Perfect Poolside Party Sugar Cookies

Whether your guest are adults or kids, these swimming pool-inspired sugar cookies will have everyone talking – and eat! The cookie toppers feature teddy bears relaxing on the inflatable tube and fish swimming in the pool – can you imagine a better cookie desert for a pool party? And here's the great thing about these delicious pool party cookies – they're easier to make than they look!

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Frosting:

• ¼ cup butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 to 4 tablespoons hot water
• Blue food coloring

Directions

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Then place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until it's light and fluffy, adding the extracts and eggs one at a time.
2. In another bowl, whisk in the flower, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg. Now, beat this mixture into the creamed butter and sugar.
3. On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, drop the dough by rounded tablespoons keeping them 3 inches apart. Then, dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and use it to flatten the dough.
4. Put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or the edges begin to brown. Cool them completely before decorating.
5. To make the frosting, beat the butter, extract, confectioner's sugar, and just enough water to reach the desired consistency.
6. Add blue food coloring until the frosting reaches the perfect pool blue. Then, use the decorations to create your pool-inspired scenes on top of the cookies!

*Optional decorations: Bear-shaped crackers, fish-shaped graham crackers, airhead candies, gummy sour rings, white sugar pearls, and palm tree party picks.