Lovin' the Red, White, and Blue (Sugar Cookies)

I love the 4th of July!  I love the parades, I love the fireworks, the sparklers, the family get-togethers, and our country!  We usually spend our 4th in Utah but not planning on that this year.  This will be the first 4th in years that we have been home.  Not sure what our plans are but we definitely will watch the city's fireworks that night.

My home is decorated in and out for the red, white, and blue holidays from May through July--Memorial Day, Flag Day, and the 4th of July all get a lot of attention around our house.  We also enjoy making treats to match our patriotic flare.  Today, Ali Rose and I made sugar cookies and cookies on a stick.  I actually hadn't made cookie pops before, believe it or not.  I bought Wilton Cookie Sticks at Walmart--figured I couldn't go wrong with Wilton.  I also purchased Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix--I have a great sugar cookie recipe but I know this mix is great. **We are not compensated for the previously mentioned products**

Ali and I made the cookie mix per the directions on package, adjusting for the high altitude here in Northern Nevada.  We rolled the dough out a bit thick so we had a good base for the cookie stick, which we inserted so the end was right about in the middle of the cookie.  Of course, we used a star-shaped cookie cutter and a heart-shaped one.  We do LOVE the USA!

We baked the cookies longer then the 5 to 7 minutes on the package since they were thicker.  I do believe that we baked them at 375 degrees for 9 minutes so they would be done completely.  I did check them after the first 5 minutes though because I am obsessive that way, lol.

I made sure to let the cookies cool a bit on the baking sheet once removed from the oven.  After 10 minutes or so, I carefully used a spatula to place them on a cooling rack.  While they finished cooling, Ali (she was still there--I hadn't mentioned her for a bit) and I made the best bakery-style sugar cookie icing.  I discovered this recipe on

  

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugar-Cookie-Icing/

a few years ago--delicious!  I have had so any compliments on it. The recipe is as follows:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Mix together well.  The recipe says to add more corn syrup if the icing is too thick but honestly that hasn't worked for me so I just add in a tiny bit of milk till I get the consistency that I want.  I make the main recipe and if I want different colors put some in individual bowls and add food coloring to my likeness.

Sprinkles are an added touch--Ali was the main "sprinkler" today.

We didn't make all cookie pops, some were just cookies.  They taste the same!

We also used a wooden skewer to mix some different icing colors in for effect.  Our decorating job isn't professional--we just had fun and enjoyed our efforts.

 

The icing does appear pretty glossy and if you love bakery sugar cookies (from an actual bakery) then this icing is  for you!  We hope that you will give it a try.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!

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