I love the idea of a girls night out and having a little sugar and wine involved! Desiree Hartsock, one of my favorite Bachelorette alums recently celebrated her bridal shower with a sugar cookie decorating party. She shared the party photos with People.com along with a awesome sugar cookie recipe from her favorite bakery in Seattle, Jenny’s Cookies.
This is such a great idea for a girls-only party. You can either pre-make the cookies or provide all of the ingredients for your guests to bake at the party! Either way it makes for a really great night out! Both recipes courtesy of Jenny’s new book, Eat More Dessert.
Jenny’s Cookies
Makes about 24
Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Into a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat butter and sugar for about 1½ minutes, or until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Turn the mixer speed to low and carefully add the flour mixture a little at a time, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Once all the flour has been incorporated, the dough should form a ball around the mixing attachment and feel soft but not sticky.
- Wrap the dough ball in a piece of plastic wrap and press down to form a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before rolling or store for up to 7 days tightly wrapped.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured flat work surface to about ¼-inch thickness, using additional flour as necessary to prevent sticking. Use cookie cutters to create desired shapes, and carefully transfer with a cookie spatula to a nonstick baking sheet, placing the cookies about ¾ inch apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time in the middle of the oven until puffy, about 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookies to rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with the gathered scraps and remaining disk until all the dough has been used.
Buttercream Frosting
Makes about 6 cups
- 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 lbs. (about 71/2 cups) confectioners sugar
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp. milk
Directions
- Combine the margarine and shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating on low speed for an additional 2 minutes, or until the mixture is creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the remaining confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk, and beat until the frosting is creamy and fluffy, about 2 minutes more. Add any food coloring at this time, if using, and beat on low speed until light and fluffy.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 30 days.
