Spring-inspired rose water sugar cookies

How are your Easter celebration plans coming along?

I've been busy all week refining our Easter menu, and working on fun and special details for our kids, and my niece and nephews.

I thought it would be fun to share the recipe -  and a few photos -  of the bunny-shaped rose water sugar cookies that I'll be baking for my family this weekend to accompany our Easter dessert menu that will include a Lemon Honey Cream Ice Box Cake and Orange Spice Crumb Cake muffins.

These pretty little cookies are tender, smell like roses . . . and taste like sweet lemons. I love them!

I'm planning on tucking them into baskets and centerpieces, as well as placing them at our place settings for an extra special treat.

I baked some for our children's teachers this afternoon . . . and packaged them in clear cellophane bags with a little Easter grass and chocolate eggs. They came out darling!

I hope that I've inspired you to bake a batch of rose water sugar cookies with your little ones this weekend! Happy Spring baking!

rose water sugar cookies

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2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (1 ½  sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 ½  teaspoon pure lemon extract
2 ½ teaspoons rose water 
1 egg, room temperature

 powder sugar (instead of flour) for rolling out dough
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You can find Rose Water in the International aisle of your market. 
It costs approximately $3-10 per bottle, depending on where you buy it.
Watermelon & rose water recipe, here.

Preparation

To make the cookies, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt . . . set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg, lemon, and rose water. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a flattened ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured powder sugar surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake until just golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans and let cool completely.

For a tender, slightly chewy cookie - do NOT over-bake. 

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Spring-inspired sugar cookies

I'm always looking for an excuse to make sugar cookies with my kids. So when I can across these adorable cookie cutters a few months ago . . . bunny, carrot, tulip, and chick . . . I couldn't wait for the arrival of Spring to make them!

Our dining room table looked like a farm in the Springtime when we were finished.

We used a variety of pastel and vibrant colored sanding sugars . . . yellow, pink, orange, mint green and white . . . to decorate the cookies. I had extra green rock candy from Lauren's birthday cake, so we used it to make the carrot tops; and extra white candies from Charley's birthday cake were used for Peter's Cotton-tail.

 

Did you notice that a few of the carrots are two-tone?

I didn't want to waste the extra yellow sanding sugar I had, so I mixed it with the orange sanding sugar, and the combination made a beautiful golden-toned orange. Something so simple made those little carrots look more interesting!

Spring sugar cookies

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (1 ½  sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 egg, room temperature

 powder sugar (instead of flour) for rolling out dough

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .    

Preparation

To make the cookies, in a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt . . . set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a flattened ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured powder sugar surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake until just golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans and let cool completely.

Makes 10 to 20 cookies, depending on cutter size.

Sugar Cookie GLAZE

2 ¼  cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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Combine ingredients and mix until smooth
Using a small paint brush (or the tip of your finger), spread on top of cookies

Sprinkle sanding sugar on top of GLAZE when it's wet

The secret to a 'clean' sugar edge is not letting the glaze drip down the sides of the cookie.
A thick glaze is also key.
After the glaze has been mixed, add 1 Tablespoon of confectioners' sugar at a time, 
until you get the desired consistency.
Have fun!

I found edible Easter grass at Powell's Sweet Shoppe last week.  It's imported from Germany, and not easy to find. So if you're lucky enough to come across it, then be sure and buy some. It's a unique confection that can be added to your Easter baskets or cello gift bags. I love it!

I used a little to make 'sweet' nests for the kids' chicks . . . and I'm using it in a window gift box that Charley is taking to her teacher tomorrow.

 

After all that fun, hard work the kids enjoyed a glass of milk with Spring-inspired  paper straws and their favorite sugar cookie. We had a wonderful afternoon! 

Happy Spring, friends!

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Simply Suzannes at Home 

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