Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Royal Icing
- Pink, white or red gel food coloring
For Decorating
- Sprinkles
- Small candies
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- In a mixing bowl, or bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Mix in egg and extracts. Add in flour and salt and mix on low until just combined. Do not over mix or cookies may spread when baking.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness and cut 8 hearts for base and top, place on a cookie sheet and chill. Cut 8 more hearts and use a smaller heart cookie cutter to cut out the center of each cookie, leaving just the outline of the heart shape. Place big and little hearts on a cookie sheet and chill.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 7-9 minutes, until bottom just starts to brown. Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely
- Prepare Royal Icing. Pipe around edge of 4 base cookies. Next, pipe around edge of 4 center cookies. Stack cookies, leaving top heart off. Frost or pipe designs on top heart and let cookies dry. Fill cookies with candy or sprinkles.
Dixie Crystals Insight
Recipe developed by Terri Truscello Miller @LoveandConfections.