It's my favorite time of year you guys! I unabashedly love Valentine's Day with the passion of a thousand first kisses. Is there a better way to tell someone you love them than through food? I do not know of any better way, friends. So why not make a batch of these sugar cookies, decorate them all fancy pants and give them to your crush/partner/best friend/best dog/best stranger?
I encourage you to really decorate your heart out. Tint the icing with food coloring (or a little pomegranate or blueberry juice!), plot out your sprinkle patterns and just go for it.
Ingredients
Cookies
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
zest of one lemom
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons almond or rice or soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sprinkles, nuts and candy (if you wish)
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (do this while your dough is chilling).
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, extracts and zest until fluffy.
Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and stir until you form a ball of soft dough.
Turn dough out onto a big rectangle of plastic wrap. Cover up in the wrap and refrigerate for an hour or two.
Once chilled, roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut out desired shapes and repeat until all the dough is used up.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they turn golden brown at the edges.
Let cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Decorate and share!
Image via lydiawalshin's Flickr.