Super Bowl Cookies

Of all the years we've been doing Super Bowl parties, I realized that I have not posted the recipe for the Super Bowl cookies that I always make.  The above photo are this year's cookies which were easy since both teams had the same colors.  I always make the cookies to go along with the two teams that are playing.  Sometimes the teams have intricate logos which are challenging.  If I was a professional cookie maker who used royal icing, the cookies would turn out perfect but I still use the old fashioned buttercream frosting because of the taste.  You can't beat the taste of buttercream on a good sugar cookie and these two pair so well together that I just can't bring myself to switch to royal icing.  Our friends prefer taste over looks, for good reason.  The cookies still make for lovely table decorations for a party.    Here are previous Super Bowl cookies from past years.  Can you guess what teams were playing in the Super Bowl?

This recipe is the same recipe as the Halloween cookies I use to make.  I got the recipe off the box of the Halloween cookie cutters that I bought at Williams Sonoma in Boise.  I'd make them and take them to work and also mail some to Nick and Lauren.  These cookies were taste-tested by dietetic interns and passed with flying colors.  There is nothing like a delicious sugar cookie with sweet buttercream frosting when you're so busy at work and hardly have any time to come up for air or take a break.  Just one bite into these melt-in-your-mouth cookies and your day suddenly becomes a bit brighter.  Well, these are those cookies.  This recipe makes four dozen of each cut-out of cookie cutters that I bought at Michael's years ago.  Here are some from Amazon with three cookie cutters.  Mine have a  football, helmet, jersey and a banner.

I use the same frosting on all the cookies by adding food coloring for the proper team colors.  I like using gel food coloring instead of the kind you buy at the grocery store because the color is more bold.  The red will look like red instead of pinkish.  And often times, you need black for many of the football team colors.  Here is a link to some gel food coloring or you can also buy them at craft stores.  This year, we were rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs who actually won so that was exciting. To go along with the theme, Bruce barbecued Kansas City barbarcued ribs.

And the weather cooperated for Super Bowl Sunday!  We were so happy about that.  Bruce used his barbecued ribs recipe that he smokes in the Traeger and takes about four hours.  Everyone loves them and I made a crockpot of baked beans.  Our party is potluck so everyone else brought side dishes and then our Super Bowl feast began.

Bruce also printed off the betting board where everyone buys a column for $1 and bets on everything from coin toss to the number of J. Lo's wardrobe changes.   Sometimes it's hard to make a decision.

At the end, the board looks like this and everyone wonders who won the money.  This year there was a tie with 13 correct answers but then Bruce won because he answered the tie-breaker with the closest number to the total points of the game.

This cookie recipe always gets me excited for the Super Bowl because I don't really follow football that much unless it's our home team, the Seahawks.  By making these cookies, I at least know the teams' colors and who the significant players are so I can write their numbers on the jerseys.  Then I fill out the betting board and I'm ready for the big game.   The cookies add to the festivities and decorations, as well as being an easy finger-food dessert.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Super Bowl Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

Makes 4 dozen cookies

2-1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 sticks of butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

1.  Have all ingredients at room temperature. 

2.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3.  In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

4.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

5.  Beat in vanilla.

6. Transfer flour mixture into a sifter and sift directly onto the butter mixture.  Beat on low speed until well mixed.

7.  Turn dough out onto work surface and divide into 2 equal portions.  Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks.

8.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

9.  Take dough out of the refrigerator and let soften slightly at room temperature. 

10.  Divide each portion of dough in half so you have four portions and roll out with a rolling pin.  Cut out dough with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet. 

11.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

12.  Remove cookies from oven when slightly browning around the edges and place on cookie sheets.  Let cookies cool completely and make frosting while cookies cool. 

Buttercream Frosting

16 Tbsp. unsalted butter or 2 cubes

6 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 cup milk, plus more, if needed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

gel food coloring

cocoa powder for the brown footballs

1.  In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until light and creamy, 2-3  minutes.

2. Reduce speed to low, and add the confectioners' sugar, the 2 Tbsp. milk, the vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes.

3.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4.  If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.  

5.  Separate the frosting in individual bowls to as many as you need for the colors. Tint with the gel food coloring.   If making footballs, add enough cocoa powder until it is the desired darkness of brown.  You will need approx. 1/2 cup of frosting for one dozen footballs.