Alien Sugar Cookies

Tomorrow one of my favourite friends EVER is retiring after 30 long years with the Ministry!  We're having a big party for him in Spruce Grove tomorrow and the theme is "out of this world" because my little buddy is real big into everything paranormal.  I wish I was retiring too because then we could open up our own X-Files consulting company!

Anyhoo, I decided I would make a tried and true sugar cookie recipe that another co-worker posted on our office SharePoint; I'm not sure where she sourced this from, or if it's her own creation, but it never fails and always comes out awesome!  If I ever find out her source I will give credit because it's just such a great recipe.

Alien Sugar Cookies
Cookie Ingredients:
1 1/2 butter
2 1/4 sugar
6 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3 tbsp milk
3 tsp baking powder
6 cups flour

Icing Ingredients:
3 tbsp meringue powder
4 cups icing sugar
6-10 tbsp warm water (depending how thick/thin you want it)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:
Combine milk, eggs, sugar, butter & vanilla together - I used my food processor because I'm lazy like that!

Mix flour and baking powder, then add to the creamed ingredients a bit at a time (took me about 6 additions).  After adding about three quarters of my flour mixture I had to turn it into a large mixing bowl to finish off because I only have a 10 cup food processor and it wouldn't all fit - this is a super large batch, in case you haven't already figured it out!!

Mix until a uniform dough comes together. Split in half and form into 2 discs - wrap tightly in saran wrap and chuck in the fridge for about an hour.

Time to get baking!  Preheat the oven to 375degrees and prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.  On a lightly floured surface, foll the dough out into about 1/4" thickness and then cut into your desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Bake each pan for about 8 minutes, until the bottoms start to turn golden brown.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes so the cookies don't fall apart when you remove them to cooling racks.

Let the cookies cool completely before icing them.  Now's a great time to enjoy a couple glasses of wine and make your icing!  In a large glass bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, then slowly add the water until you get the consistency you want.  I added a bit of colour gel too to make the little guys a nice flourscent alien green!

It takes a couple stirs, but it eventually comes together.

In total, this batch made over 80 cookies!  It's funny because we're always so sad when someone retires, mostly because we'll miss having them around!  But I'm kind of excited for Rick to bust outta here and pursue all his other-worldly interests...  I can't wait to hear all of his adventures from down in Arizona!! 

Me and Rick last summer - will miss having him around at my immediate disposal,
but I will be able to catch him on the dark side of the moon or maybe at Area 51!