What better way to fill a day at home than baking and decorating some sugar cookies! I thought I’d share the recipe because these were easy with a capital E! I’m used to chilling the dough so they keep their shape, etc but these were just mix, roll, cut and bake all in one go.

Cookie Recipe:

• 1 cup (225g) softened butter
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

FYI I used electric beaters not sure how easy this would be without them.

Cream butter and sugar for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy! Then beat in egg and vanilla. Next add the flour and baking powder and mix well until it comes together. The mixture will look crumbly but if you pull out a handful and knead it a bit in your hands it should be a perfect dough! Then sprinkle a little flour, roll it out and cut desired shapes.

Cook in a moderate 170/180ish oven for about ten minutes (you can practically stand next to the oven and wait) until they are blonde and a little puffy. They don’t need to brown they should come out blonde.Let them cool before you attempt to ice them.

Royal Icing for decorating:

Whisk 1 egg white with 1/2 tsp lemon juice (or as I discovered today vanilla essence works just as well as lemon juice) then slowly whisk in 1.5 cups of sifted icing sugar.

Separate and colour with desired colours preferably using the food dye gel as opposed to the liquid. I use (and then wash and use again next time) sandwich bags for icing. Just snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag once your ready to ice.

Decorate away! Icing will set in about twenty minutes or so.