Personalized Cookies for Ben's First Birthday

I received an order to make cookies for Ben's first birthday party. A request was made for cars and number 1's with Ben's name. They turned out really cute! 

The number 1's were personalized with Ben's name written vertically down each cookie.

Some cars had "Ben is 1!" written on them, while others were personalized with the names of Ben's friends to take home as part of their loot bags.

Planning ahead was key to making these cars look as car-like as possible. In the end, I actually changed some of the initial details because I needed to have enough space to pipe names on each cookie. 

To make these sugar cookies I used my all time favourite Sugar Cookie Recipe from the book Cookie Craft.

For all of you who have not yet gone out to buy Peterson and Fryer's book, what are you waiting for? There are so many tips and ideas to keep you busy for a very long time! Okay...for all of my followers who have been asking for my sugar cookie recipe...see below!

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Once the cookies have cooled, pipe the outline of the car with black royal icing.

Pipe window, steering wheel and tires.

 Let piping dry completely dry before flooding.

Next step, flood carefully with desired colors.

Let dry overnight.

The next day, pipe names on each car with royal icing.

How adorable do these cars look on this neighbourhood tablecloth?

Beep! Beep!  We don't want to be late for Ben's first Birthday Party!

Individually packaged...

...and ready to go!

Rolled Sugar Cookies-taken from Cookie Craft

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla* or 1 teaspoon vanilla plus zest of 1 lemon
food coloring (if cookie design calls for it)

*Instead of vanilla, you can use other extracts such as almond or peppermint.

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Using your mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla (and lemon zest, if you're using it) or your extract of choice and mix until well blended.

3. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until the two are thoroughly blended.

4. If your cookie design calls for adding food coloring, do so now, and continue blending until desired color is reached and is evenly incorporated.

5. Turn out dough onto work surface and divide into two or three equal portions, Form each one into a rough disk. Click here for step by step and visuals of how to roll out dough and attain cookies of the same thickness.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

7. After you have rolled and cut the dough and the cookie shapes are on parchment-lined cookie sheets, bake them in the middle rack of the oven for 12-16 minutes or until the cookies start to turn slightly golden around the edges.

8. Cool cookies completely on a rack before icing or decorating.

Yield
2 1/2-inch cookies--about 30
3 1/2-inch cookies--about 16
4 1/2-inch cookies--about 12