Sweets from the Soul Recipes

Feel free to change up this recipe by adding your favorite flavorings. Lemon, almond, and orange zest are just some of the few that I have tried.   Add them to the dough, the royal icing or both!  3 cups all purpose flour 1 cup sugar ¼ tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 tbsp. vanilla  1 egg Bring egg and butter to room temperature.  (I cannot tell you how important this step is to the success of your dough.)  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together and set aside....

So many times a design calls for an embellishment or fondant overlay to be 'glued' to a cookie.  Most bakers use a simple syrup to attach a fondant bow or a royal icing accent.  But have you ever thought to add just a touch of flavor to the mix?   Jams can be sieved and mixed with boiled water to coordinate with the flavor of the cookie.  Apricot is a mild neutral flavor that doesn't interfere with vanilla cookies.  Simply add apricot jam to a small amount of water and strain to remove any small bits.  Then brush the glaze onto...