Valentine "Lofthouse Copycat" Sugar Cookies

Ever crave those Lofthouse sugar cookies topped with rich, creamy frosting and thick sprinkles at 9:14am on a Tuesday? No? Just me? Well, if you answered yes, then your wishes have come true, because now you can make these at home thanks to Cooking Classy! When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it out for Valentine's Week. But mine didn't even make it two days before my batch of 2 dozen were gobbled down between myself, my roommate, and my boyfriend. Everything in moderation, right? And so I present to you, the most perfectly light, airy, sweet, and soft sugar cookies. Spoil your Valentine, or yourself, today!

Valentine Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, also at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 can of your favorite vanilla or strawberry frosting (I used vanilla frosting with fresh strawberry puree mixed in)
• sprinkles (optional)

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to mix.

In a large bowl, using a stand or hand mixer, mix together the butter, shortening, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. I beat mine for about 3 minutes.

Add in the first egg, mixing well. Then add in the egg white, vanilla extract, and the almond extract. Mix well to combine.

Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

During the last 10 minutes of chilling the dough, heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle a clean surface with some more cake flour. Place your chilled dough on the floured area and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 1/3-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes for your sweetheart. Feel free to roll the scraps into another ball, flatten, and cut again to get the most out of your dough.

Place on a cookie sheet prepared with parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes. They should stay light in color, not golden or brown.

Let cool completely before icing them with your favorite frosting. Save them for up to one week at room temperature in an airtight container.