Strawberries and Cream Sugar Cookies

The BEST Sugar Cookies from Nicole Gerulat

Makes about 3 dozen 3" cookies…. which is a lot, but you can freeze these cookies and they thaw perfectly. But, you can definitely 1/2 or 1/3 this recipe easily.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoons salt

6 cups flour

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until well-combined and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Add vanilla and salt, then add flour cups at a time. Do not over-mix.

2. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough batches at a time, until 1/2” thick. Cut out the dough with a cookie cutter dipped in flour each time. Place cookies 2” apart on a parchment-papered cookie sheet. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until thoroughly cooked, but not browned. Wait until completely cooled before frosting.

Strawberries 'n Creme Frosting

Makes enough for about thirty-six 3" cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1/2 pkg cream cheese (4 oz), room temperature

1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

pinch of salt

4-5 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup fresh strawberries, small diced

Instructions
1. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream, vanilla extract and pinch of salt together until incorporated and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixing speed on low, add 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. When fully mixed, add the strawberries. Mix until combined. Continue adding the remaining 2-3 cups confectioner’s sugar on low speed until combined. Frosting should be thick enough to spread. If too runny, add more confectioner's sugar. Scrape down the bowl again and increase speed to medium and beat for no more than 15-30 seconds. (Over-beating will release too much strawberry juice resulting in a runny frosting.)

Raspberry Dust

Ingredients
Freeze-dried raspberries (I buy mine from Trader Joes)

Instructions
Use a food-processor to pulverize the raspberries, or put raspberries in a ziplock bag and roll it out with a rolling pin until it completely turns to dust.