Wedding Cookies

A couple weeks ago at the bakery I had my first wedding cake consultation! My friend Leah is getting married in May and wants me to make her wedding cake(s). I am so excited for Leah and Connor's big day and even more excited to be able to decorate her cakes! They are doing something very cool for their reception! Instead of having one big bridal cake they are going to have a cake as the centerpiece for EACH table! Each cake will be a different flavor and decorated differently. I can't wait! These are going to be such fun cakes to decorate!!!



In the meantime, I saw these wedding cookies on a blog called My Sweet and Saucy. I found the cookie cutter online and couldn't wait to decorate some wedding cookies. So the other day I surprised Leah with a few of them. Their big day is almost here and I wish them a lifetime of joy and happiness!



Design of the Wedding Cookies
Source: My Sweet and Saucy

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies
Source: Bake at 350

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1 c. sugar
2 sticks (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks
1 egg
3/4 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling (video on University of Cookie).

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Royal Icing
Source: Bake at 350

4 T. meringue powder
scant 1/2 c. water
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 - 1 t. light corn syrup
few drops clear extract (optional)

Combine the meringue powder and water. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat until combined and foamy. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low to combine. (Do NOT skip the sifting!) Add in the corn syrup and extract if desired. (The corn syrup helps keep the icing shiny.)

Increase speed to med-high/high and beat for about 5 minutes, just until the icing is glossy and stiff peaks form. (You should be able to remove the beater from the mixer and hold up and jiggle without the peak falling.) Do not overbeat. Cover with plastic wrap touching the icing or divide and color using gel paste food colorings.

This "stiff" icing is perfect for outlining and even for building gingerbread houses and monogramming. To fill in your cookies, add water to your icing a teaspoon at a time, stirring with a rubber spatula, until it is the consistency of syrup. This technique of filling a cookie with thinned icing is called "flooding."