These are soft and not so sweet until you put the buttercream frosting on top. Much like shortbread there are very few ingredients happening here so go for the best you can afford, it really does make a difference. I rarely sift flour anymore, but similar recipes called for cake flour. I thought this might split the difference.

Sour Cream Frosted Cookie Recipe

8 ounces butter, room temperature

1.75 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

.5 teaspoon almond extract

6 cups flour, sifted before you measure

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

.5 teaspoon salt

Frosting

8 ounces butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons heavy cream

food coloring and sprinkles, if you’re feeling festive

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Cream the butter with sugar then add sour cream. Beat until no sugar crystals are visible. Add eggs, vanilla and almond. Separately, combine the dry ingredients. Add them in two additions to the creamed butter mixture. Rest the dough in the refrigerator minimally 20 minutes. You can scoop balls of dough and flatten or roll it between two pieces of parchment and cut with a cutter. I scooped and hand shaped the cookies pictured.

Place them on parchment covered cookie sheet and flatten more than you think you should. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the sheets if using more than one sheet at a time. Cool on a rack.

For the frosting cream the butter then add the remaining ingredients. Whip to add volume. I portion the frosting out on each cookie to make sure they all have the same amount, then spread the frosting with the back of a spoon to get it swirly. Sprinkle with decorative dragees soon after spreading the icing because it will dry and crust quickly.

Chill.

Yummy frosted cookies!

Sometimes a person wants birthday cookies, not birthday cake! Happy Birthday Jessica!