Honeybees & Sugar Cookies

Just how important are honeybees? 

Typically, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these under-appreciated workers pollinate 80 percent of our flowering crops, which constitute one-third of everything we eat. Losing them could affect not only dietary staples such as apples, broccoli, strawberries, nuts, asparagus, blueberries, and cucumbers but may threaten our beef and dairy industries if alfalfa is not available for feed. One Cornell University study estimated that honeybees annually pollinate $14 billion worth of seeds and crops in the U.S. Essentially, if honeybees disappear, they could take most of our insect-pollinated plants with them, potentially reducing mankind to little more than a water diet. 

Simple Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 medium egg
1 Tbs. cream
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour

1 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg white
colored candy sprinkles

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the egg, cream, salt, and vanilla. 
Continue to beat well. Sift in the flour and mix until the dough is formed. 
Mold into a large ball, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
Dusting a surface with additional flour, roll out dough and cut into desired cookie shapes.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or so, until barely golden brown.

Allow to cool.

 

Whisk together powdered sugar and egg white to form royal icing. 
Pipe onto cookies and sprinkle with sugar.