They call her the Queen of Hearts

Love is in the air.. Nope, it has nothing, and I mean nothin' to do with a man. It's all about the cookies. "Cookies?" you ask. Yes, colorful, sugary, heart-shaped ones to be exact. With a name like "No Fail Sugar Cookies" I had my doubts. But they are everything the name claims them to be and more. I've got a drawer FULL of under-used cookie cutters and I just ordered some new ones, so expect more great things outta this recipe, which can be found at KitchenGifts.com. When you try this recipe, I HIGHLY recommend that you follow her hints about dividing the dough into about 3-4 parts and rolling each part between wax paper before chilling. It's so not nearly as messy and it's so much easier. No-Fail Sugar Cookies 6 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I like almond myself) 1 tsp. salt Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below) Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3” cookies. HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess -- Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies. The cookies are decorated with Royal Icing. Royal Icing 3 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 3 T meringue powder 6 T warm water Beat 4 to 5 minutes. By hand, stir in optional flavorings and desired tints.