Ingredients
2¼ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
½ teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
Using a medium bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, corn syrup, clear vanilla, almond extract, and milk. Stir until you have a smooth consistency with no lumps visible.
Evenly divide the icing between 4 small bowls. Add 3-5 drops of the desired gel food color to the icing in each of the separate bowls.
When you are ready to decorate your cookies, pour the icing into individual quart-size Ziploc bags or piping bags. Allow the iced cookies to sit for 12-24 hours to set and harden fully.
Notes
It is very important to only use gel food color, as liquid food color will dilute the icing, and it will not be the right consistency to set properly.
This icing can very easily be doubled. A single batch will make ¾ cup of icing, so you can adjust how much you make depending on your needs.
If you find your icing is too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar for a thicker consistency, and if it is too thick, you can add a little bit more additional milk.
You can also use a squeeze bottle for each color instead of the bags.
Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or baker’s spray.
Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix until combined, set aside.
Add butter and sugar to a medium to large mixing bowl and beat until creamy and well-combined, about 9 minutes.
Add the eggs and extracts to the butter mixture, then mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture in three parts and mix well.
Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Flour a work surface and roll out the dough until about ¼-inch thick.
Use a cookie cutter(s) and place shapes on prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 9 minutes or until just slightly beginning to brown. Using a spatula, remove cookies from the pan and place them on a cooling rack.
Allow the cookies to cool, then serve or decorate.
Notes
It is important not to skip the chilling step. Chilling the dough will cause less spreading when the cookies bake.
The cookie dough is perfect for all different shapes of cookie cutters and any time of year.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your cookies at the lower end of the recommended bake time.
If you’re adding sprinkles, be sure to add them right away after frosting. If you wait too long, the frosting will dry enough that the sprinkles will not stick as well.
