Easter Sugar Cookies

Poor Aaron stayed home again today with me--he still has a bad cough. Frankly, both of us were a bit blue, I was down due to frustration over this lingering bronchitis, and plus it hit me as I was reading some of my morning blogs I look at that I had done pitifully nothing for Easter for the kids.

Now, I don't consider myself Martha, where I need to handweave baskets for them and paint eggs using a brush I made from my horse's hair or anything, but I do like to do up the holidays a little. However, being restricted from my car for several days and basically confined to home has put a damper on my planning.



However, I remembered this morning that I had bought new cookie cutouts for spring, with an easter bunny and egg in the pack (a few more spring ones too, but we'll do those later). I also remembered I had broken down and bought a Wilton cake decorating set recently at a weak moment at Michael's when I thought I could be Martha. So, why not try them out! I used my standard sugar cookie dough recipe, but it holds up well, and doesn't need chilling beforehand (hence why it is my standard these days). It was given to my mom from her friend Suzanne. I wasn't up to anything tricky in the decorating pack, the next weekend when my mom visits we can do the spring cookies and try something fancier.





Easiest Sugar Cookie Dough



Preheat over to 350.

1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar
Mix together and add 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla (or almond if you prefer).
Sift 2 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar and 1/2 tsp salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.

Roll out to about 1/2 inch thick, and bake the cut-outs for about 8 to 10 minutes at 350.




Here's Aaron helping make the dough! Notice his M&M apron - he is quite the chef!








Here they are coming out of the oven (Aaron is hiding under the counter from the camera!)





Here we are decorating! I used a buttercream frosting.








Here are our finished products--not too bad! HE was in charge of the blue sprinkles, I was in charge of the yellow outline.