Ingredients

• Perfect Iced Sugar Cookies

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1-3 tbsp whole milk
• yellow, brown gel food dye
• brown or black jimmies

Instructions

Make the cookies per the recipe and roll it to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut the dough into different sizes of flowers or scallops

Buttercream:

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the room temperature salted and unsalted butter and mix on high until light and fluffy. Mix in the powdered sugar little by little. Add in the vanilla extract and milk about halfway through adding the sugar to help the frosting come together. Start with one tablespoon of milk and work up to three if needed, depending on the consistency you want. I like to aim for a peanut butter consistency or thinner.

Pull out a half cup of buttercream and dye it brown or black. Color the remaining buttercream yellow.

Place the tip #352 into an icing bag and fill it with the yellow buttercream. Place tip #4 into the other icing bag and fill one with the brown buttercream.

Decorating the Buttercream Sunflower Cookies:

Draw a circle in the middle of the cookie with the brown frosting. You want this to be fairly big, as sunflowers have a big seed area. Then, fill in the circle a bit. Do this step for all of the cookies. Add brown or black jimmies to the brown circle of buttercream, gently pressing to adhere.

Use the yellow bag of frosting with the 352 tip attached to pipe two rows of petals going around the circle. Repeat this step for all of the cookies.

Let set at room temperature.

Chef’s Note:

This frosting will not get firm but will develop a thin crust over it.