Easter Sugar Cookies

Easter is my most favorite holiday! Before I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I was a Russian Orthodox. The Orthodox hold a strict fast for 40 days before Easter during which they contemplate the life of Jesus Christ. They exclude animal products from their diet and some even exclude any food that brings pleasure, like pastry, chocolate, sweets, or white bread. I loved doing the strict Fast even though it was very difficult for me and probably wasn't too good for my health. By Easter I was normally starved to death and ready to start eating normal food again. The day before Easter my family would normally make delicious savory dishes and bake all kinds of desserts. One Easter Sunday, I was so starved that I ate too much and got real sick. My parents had to call the ambulance :) I had no regrets though!

These are soft sugar cookies that are so fun to make as a family. There is absolutely nothing healthy about them. In fact, you may even go into a sugar shock, so I recommend to pace yourselves and not eat too many of them. Happy Easter, everyone!

Makes 15-20 cookies

Dough

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (plant-based butter also works)
• 2/3 cup cane sugar
• 1 egg (1/4 cup applesauce also works)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of salt

Frosting

• 1/4 cup milk (almond milk also works)
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• food coloring
• shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl combine butter with sugar. Use a fork to mix them together and fluff them up. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix well.

2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Using your hands, form dough into small 1-inch balls. Place them on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

3. To prepare the frosting, combine milk, butter, and vanilla. Gradually stir in powdered sugar until you reach the desired thickness. Apply food coloring as desired. I divided the frosting into three parts and dyed each with 1-2 drops of blue, yellow, and red food coloring to achieve pastel colors.

4. Dip each cookie into the frosting. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. Place dipped cookies into the fridge to allow the frosting to set quickly. Enjoy!