WIll you be my Valentine? 30 by 30: Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

So a long, long time ago I created a 30 by 30 list. 30 Things I wanted to make by the time I turned 30.
I never got through the list. And now we are approximately 4 1/2 months away from my 31st birthday so I really want to try to get through this list!

 I have a little boy that is totally in love with color yellow right now so I colored these sugar cookies pink and yellow. I've always wanted to make sugar cookies and finally found  a recipe I can go to again and again . I had tried about 2 recipes before trying this one yesterday.
The Chef and I have fun decorating these this afternoon while Cole was napping. I guess the couple who decorates cookies together stays together?

I didn't want to delve into the world of royal icing yet but it was fun to get the decorating tips and colors out and play and I will definitely want to play some more and hone my skills!
(Because obviously, these aren't great but it was fun to do!!)

Sugar Cookie and Icing recipe

recipe adapted from these recipes at I am Baker

Sugar Cookie

1. 1-½ cup Butter (I Use unsalted and slightly softened)
2. 2 cups Sugar
3. 2 whole Eggs
4. 2 whole Egg Yolks
5. 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6. 3 teaspoons Almond Extract
7. 4 cups All-purpose Flour
8. 1 teaspoon Salt
9. 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Instructions

1. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Add in 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks and mix until combined.
3. Add in vanilla and almond extract; mix until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly (about a cup at a time) add flour to butter mixture and combine. You can use a mixer or not, just depends on how strong you are. ( mix ingredients until they are combined, because if you over-mix this dough it will get tough.)
5. Put dough in some Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out, cut out cookies, and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Cookie Icing

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Confectioners Sugar (powdered Sugar)
2. 1-3 Tablespoons Milk
3. 1 drop Lemon Juice (fresh Or Processed)
4. 1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

Instructions

1. Combine powder sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. Just a drop at a time. If you have already outlined your cookies and need a to fill in or ’spill’ your cookies, you can add more milk (as much as you would need) to make your frosting very runny.If you need a thicker frosting, say for outlining your cookies, add LESS milk.
3. If you are using food coloring, be sure to use LESS milk. Most food colorings are liquid and can make your frosting more runny. If you are using a gel food coloring, your milk quantity can remain the same.
4. If you want to add different flavors, you can add drops of vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon, etc. to flavor your frosting.
5. If you want more SHINE, use more corn syrup and less milk. This frosting will stay good for days in the fridge.