Oregon Cookies

Our family is hosting a 14-year-old Japanese student named Mizuho for a few days so I thought she might like to bake and decorate cookies with me.  She told me she had never baked or decorated cookies before.

So on Saturday evening we made a double batch of Oregon sugar cookies for her to bring home to share with her family and friends. I found my Oregon cutter at a local shop called Kitchen Kaboodle.

It was hard to believe it was Mizuho's first time decorating cookies and using a pastry bag, she did such a wonderful job.  She had a steady hand and worked patiently and carefully.

Mizuho outlining the cookies with white royal icing.

We used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to press an indentation into the cookie before baking which made adding the green royal icing heart in the center so much easier.

To make these you just outline the cookie and heart with white royal icing and fill this outside area with white royal icing. Then you flood the heart with green icing and that's all there is to it.

Let the cookies dry completely before serving or packaging.

Here are the recipes:

Sugar Cookie Cutouts
Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until blended, then beat on high speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add flour and salt; beat on low speed until combined, then on medium speed until well blended. Divide dough into two equal portions. Place dough between sheets of plastic wrap. Press evenly into a disk and chill until dough is firm, at least 20 minutes. Working with one portion of dough at a time (keep remaining chilled), peel off plastic wrap and roll on a floured board until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with floured cutters and transfer onto bare baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees (325 for convection) for 7 to 9 minutes or until firm to the touch and slightly darker brown around edges. Cool on wire racks.

Royal Icing
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Food coloring

In a large bowl combine meringue powder, water and lemon juice and stir until meringue powder is dissolved. Add powdered sugar and with an electric mixer on low speed, beat until evenly moistened. Then beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Divide and tint as desired and add water a teaspoon at a time to get desired consistency.