Valentine's Day Citrus Butter Cookies

Valentine's day is just a few days away and I'm busy in the kitchen making as many Valentine's day inspired treats as I can.  For my Valentines, I'm making these "disappearing" Citrus Butter Cookies.

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Citrus Butter Cookies


Ingredients


1 cup (2 sticks) Butter, at room temperature
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 tablespoons Orange Juice
1 tablespoon Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
2-1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cream butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add sugar and beat until smooth.

3.  Add egg, orange juice and vanilla and mix well.

4.  Put a strainer over the bowl and sift in salt, flour and baking powder.  Mix at low until just combined.

5.  Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.  Flatten with palm of hand and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Note:  Flattening the dough will expedite the chilling process.  It will also make it easier to roll the dough after it has chilled.

6.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4 inch thick.

Tip:  Use 1/4 inch rolling pin rings (or chop sticks on either side of the dough) when rolling the dough to obtain a consistent thickness.

 

Note:  When rolling the dough, leave the plastic wrap on top of the dough and you won't have to worry about the dough sticking to the rolling pin.




















7.  Cut desired shapes with cookie cutter(s), and place on parchment lined cookie sheets.

8.  Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes before baking ~ the longer the better.  (This will ensure that the cookies retain their shape while baking.  You can also freeze them at this stage for 5-10 minutes.)

9.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.

10.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before decorating with Royal Icing.


Royal Icing


Ingredients


3 tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
4 cups (1 lb.) sifted Confectioners' Sugar
8 tablespoons warm Water (for Citrus Icing, substitute Orange Juice for the Water.)

Instructions


1.  Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Beat on low for 7 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.

2.  Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time until a drizzling consistency is reached.  If icing becomes too thin, beat for an additional 2-3 minutes or add more confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Note:  Keep covered until ready to use as this icing hardens quickly.


Now for the fun part!  Let's Decorate Cookies


For these cookies, I decided to go with just 2 colors (pink and white), so I divided the icing into 2 bowls and added a few drops of red food coloring to one to make pink icing.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and a #2 tip, I first made an outline toward the edge of the cookie.  The outline forms as a barrier and will keep the icing from spilling off the cookie's edge.

Note:  You can also use a Ziploc bag and just cut the very tip off one of the corners.   

Fill the center.  Shake the cookie gently to even out the frosting.

To make hearts, add a drop of icing in another color.  Then gently run a toothpick from the top and down the center.

If you want the hearts to blend in, add the second color right away.  Then after forming the heart, gently shake the cookie until the colors have blended.

After decorating, allow the icing to dry overnight (if possible).

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These cookies disappear quickly in my house!

Enjoy!