I made these sugar cookies....  But not any sugar cookies.  Valentine's Day Cookies!!!  I always like making cookie around this time of year.  :)

I love looking through tons of food magazines, too, and I found this idea in a King Arthur magazine a couple months ago.  So I couldn't wait till February came around to make them.  I even picked out the sprinkles and made sure I had all the cookie cutters looooong before February came around.  So this year, I did stamps, notes, envelopes, and hearts.  :) And the stamps turned out pretty darn cute!

I love how simple white frosting always looks.... 

SPRINKLES.  :D  They're so messy, but so much fun.  

This year, I had some helpers with the sprinkles..... we had quite the fun time!!  And it's so much more fun to do it with them than all by your lonesome in the kitchen.  :)

And they got to have a cookie.  

And then that night I enlisted Emil to help with the pics!  :)

Harvest Sugar Cookies

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 3/4 c. flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat until fluffy.  Gradually add dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Chill 1 hour.  Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes on greased baking sheet.

Hard Glaze For Cookies

1/4 cup meringue powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/3 to 1/2 cup cool water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Food color or paste

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the meringue powder, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Add 1/3 cup cool water and the vanilla and stir, or beat on slow speed. the mixture will seem hard and lumpy, but the sugar will dissolve after 4 or 5 minutes and everything will smooth out.

Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition to achieve a spreadable consistency. For a very smooth, shiny glaze, the icing should be the consistency of corn syrup or molasses.  Pipe around the edge of the cookie, and then fill in with an off-set spatula.  

Happy Valentine's Day!