Sugar Cookies with Homemade Buttercream Frosting

The perfect cut-out sugar cookie dough! Straight forward to make and so easy to work with, it’s ideal for baking with children. Top these with a super easy home- made buttercream frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips or plain sugar. The kids will love mixing and matching their decorating options and personalizing these freshly baked valentine’s for all of the loves in their lives.

Ingredients

For the Cookie:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup California Olive Ranch Avocado Blend Oil
1 cup cane sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

For the Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional 1 teaspoon almond extract
Optional- food coloring, sprinkles, chocolate chips

Instructions

For the Cookie:

Add butter, sugar and California Olive Ranch Avocado Blend Oil to a stand mixer and whip on high until creamy, about 2 minutes
Add in egg and vanilla and beat again until combined
In a separate medium sized bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder
Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet until a dough is formed
Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and put half of the dough in it, form a disc shape
Repeat with the other half of dough on another sheet of plastic wrap
Cover dough completely with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2-3 hours
When dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Dust a clean surface with flour and place one chilled cookie dough disc on it
Gently roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer them to your baking sheet, spacing about 1in apart
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes
Allow cookies to cool completely before transferring or decorating

Frosting Instructions:

In a stand mixer, add softened, unsalted butter and whip on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes
Add in vanilla, almond extract and salt. Whip again
On low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides
Mix on high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and well incorporated
Spread on top of cookies or decorate using a piping bag.