Spring Sugar Cookies and My Case for the Kitchen Scale

I've been wanting to try decorating with this icing for a while. I love it! It's super simple to make--just fondant icing sugar and water, and as long as you get the consistency right, it's keeps it shape well. Let it sit out until it's dry, and the icing won't smudge or rub off, so it's easy to transport and perfect for family picnics.

This is the first time that I've tried this, but it's definitely not the last! Decorating these cookies was entirely relaxing for me, and I think they look cute even if you don't get the icing perfect. But I'm excited to play around with them and try different patterns and decorations on the icing.

The sugar cookie recipe is really good as well! Like pie dough, you want the butter to be cold, and let the dough rest in the fridge for 2 hours, although you can make it up to 7 days in advance.

Before I get into the recipe, I wanted to make a case for using a kitchen scale while baking to weigh your ingredients rather than measure dry ingredients by volume like we do in the US. You can find electric kitchen scales for pretty cheap, and most of them will weigh both in metric and imperial, which makes conversion a cinch. Aside from conversions, weighing your dry ingredients is more accurate. The amount of flour you have in a cup can vary depending on if you scoop your flour (which compacts it and results in more), or pour the flour into the measuring cup. The same goes for sugar, etc. Therefore, if you measure by volume, the results can vary more than they would if you weigh your ingredients.

The second reason I prefer using scales (and suggest you use them as well) is that it is easier to get to grips and even memorise recipes. Bakers use percentages to easily memorise, bulk increase, decrease, and understand recipes, and they do these percentages by weight of the flour. If you know the percentage of wet to dry, sugar to flour, etc, it's easy to alter recipes to make them exactly how you want. Here's an example of baker's percentages for these sugar cookies:
300g plain (or all-purpose) flour (100% as the flour is the base point to break down the percentages)
150g sugar (50%, as 150 is half of 300)
150g unsalted butter (50%. Again, because 150g is half of 300g)
1 large egg (60g is the average weight of a large egg. 20% of flour)
2 tsp vanilla (8g. 2% of flour)

By looking at these ingredients (even without a title) I can tell that this is a dough recipe, and will be a dryer dough. Also, I can use any amount of flour, and still get the same result by adjusting the other ingredients to the correct percentage in relation to the flour. Let's say I was low on flour and didn't have enough for the recipe. I only have 100g of flour, so I would just adjust to the following: 50g sugar (50% of 100), 50g of butter, 20g of egg, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla.

The final thing this does is that it allows you to easily make substitutions. I haven't tested the texture, but theoretically, if you have someone who is allergic to eggs, you can substitute the egg for 20% flour weight of any appropriate egg substitute. While sometimes substitutes just won't work, it is a good way to understand and start experimenting with recipes to find what works for you, and cater to allergies.

Anyway, those are the reasons I prefer weighing my ingredients, and will do so no matter where in the world we are. Without further ado, here's the recipe for the sugar cookies and icing:

Sugar Cookies

300g plain (all-purpose) flour
150g granulated sugar
150g unsalted butter, cold
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon (optional)

Either with a food processor or pastry cutter, combine the butter, sugar, and flour until the texture of crumbs. In a second bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, and optional zest. Combine the egg with the flour/butter mixture, and mix until it is combined. Don't over-mix.

Dump dough out onto a sheet of cling film, and form into two balls. Wrap the balls separately and tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

When ready, preheat oven to 180º C / 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll one ball of dough out to 1/2cm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, and carefully place on prepared baking sheets. Repeat with second ball of dough.

Bake for 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack.

Icing

400g fondant icing sugar (this is available in Morrison's in the UK, and it *should* be available in supermarkets in the US)
Food colouring
Water

Sift the sugar into a bowl. Add water a few drops at a time, mixing after each addition. Add just enough water to make a thick paste. If it's too runny, add more sugar, if it's too thick, add more water.

Separate and dye the icing to any colour you want. When the cookies are cool, put the icing into a piping bag, and cut a tiny hole in the end of it (or use a writing icing tip). Pipe the outlines, then pipe the filling in. If there are any gaps, you can use a toothpick to fill them. Let the icing dry for several hours before you stack the cookies.