{RECIPE}: Sugarpaste Decorated Sugar Cookies

Last week, I started the 2nd semester of my 2nd year at uni. Which means I am officially past the half way mark ... eek!

I have friends who will be graduating this year and are already making plans and undergoing interview after interview and putting all their career plans into action. I can't help but admire their ambitiousness and determination.

I used to be like that.

Now? Not so much.

I have no idea what I want to do anymore or where I want to go ... which is a first for me. 

Pretty scary when you actually think about it and I kind of wish I could just stay in my student cocoon forever. I'M JUST NOT READY!

Decision making, list making, planning ... all things I used to be good at. I have no idea where it all went. Instead I'm left with a whole lot of confusion and no sense of direction.

But, you know what helps? Cookies.

A couple of weeks ago I showed you my sugar cookies decorated with henna designs and started thinking of other ways I could decorate them instead.

Sugar paste came to mind.

These are pretty effortless and guarantee melt-in-your-mouth satisfaction. Now, if only I could just spend my life eating cookies ... Oh, how sweet that would be! (Pun intended.)

THE RECIPE: Preheat oven 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Makes 30.

INGREDIENTS:
For the cookies
370g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
240g unsalted butter
110g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod
1 egg

To decorate:
Royal icing (for recipe click here)
Sugar paste (whichever colours you like)
Sugar pearls

METHOD:

For the cookies: 
1. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and put aside.

2. Using a different bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

4. Add the flour mixture a little at a time (to avoid it flying everywhere!) and combine well. (I like to start off by mixing it in the bowl but once I see it all coming together I tip it onto the counter surface to work it into a dough - so much easier!)

5. Lightly flour the surface and roll the dough to about 1/3 of an inch thick and use desired cookie cutters.

6. Bake in the oven for approx. 10-12 minutes and place on a cooling rack to allow to completely cool.

Once cooled, you can start decorating. However, I prefer to decorate a day after.

To decorate: 
1. Roll out your sugar paste to 2-3mm thick on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar.

2. Using the same cutter you had used for the cookies, cut out the sugarpaste and stick this to the cookie, using the royal icing as 'glue'.

3. Using a palette knife, carefully create a grid pattern across the sugarpaste.

4. Insert a sugar pearl into the points where the lines intersect, carefully pushing it down into the sugarpaste.
OPTIONAL: Lightly dust with edible glitter.

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P.S. I'll be doing a sponsored climb of Mount Snowdon on february and would love for you to sponsor me! The money raised will go towards Islamic Relief's Water4Life project which aims to provide clean and safe drinking water for Africa. Pretty please sponsor me by clicking here (I know times are hard but any donations, no matter how small would be really, really appreciated) or to learn more click here. Thank you!! :)