Bridal Shower Favors

Recently I was asked to bake and decorate some sugar cookies that would serve as favors for a bridal shower.  You can imagine how flippin’ excited I was, MY FIRST ORDER EVER!!!!

As soon as my friend asked me to create these cookies for her best friends shower I knew I had to find the PERFECT sugar cookie recipe.

After baking up 3 different recipes, I was about ready to give up.  Sure- the cookies would look nice but the taste was important to me! I wanted the guests at this shower to really say “YUM” when they bit in, not just “OH and AW” over its exterior.

So the hunt continued until I came across Ashlee’s Famous Sugar Cookie Recipe in Courtney’s blog: Cook Like A Champion.  I had also heard wonders of this recipe on the What’s Cooking board I frequent so I decided to give it a shot! And boy, I’m so glad I did.  The cookies came out FANTASTIC!!!  Not only did they taste great but they held their shape up  pretty good.  The trick is to make sure you let the dough cool, then once you cut it into the shapes you want, let them cool on the baking sheet in the fridge.  I let mine cool the 2nd time around for about 20 minutes.

Ashlee’s Famous Sugar Cookies

From: Cook Like A Champion, Originally From A Year in the Kitchen

-1 1/2 cups butter

-1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

-1/2 cup powdered sugar

-4 eggs

-1 tsp. vanilla

-1/2 tsp. almond extract

-1 tbsp. lemon zest

-5 cups flour

-2 tsp. baking powder

-1 tsp. salt

-Powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.

Add in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.

Add in vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.

Beat for 10 seconds.

Add in baking powder and salt, beat again.

Add in flour 1 c. at a time, mix for 15 seconds between each addition.

Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.

Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.

Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for about 7 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.

I think the secret to the amazing taste in these cookies is the lemon zest!  I even added a tiny bit of lemon extract to the mix for an extra lemony flavor and I’m pretty sure it paid off!!

I topped the cookies with Royal Icing (using meringue powder) decorations.  It was my first real time working with royal icing so I made sure to practice on my Wilton Practice Board.  For being my first time I have to say I’m pretty dang proud of how they turned out.

And from what I’m told they were a huge hit at the shower and everyone loved them, including the bride (it was a surprise for her).  My friend (who made the order) had a few leftovers and said her husband really enjoyed them as well!  (As did the hubs with the cookie scraps that I had leftover! haha).

Next time you want to bake up some scrumptious sugar cookies- be sure to give this recipe a try!!!
I can’t wait till I get to bake them again- these cookies have now given me a new obsession with cookie cutters!!! haha.