The Perfect Almond Vanilla Rollout Cookies

This recipe is one that I've created over the last few years while decorating cookies, and is now the only vanilla sugar cookie recipe I use. I love this cookie dough because it holds it's shape well and tastes SO good. Enjoy!!

1. 
   
   
   The Perfect Almond Vanilla Rollout Cookies
   
   Yield approximately 25-30 medium sized cookies
   
   Ingredients:
   
   
   • 2 c. butter (at room temp)
   • 2 c. sugar
   • 2 large eggs
   • 1 tsp. salt
   • 2 tsp vanilla
   • 1/4 tsp almond emulsion or 1/2 tsp. almond extract
   • 5 3/4 c. all purpose flour
   Instructions:
   1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar for 7 minutes on medium speed with the paddle attachment. Beat in eggs just until combined.
   2. Add salt, vanilla and almond emulsion mixing for about 10 seconds on low.
   3. Add in flour and mix until dough is pulling clean from the sides of the bowl. In humid weather add up to 1/4 cup more flour if needed.
   4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.
   5. Remove dough from the fridge and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
   6. To roll out, put dough on top of parchment paper in between two 1/4" wooden dowels. Then roll out with a roller and cut desired shapes.
   7. Put shapes onto a greased cookie sheet and put in freezer for 10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
   8. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack.
   9. Decorate! You can find my royal icing recipe here.

Christmas Lambs and Candy Cane Cookies {easy picture tutorial for lamb with a flower cutter!}

So dang happy Christmas is just around the corner! Our house is nuts right now with my husband in the middle of his law finals, and me in the middle of my undergrad finals (with lots of cookie orders on top of that). Of course, it's always crazy at the Bowen house what with the 3 year old and 20 month old little boys tearing around. 

I hope to do at least one more tutorial for Christmas, but for now here is a very simple lamb cookie using a flower cutter. You could even do this in buttercream and add little eyes or a bow to the lamb. 

What you'll need:

- thick black icing

- thick white icing in a bag with a #2 tip

- flower cookie cutter

First fill in a little black head and ears right in the middle of your cookie. I didn't wait for mine to dry, but you can if you'd like. To start on the 'wool', just add small dots close together until eventually the entire cookie is filled in. Add more dots in any areas where the cookie is showing and voila! You've got your very simple lamb cookies (which go great with some very simple candy canes). 

I love getting emails with questions and pictures of cookies you've made inspired by things on my blog! I love seeing others work and hearing their stories, so thank you to all of you who have sent me emails and left comments. As for tutorial requests, I will really try to get around to all of them as quickly as possible :) Just be patient with me!

Happy cookie-ing!!

xoxoxo,

Caitlin