Sugar Cookie Cutouts

This was the first time that I had ever made sugar cookie cutouts and I had so much fun doing it that I am looking for any excuse to make them again.  Do you need sugar cookies for something?  I'll get a cutter for it and go nuts!  I see them all over the internets, some people even have bakeries that all they do is make cut out cookies and sell them in gift bags and platters.  Some of them make their own cutters and do corporate logos and custom cookies and stuff.  It is so cute and so much fun.  Once I got the hang of the consistency of the frosting, it was easy and very enjoyable.  Only issue.. This makes a huge fucking mess when you're finished.  I found a great recipe for sugar cookies.  I am not usually a sugar cookie person, I think they're boring and seriously lacking in the flavor, texture, and chocolate departments, but these cookies were different.  They were thick and soft and chewy and delicious.  The royal icing added a really nice complement to the cookie.  I made some valentine's day themed ones for Chris.  Too bad it took longer than I had anticipated and I was barely finished with them by the time he had to get on his flight to Florida last week.  However, I brought them to work and they were INHALED.  Seriously, the cookies were all gone before 11 a.m. and there are only 3 of us in the office.  And now for a photo montage:

I also wanted to see how the cookies tasted plain as regular cookies, so I made a tray of those as well.

I didn't actually have a heart shaped cookie cutter, so I did my best to improvise with a teardrop shaped one that I had in my toolbox.  The results weren't too bad, but I did order some heart shaped ones online for the next time.  Fuck yeah amazon prime, you are my goddess.

I also made a bunch of square shaped ones to make into stamp cookies for "love letters".

My workspace, covered with powdered sugar.

Cooking in our kitchen is pretty difficult because we do not have enough counter space.  Also, the really free spot is right on top of the dishwasher, and since I cook so much and the dishwasher is running more than half of the time, it's tricky to roll out dough when steam is like pouring out from under the counter.

I made royal icings and colored them with my gel food colorings.  Note to self: next time, make about 3x as much icing.

Let the cookies cool completely before icing so the icing doesn't melt and run all over the place.  I used this cute little three tiered cooling rack that my mom got for me.  My family knows me so well now that every time I come home or get a visit from a family member, it is complete with little baking gifts.  When I went home last weekend, I came back with a square shaped muffin tin and a can of cherry pie filling.  Love you Nanny!

I saw this idea online somewhere and thought it was so cute.  Much more interesting than just making a billion heart shaped cookies.

I cannot figure out why blogger insists on posting these photos sideways.  They are saved in the proper orientation, but no matter what I try to do, they keep uploading sideways.  But they were the good photos of the cookies, so I'm posting them anyway and if you like, you may turn your head to look at them. 

The aftermath.

Like an idiot, I was so tired after making all of these cookies all day that I left the dishes for the next day.  I knew that I was making a mistake, but I just didn't care at the time.  It did take a long time to do the next day, but I was surprised at how clean my squeeze bottles came out of the dish washer.  Also, we have the smallest sink in the world.  It is so shallow, it's like impossible to fill a pot with water or do anything in there.

Most of the cookies.

After a while I got concerned that maybe you wouldn't be able to tell that the stamps were actually stamps, so I made a little envelope and a stamp that said love letter.  Can you say overkill?  Haha I'm such a dumb ass sometimes.

Julibean <3