Soft Sugar Cookies with Fresh Strawberry Icing

By jenknoll

Ingredients

• For the cookies:
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoon) unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 2/3 cup solid white shortening, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Fresh strawberry icing:
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, very soft but not melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• water, if needed

Preparation

Step 1

1.In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.In a mixing bowl with medium speed, mix sugar, butter, shortening until light and fluffy.

3.Beat in eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract until smooth and incorporated.

4.On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the sour cream then stir in remaining flour mixture just until smooth.

5.Divide the dough into 2 portion and wrap around with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.

6.Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease baking sheet with spray or line with parchment paper or baking mat.

7.Take 1 dough out of fridge and roll out the dough into 1/4" thick on the board dusted lightly with flour. Using a egg shaped cookie cutter, cut out the dough and transfer to the baking sheet. Work fast while the dough is still cold. Repeat with the other piece of the dough.

8.Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turns slightly gold.

9.Let the cookies stand in a baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wired racks to cool completely.

10.When cookies are cool, using a spoon ice the cookies. Let cookies stand until the icing set, at least 2 hours.

11.To Make Icing: Coarsely chop strawberries, combine with lemon zest, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Strain the strawberry puree through a fine sieve pressing with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds.

12.Stir in butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add 3 3/4cups of powdered sugar and whisk or process (if using a food processor) all together until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar or a little water.