SurvivingInfidelity.com^®

I am going to make sugar cookie cutouts tonight. I am having a Game of Thrones dinner party on Sunday and one of the deserts will be cookies shaped like swords and crowns and other GoT themed items.

I am decent at decorating cookies, but for some reason I have a hard time with the baking part. I'm not inept at baking, it just seems like sugar cookies are not my best dish. Every time I make sugar cookies it is some sort of disaster.

I need a tried and true, awesome recipe for cutouts!

Also I can't post this on Facebook because my SO's sister gave me a sugar cookie recipe on there already a few months ago and I didnt want to tell her it was terrible.

Have you had Lofthouse sugar cookies? This recipe tastes exactly like them.

http://authenticsuburbangourmet.blogspot.com/2011/09/lofthouse-style-frosted-sugar-cookies.html

ETA: Also the key to good sugar cookies is to refrigerate the dough first.

[This message edited by jennie160 at 10:32 AM, May 31st (Friday)]

Are Lofthouse the yummy soft chewy ones?

Are Lofthouse the yummy soft chewy ones?

Yep. I could eat the whole package in one sitting.

I would suggest going to a site like allrecipes.com where you can search the recipe and read the reviews. See, I can't stand soft cookies, so I always go and read up on the cookie recipes before I try them.

I have been looking at Alton Brown's sugar cookie recipe.

While I looooove soft cookies, I am really looking for something I can do cutouts and then ice and pipe on details.

It just seems like every recipe I try is either way too crumbly or way too runny or they bake too brittle and break when I ice them.

I use a Betty Crocker recipe, I'm sure it's listed online. Make sure to refrigerate the dough first and when I bake them I make sure to use parchment paper on the cookie sheets. The come out great each time. No dark browning on the bottoms, just golden brown, and I have an old crappy gas oven.

Good Luck.

Are you going to post pics of your cookies when you done?

Of course!

I will have to post pics of the rest of the dishes too. SO and I bought the Feast of Ice and Fire cookbook and are making several recipes from it for the dinner, which is going to be multiple courses and will take 2 days of preparation, LOL.

Ok - I'm a good cook (at least, everyone seems to like what I make!) and I have no problem cooking things from scratch.

But I will admit - sugar cookies are one of those things that I frequently will just buy the tube of cookie dough for.

Why? Because if I'm putting frosting on them, then making them from scratch doesn't seem to make enough of a difference in taste to matter that much to me.

That being said - my mom's are delicious. I don't have the recipe, But I'm pretty sure they are just from her old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. You can find it here -

http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/687209.aspx

Several people posted the recipe, but the last one on the second page is slightly different, and I'm pretty sure that's the one mom used - except I know she left out the orange zest, and I'm sure she used the 1/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup shortening variation, because there is no mistaking the taste of butter in hers.

One last tip - do use real butter and not margarine. It does make a big difference in taste and consistency.

Martha:

http://www.marthastewart.com/966161/ideal-sugar-cookies

We've had good luck with this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/

Usually we'll cover the dough and refrigerate it overnight.

Wow, two days of prep! That's crazy!

I hope everything turns out great and I can't wait to see all the yummy pics

I'm a GoT junkie! That's such an awesome idea. Unfortunately it's hot as HELL here and I just can't bring myself to bake...maybe I'll just get lots of wine...it seems to work for Tyrion!

Buy the plain sugar cookies at Walmart and then decorate them

[This message edited by Undefinabl3 at 1:40 PM, May 31st (Friday)]

These are the BEST! The cream of tartar and almond add flavor.

1.5 c conf sugar

1 c butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

2.5 c flour

Mix sugar & butter. Add egg & flavors. Stir dry ing together and add slowly. Chill dough. Roll & cut. Bake @ 375* 5-8 mins.

Most people ruin cutouts by rolling too thin and baking too long. The edges should be just ever so slightly browned. The bottoms shouldn't be brown. This will give you a nice soft cookie.

ETA:

You can absolutely ice/decorate these cookies. It's what I use for my Xmas cookies. I add some almond to the icing as well (guess I like that almond flavor)

[This message edited by Lucky2HaveMe at 3:55 PM, May 31st (Friday)]

Simplydevastated-

Yes, two days! I am baking cookies and cupcakes tonight. Tomorrow baking bread and making the soup ahead of time (because soup always tastes best the 2nd day) Then Sunday will be the main course and an appetizer involving puff pastry. My SO and I love to cook so we are excited to be putting on a crazy fancy dinner.

I love to bake but for sugar cookies I usually end up buying either the packet of premade refrigerated dough or the stuff you add water, an egg, and butter to. The stuff in a pouch.

They seem to be better than most recipes I have found!

I'm excited for you both!

With all that work I'm sure it will be a huge success.