Monogram Sugar Cookies

I was a little frightened when my foods teacher informed me that she passed on my name and e-mail address to a student who needed cookies catered for an upcoming event. My teacher did not have the time for this, and knew that it would be something I would enjoy. Truthfully, I didn't have the time either, but since when has that stopped me from doing anything?

The reason I was frightened was because this student was asking for 200 cookies. 200!? That is a lot of cookies! In the past I have made cookies and cupcakes for parties. But these were parties I was hosting and where no more than 50 guests were invited. This was in a totally different league! People who I didn't know would be eating and critiquing these cookies. And I would be paid for them. Needless to say, they had to be good!

The cookies would be served at an art show opening at my college. I was asked to make cookies in the shapes of the first letter of the artist's first names, with green icing. There would be eight different artists with five different letters for their first names: R, J, T, K and D.

I devoted an entire Sunday to the production of my 200 monogram cookies. The previous week I picked out my recipes, shopped for my supplies and borrowed a few cookie sheets. Sunday morning I woke up at 9AM ready to go! I had all my ingredients mis en place (french for "everything in its place"). I started on my first batch, hoping my trusty Kitchenaid would be up for the challenge with me...

10 hours later I finished.

I made 8 batches of Ethel's sugar cookies, a very tasty and reliable sugar cookie recipe--and I used every last bit of dough! In the past I have used a traditional royal icing recipe that calls for meringue powder, but wanting to save money I used a cookie icing recipe from the bakery where I work that calls for light corn syrup in place of the expensive meringue powder. It worked just as well as royal icing, and is now the recipe I am always going use for cookies! The icing recipe calls for almond extract which gave the cookies a wonderful flavor that sometimes is lacking in "plain" sugar cookies.

Even though it took ten hours, I had no reason to be afraid. I have been training for this "gig" my whole life. I have baked and iced hundred of cookies over the course of my lifetime and I learned that doing 200 at once is no impossible feat! I am just glad I was able to use my parents kitchen and large dining room table!

I have heard from several students that my cookies were a hit at the art opening and that every last cookie was eaten. My first individual catering experience was very positive and I hope to get another opportunity to push my baking limits again!

Ethel's Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening (part butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring or 1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar for 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and flavoring and mix until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
Roll out on lightly floured board and bake for 8-12 minutes depending on size and thickness.


*I used half butter and half shortening for a cookie that was yummy, but still easy to work with.  

 

Cookie Icing

 From AllRecipes.com

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

*This recipe makes a VERY small amount of icing. Approx less than 1/2 cup. I ended up doing 15x this recipe to frost 200 cookies. 
**Instructions on how to use icing, including flooding techniques, can be found here.