Sugar Cookies For A Party

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you'll know that my go-to party dessert is usually cake. But it's not always easy to make a cake fit into a theme party, without getting all Aces of Cakes on it. Enter the humble sugar cookie.





Cookie cutters come in all shapes and sizes, making it easy to tailor the dessert to your party's theme. For the dinosaur party last week, my friends and I found some dino cookie cutters at whisk (they were the inspiration for the whole party!). I used my mom's trusted sugar cookie recipe and frosted them in dino-inspired colors. There were blue dinosaurs, right?



Mom's Sugar Cookies
adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook
*Note: My mom likes to make these a day in advance so the frosting has a chance to soften the cookies a little bit. And don't skimp on the frosting. Ever, but especially with these cookies since they're a little hard straight from the oven.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream together sugar and butter with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Add the milk and vanilla, mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, stir just until mixed. The dough will be sticky and somewhat wet.

Shape dough into two balls and wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight.

When the dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out on a well-floured board. Roll to a little less than 1/4" thick (my family likes these cookies on the thick side, but you can make them thinner) and cut out shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (or 7-8 if your cookies are on the thin side) until the edges are just barely starting to brown. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick of butter, softened
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese
4-5 cups of powdered sugar, sifted

Cream together butter and cream cheese until well combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add food coloring, if desired.