Tempt My Tummy Lollipop Cookies

My big girl turned 6 on Saturday and wanted me to make cookies for her to take to school on Friday. I have tons of great cupcake ideas..but the girl doesn't like cake (which will not stop me from making a cake for her party this Saturday). She loves frosting so I figured these would work! She liked them. They were very tasty and they held their shape well. I usually try to avoid any cookie like this but it went surprisingly quick. It was a good idea to bake them one day and frost them the next.

It made a TON of dough so I cut out hearts that I am going to give for teacher Valentine gifts. I made them last Wednesday, decorated the lollipop ones on Thursday...I'm not decorating the heart ones until tomorrow but I've been diligently "testing" them to make sure they don't get unflavorful or stale. So far, so good.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
6 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

2 cups butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I used a little extra vanilla)

1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below that works REALLY WELL) Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3 inch cookies. If you want to make it a lollipop cookie, place a stick under each cookie. The cookie will bake right on to it.

HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess -- Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies. This is such an easy process and saves a ton of time.

The icing I used comes from Confetti Cakes for Kids cookbook.

Royal Icing

1/2 cup egg whites

4 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

food coloring

Beat the egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Scrape the bowl when needed. Add lemon juice and beat on medium high speed until stiff peaks form and the icing is no longer shiny, 6 to 8 minutes. Use immediately or place in an airtight container.

When decorating cookies like those above....

1. Pipe a small boarder of icing around the edge of each cookie - do all of the cookies.

2. Make thinner frosting of the same color as your boarder and flood the cookie - one cookie at a time.

3. Right after you flood the cookie, add your designs with other colors. This way it will all dry smooth.

Visit Blessed with Grace for more Tempt My Tummy recipes!