sheet of wax paper. form into a flat disc. Cover disc with another sheet of wax paper, sandwiching the dough between the two sheets.
5. Roll out to a 1/4" thickness, smoothing any creases that develop in wax paper.
6. Peel away & replace one sheet of wax paper (this will prevent dough from sticking when cutting cookies, and keep work surface clean). flip "sandwich" over & remove top sheet of wax paper, leaving other sheet underneath dough.
7. Cut out cookies & place on baking sheet, 1" apart. 
8. Roll out scraps & repeat, until all dough is used up. you may need to refrigerate the rolled out scraps if they become to warm & sticky. Repeat these steps with the other discs.
9. At this point, you have two options: you could decorate cutouts with sprinkles/colored sugar. Or you could bake them first, and then ice them once they've cooled. Icing recipe below.
10. Bake in a preheated oven 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges. Cool two minutes on baking sheets. Place on wire racks to cool completely.

ROYAL ICING
 
Ingredients:
4 cups confectioners' sugar (about 1 lb.)
7-8 tablespoons warm water
optional: 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to replace some of water. (the lemon cuts the sweetness)  
3 tablespoons meringue powder (i like Wilton)
1/8 tsp salt

Method:

1. Mix water (and lemon juice, if using it), meringue powder, salt (and vanilla powder) until combined.
2. Using an electric mixer, combine water mixture with powdered sugar. pulse till just incorporated.
3. Stir at low speed until smooth. Do not overmix. 
4. Apply icing to completely cooled cookies!

 
Tips:

• For colored icing, add a drop or two of food coloring — remember one drop goes a long way, So, add one drop at a time & mix till you get the desired shade.  
• If adding sprinkles, do so within 1-2 minutes of icing the cookie, before icing starts to harden.
• You can make a thicker consistency if you want to do decorative piping. Simply increase the proportion of dry to wet ingredients.
• Store any unused icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one month.​