Blog Blitz #2: Sweetheart Sugar Cookies)

Last weekend, after a very busy baking bonanza, and getting everyone off on a sail race, I still wanted to work in the kitchen (I mean, I had it all to myself for an entire weekend! Who can give that up?) but I needed something no-hassle and fun. Of all things, I got the urge to make sugar cookies.

I love sugar cookies. They so remind me of being a kid. They are so simple to make, that they are easily whipped up and the dough chilled until little hands are bored. The recipe I used came from Nigella Lawson's "Feast" that I had bought on a seriously price-reduced table at the local Walmart last week. I know - Nigella on Sale? I've never seen it before either. I had to have it, although I do try to avoid Walmart at all costs (although they are the only place in town with silk ivy leaves and I was making a Peter Pan costume. Don't ask).

Once I got home and started looking through this glorious book, I realized that the problem was that all the recipes were in grams (not cups), which is the European way. But I figured I would just google a conversion and be done with it.

The first search result I got back from my question "how many cups is 200 g. of flour?" provided me the snarky answer "cups and grams are not interchangable. Deal with it and find a new recipe".

I thought that was very rude, but as I flipped through the other search results I realized that it didn't convert that well. You see, while we might be able to read the butter box and see how much butter is in a pound and a cup...flour is a different density, so it isn't the same.

The guy was right. Either get a scale, or move on.

Once I dug out the scale, it was easy. And the recipe was totally worth it (I also added one tsp. of almond extract to the icing for a little pep) because (especially when you keep them cool) these cookies are delicious.

Try them, they're worth the effort


Cut-Out Cookies
From Feast by Nigella Lawson

90 g. soft unsalted butter
100 g. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
200 g. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Icing
15o g. of icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. hot water
food colouring pastes

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Cream butter and sugar, the beat in egg and vanilla until well whipped
• Combine all dry ingredients separate
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until a thick dough (dough, but not tough)
• Wrap immediately in cling wrap and chill for 30 minutes
• Once chilled, turn out on to a floured board and roll 1/4 inch thick
• Cut out designs of your choice and bake 8-12 minutes until golden brown (the middle might still be a bit soft, but don't worry, it will set)
• Make icing by putting water in the bottom of the bowl with the almond extract and sift in sugar until you get a good stiff icing. Add pastes until you reach your desired colours (in my mind, the more colours the better)
• wait until cookies are entirely cool before icing