{Happy Heart Day}

Happy Valentine's Day! We hope you are spending your day with that special someone or people that you love!

For those of you who may just now be realizing it is Valentine's Day (whoops!) or are on a budget and want to do something that shows a little bit of effort without a lot of money, or those of who may be facing the day solo and are looking for a tasty treat to over indulge on (let's face it, we have all been there and experienced the bitterness of Valentine's Day - eat on girl, its your day to indulge without guilt)...Here is a little recipe for sugar cookies that I LOVE and its super easy, consistent, and delicious.

I wanted to do something special for my little boys for Valentine's Day (they have truly stolen my heart) so I made them each a cookie the size of their hand (okay maybe their head) and wrote their name on it. I gave them a little preview of their cookie before they went to bed on "Valentine's Eve" and they were so excited to see their name on a cookie! I for one and proud that I am teaching them now that its fun to make the day special for those you care about - there are a few girls who will probably thank me one day for teaching my boys this valuable lesson:)

If you have someone to share the day with but know a friend or a few friends who do not have someone, this recipe yields about 4 dozen cookies and is super quick to whip up - make a few, share a few and make someone else's day special!

I made a batch and saved half of the cookie dough in the freezer for another day.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

6 cups flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups light sour cream

Frosting Recipe

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy cream
Several drops food coloring
Sprinkles

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk 5 cups of flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the flat beater attached, cream the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl as needed. Dough needs to obtain the right consistency for rolling, so add additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until this is achieved (up to 1 cup more flour). Divide dough into two sections. Flatten into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches thick, then wrap with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight for best results...or you can be impulsive and just start working with the dough! (which I have done, quite a few times).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Generously flour a work area and rolling pin. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until pale golden. Immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Once smooth and creamy, add in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired spreading consistency is achieved. If desired, add food coloring and beat until combined.

Once cookies have cooled completely, frost and add sprinkles. Allow frosting to set, then store in an air-tight container. Let cookies sit for several hours before serving to allow the flavors to develop.

sincerely fabuless, Las Vegas.

Recipe adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen