Frosted Sugar Cookies

1. BEFORE YOU BEGIN - Please remember that it is always best to follow the metric measurements when baking (grams & ml) for the most accurate results! If you would like to use US measurements, tap on the serving size and then click "US" to adjust the measurements (not recommended but it is always an option if needed).

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer) cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until it’s pale in color and smooth in texture (3-5 minutes).

3. Add the wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste) to the mixer and mix until well combined.

4. Scrape the bowl down using a rubber spatula if needed to ensure that everything is mixed together properly.

5. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until JUST combined. Be careful not to overmix your dough as you do not want your cookies to turn out tough. You should stop mixing as soon as you no longer see any flour clumps left in the dough!

7. Next, cover the top of your bowl with plastic wrap and place the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

8. When the 1 hour-mark is almost up, preheat the oven to 350F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

9. When you’re ready to bake your cookies, scoop out large dough balls using a #40 cookie dough scoop (or just a large spoon). Place the cookie dough balls on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet a couple of inches apart from one another.

10. Place one tray of cookies on the center rack at 350F and bake for 11-12 minutes. That 12 minute-mark typically gives me the perfect texture without burning the bottoms of the cookies (they will continue baking a little bit while they cool on their tray). That being said, the baking time does vary depending on your oven so please keep an eye on them! You do not want the edges to brown too much!

11. Allow the cookies to cool on their tray for ~10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

For the Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), whip the room temperature butter on medium speed until it’s very pale in color and silky in texture.
2. Add a tiny pinch of salt and the vanilla bean paste to the butter. Mix until combined (scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed to ensure that there is no butter stuck to the bottom of the bowl).
3. Lastly, add the powdered sugar and 1 tbsp of heavy cream to the bowl. Begin mixing on low speed until the sugar begins to incorporate before increasing the speed to medium.
4. If you feel that your buttercream is looking a little dry, add one more tbsp of heavy cream.
5. Continue mixing the buttercream until you have your desired smooth consistency (this batch typically takes my mixer ~3-5 minutes of mixing)

For Decorating:

1. Once your cookies have FULLY cooled, you’re ready to decorate! If you start decorating the cookies while they are still warm in the center, the buttercream will melt right off so please be careful!
   
2. Place an Ateco 809 piping tip inside of a piping bag and cut the tip of the piping bag off so that the piping tip fits nice and snug. This method will give you a very clean and precise decoration on top, however, you can absolutely just use a kitchen knife or spoon to dollop the frosting on top of each cookie.
3. Fill your piping bag with the vanilla buttercream and add as much or as little buttercream on top of each cookie as you’d like.
4. Lastly, add an extra swirl of vanilla bean paste on top of the frosting to add more of those fun specks! You can skip the vanilla bean paste if you’d like but don’t leave out the rainbow sprinkles! Those are a necessity ;)
   

Recipe: @bankobakes

Photography: @bankobakes