#VoiceTailgate: Happy Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Anyone else excited for next season when Pharrell Williams and Gwen Stefani join The Voice?!  The two of them performing last night - together at one point - was BANANAS.  They sure do make me happy.  Happy like Mickey Mouse sweaters and big hats and moms of three and bleach blond rockstar hair.  Yes, yours too Adam!  And, "because I'm happeeeeeeeeeee," so are my cookies.

For tonight's #VoiceTailgate and in honor of new coaches, I decided to turn my favorite sugar cookies into "happy" ones.  These are soft and chewy and topped with a buttercream frosting and a chocolate smiley face.  If that doesn't make you happy, then what does?  Kicking puppies?  Eating sad faces?  You're weird.  These cookies are festive and adorable and certain to please your tailgate guests : )               

Happy Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
(Makes 2 dozen)
Printable Recipe

For Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.  Scrape down sides with spatula.  Add egg and vanilla paste and mix until combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  Add half to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed.  Then add sour cream, combine, and finally rest of dry ingredients.  Mix until a dough forms.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, a few inches apart.

Bake for 15 minutes, until edges start to brown slightly.

*Note: you can sub vanilla extract for the paste, but the paste is soooo good.

For Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons milk (or cream)
Yellow food coloring
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a bowl with an electric mixer, mix butter until light and fluffy, a few minutes.  Add powdered sugar and continue to mix.  Add vanilla and milk (more or less depending on desired consistency of frosting) and food coloring.  Mix until frosting has combined.  Frost your cooled cookies.

Let cookies sit for 15 minutes.  In the meantime, melt chocolate in heat-proof bowl in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate has melted.  Let cool briefly, then pour chocolate into plastic baggie.  Snip a tiny portion of the corner of the bag, and then pipe the smiley faces onto each cookie.  

Who do you think made the Top 5 tonight?!