Sugar Cookie Icing

Public Service Announcement: If you live near me (and maybe even if you don't), don't be surprised if I show up bearing gifts of sugar cookies in the next few weeks. I've been staring at this photo all week as I've been working on this post, and you have no idea how much of a craving I have to make and ice these cookies Right. Now. I don't know if it's the bright colors of the icing, if it's the fact that I know they taste delicious, or if baby just can't get enough sweets, but I want these cookies again. Soon. And since I just made them a month ago and remember that they aren't nearly as time-consuming as I had previously thought, making them will probably become a reality. Especially since I discovered I have a ton of fun cookie cutter shapes.

And honestly, even though I think the sugar cookies taste delicious on their own (or lightly sprinkled), it's the icing that is really motivating me to make these cookies again. Almond extract is probably one of my favorite baking ingredients (random, but true), and I love the subtle flavor that it gives this icing. I wish I could claim this as an old family recipe, but I'm pretty sure I got it off of Allrecipes.com or something. Not nearly as glamorous--but still delicious. And although this icing doesn't "need" anything more with it, it would be really easy to use this icing as a base layer and then pipe additional decorations on to to cookies to take them to the next level of fancy. I've never been quite that ambitious, though--but that's usually because I'm in too much of a hurry to just eat the cookies.

Sugar Cookie Icing
(makes enough to ice approximately two dozen cookies)

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond extract
Food coloring

Stir powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. Add more corn syrup if icing is too thick. Mix in food coloring to achieve desired color. Dip cookies into icing or paint them with a brush.

A few other tricks of the trade if you've never worked with icing like this:

--If icing thickens while you are working with it, you can microwave it slightly to thin it out instead of adding more corn syrup.

--If you are choosing to dip the cookies, I've found that it works best to dip with the cookie in one hand and then to use a finger from the other hand to wipe some of the excess icing off the side of the cookie (you won't be able to get it all and as you can see from the picture it will still drip a little, but this will certainly help).

--Use a flat-bottomed container (or bowl) that is at least as wide as your largest cookie.

--Be sure to let the icing set completely before moving or stacking the cookies otherwise they will stick together.

Happy cookie-making!