Strawberry Frosted Sugar Cookies Recipe

In a large bowl sift together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt.

Then in a separate large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter and cream cheese until softened and evenly combined with no lumps.

Add in the sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract and egg – then continue beating until evenly combined. Turn the mixer down to low speed and carefully add in the flour mixture until combined. You may need to turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of your bowl as necessary.

Divide the dough in 2, and form each piece into a round disc about ½ to 1 inch thick. Wrap each in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Chilling the dough is mandatory – otherwise it’ll be too sticky to work with.

Once ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and bring to room temperature (this will take about 20-30 minutes). Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and line 2 to 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

After the dough has warmed up, lightly flour a clean kitchen counter. Using a floured rolling pin, roll each disc of dough about ¼ to ⅓ inch thick and cut into shapes. Because the dough is soft, and thick I recommend using simple shapes (such as circles and hearts), instead of intricate cookie cutters (such as snowflakes).

Place the cookies 1-2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 7-9 minutes or until the cookies begin to puff up and the tops look just set. Allow to cool fully before frosting.

In a large bowl using a stand or hand-held electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until fluffy. Turn the mixer down to low speed and carefully beat in 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar, followed by the strawberry preserves. Add in the rest of the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, followed by 1 tablespoon of the whipping cream until you get the desired consistency and sweetness. Once reached, beat in a few drops of red food coloring and turn the mixer up to medium-high speed for 10-15 seconds.

Frost each cookie using a flat-edge knife, and optionally decorate with sprinkles