Almond Sour-Cream Sugar Cookies

By á-174535

Use Royal Icing and silver luster dust to decorate these holiday favorites. Hint: A dollop of sour cream in the batter keeps these nutty cookies soft and moist.

Ingredients

• ROYAL ICING:
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 cup finely ground blanched almonds
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• White or silver luster dust (optional)
• 1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Details

Servings 30
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Beat in ground almonds. Beat in as much of the 2 1/4 cups flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining of the 2 1/4 cups flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375°F. On a well-floured surface, roll one dough portion at a time to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

If desired, use a small new paintbrush to brush cookies with luster dust. Pipe Royal Icing on cookies in snowflake designs. Let stand until icing is set.

ROYAL ICING:

In a large mixing bowl stir together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and cream of tartar. Add the water and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined; beat on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes or until icing reaches a stiff piping consistency. If not using right away, cover bowl with a damp paper towel and cover paper towel with plastic wrap; chill for up to 48 hours.