BE MINE
Begins on page 35
Cutout Sugar Cookies p.35
Makes 24 to 30
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon orange zest
Royal Icing (recipe follows)
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese, and confectioners’ sugar, slowly increasing mixer speed to medium, until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and orange zest. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until a dough forms. Scrape down sides of bowl, and knead dough 3 to 4 times in bowl to make sure everything is well combined.
4. Divide dough in half; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to ¼-inch thickness. (Lightly flour top of dough if it sticks to rolling pin.) Using desired Valentine’s Day cutters, cut dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Using a small offset spatula, place cookies at
