Best Sugar Cookies

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In my previous life, I was a nanny.  Max was only three months old when I started, and I could not wait until he was big enough to bake cookies with me.  I believe, if my memory serves me right, that began as soon as he could sit on the counter. I was overzealous to get him baking!  Over the years there were two more wonderful additions to the family, Ella, and Maggie, and our cookie baking sessions grew beyond chocolate chips and sooner than later, sugar cookies for every holiday were added to our repertoire.  Even Thanksgiving got turkey and pumpkin shaped cookies with many shades of orange and brown frosting.  One of my favorite holidays to bake cookies together was Valentines’ Day, and we indulged in the Best Sugar Cookies;  they were made laughter and lots of love, not to mention a few licks, I am sure of!  More often than not there was more tasting involved than frosting.

I have been looking for a cause to put my focus on this year, and when I heard that Julie from The Little Kitchen along with a few other food bloggers were raising funds for Cookies for Kid’s Cancer, I decided to investigate further.  The organization was founded by Gretchen and Larry Witt in 2008 after their son Liam was diagnosed with stage IV cancer.  Unfortunately, Liam lost his courageous battle with cancer in 2011, which only prompted the Witts to fight even harder against pediatric cancer.  Did you know that cancer is the #1 cause of death of children in the US?  Over 40,000 US children are battling it right now, and there is a lack of effective treatments for pediatric cancers due to funding.  Devastating.

How do cookies and cancer go hand-in-hand?  Gretchen began baking cookies with the help of 250 volunteers and sold 96,000 cookies raising over $400,000 for research.  Word spread, and people across the nation wanted to help as well, and Cookies for Kid’s Cancer was born.  

That is why I am here.  If I can bake cookies and raise awareness with you, our wonderful readers, and hopefully raise some funds as well;  then, I will bake cookies.  I will keep baking cookies every day if I need too.

These sweet Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies are my favorite sugar cookie and was inspired many moons ago.  MEM (the littles I nannied) and I have decorated and devoured hundreds of these sugar cookies.  The cookie is slightly sweet, chewy and moist, with a hint of vanilla and lemon.  I add the lemon for a bit more freshness, and I use vanilla bean paste as I find the specks beautiful.  The recipe is simple to make, and a delight to enjoy with your Valentine.

We do not have children, but we have nieces, nephews, MEM, and a god-daughter, along with many friends who have children.  We would be devastated if any of them got sick.  It is cruel enough when it hits an adult;  but a child who is helpless, takes the disease as well as the battle to another level.  

I don’t ask for much from anyone, but I am asking for your help with raising funds for research and hopefully being able to help cure someone if not many someones.  Don’t do it for us;  do it for the hopes of finding a cure.

Thank you to each of our wonderful readers, without your continued support we wouldn’t be sharing what delights us.  Thank you to the amazing sponsors for adding to our fundraising efforts.

Please check out more outstanding Valentine’s Day Ideas from some food blogging friends!  Remember to hug the ones you love, small or big;  every little bit really does count.

We hope you also enjoy these Valentine Cookie recipes from our Food Blogging friends who are hoping to make a difference.

Heart-Shaped Pink Velvet Bundt Cake from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Melt In Your Mouth Sugar Cookie Bars from Julie of Julie Blanner
Frosted Sugar Cookies from Becca of The Salted Cookie
Triple Chocolate Cherry Cookies from Sue of It’s Okay to Eat the Cupcake
Fudgy Chocolate Mug Cake from Gwynn of Swirls of Flavor
Cannoli {in support of Cookies for Kids’ Cancer} from Sheila of Life, Love, and Good Food
Red Velvet Pizzelle from Liren of Kitchen Confidante
Microwave Chocolate Ganache from Melanie of Melanie Makes
Brownie Ice Cream Valentines from TammyJo of The Chocolate Cult
Frosted Chocolate Sugar Cookies from Deborah of Taste and Tell
Soft Sprinkle Sugar Cookies from Lisa of Blogghetti
Rice Crispy Treat Hearts from Heather of Totally Tailgates
Vegan Banana Chia Pudding with Blackberry Sauce from Marly of Namely Marly
Spicy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies from Becca of Two Places at Once
Coconut Almond Biscotti from Kathleen of Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Strawberry Valentine Marshmallows from Serena of SerenaLissy
Strawberry Sugar Cookies from Miranda of Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
Salted Dark Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cookies from Jessica of A Kitchen Addiction
Double Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies from Natalie of The Devil Wears Parsley
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Macaroons from Ashley of Spoonful of Flavor
Salted Chocolste Caramel Chip Bars from Emily of It Bakes Me Happy
Red Wine Brownies from Nicole of For the Love of Food
Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies from Denise of Chez Us
Easy As Pie Cookies from Ashley of A Cup of Charming
Skinny Gluten-Free VDay Cookies from Jessica of Pensive Paleo

Tips:

• Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature before baking.  If you don’t do this, when you add to the creamed butter the cold from the eggs will bring down the air in the butter sugar mixture.

Tools:

• Mixer
• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper

Recipe: Best Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
1 tablespoon lemon rind (wash lemon, dry and then zest)

How To:

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl.
Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat the medium at medium speed until soft and creamy:  about 2 minutes.
Beat in the sugar and continue mixing for 2 minutes, until light and pale.
Add the egg yolk and the egg and mix well;  about 1 minute.
Beat in the vanilla and the lemon zest just until mixed together.
Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed only until incorporated.  Do not overwork the dough  – this is very important. The dough will be soft.
Divide the dough in half and form into a disk.  Wrap in wax paper and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Remove the 1 disk of dough about 15 minutes before working with it.  I time this with rolling and cutting for the other disk.
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a clean surface and roll one disk of dough at a time to about 1/4″ thickness. Cut into heart shapes.  Place onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 9 – 11 minutes.  I begin checking at 9 minutes and go from there.  The cookies should be firm but not golden.  Remove from the oven, let rest for 1 minute and then place the cookies onto a cooling rack.
Cool well before frosting with your favorite buttercream and sprinkles.

More Valentine Cookies

Chocolate Vanilla Striped Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Valentine Sandwich Cookies