Once upon a time, I loathed making sugar cookies. I had a sketchy recipe that never seemed to come together and make for easy rolling, frosting them could take a while depending on the shape, and in the end, they just never seemed to be worth the trouble.

One autumn in DC, I discovered a new recipe, then added a few extra teaspoons of vanilla. From that dough, I created a platter of fall-themed treats – turkeys (complete with sprinkled-on plumage), acorns, pumpkins, and colorful leaves – and took it to my Aunt Liz’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a huge hit, to say the least.

Since then, I’ve used that same recipe to make treats for many seasons and reasons, including a fun batch of steamed crab cut-outs that my cousin-in-law Robb absolutely loved. Now, sugar cut-outs are among my favorite cookies to make.

These baseballs are for my nephew Roman, who turns 8 this week. Happy birthday, kiddo.

You will need:

• 1 batch sugar cut-outs made with two additional teaspoons vanilla extract, cut with a medium round cookie cutter
• 1/2 batch vegan vanilla frosting
• Red gel food coloring

Preparation

Bake cookies and allow them to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare frosting, reserving about 1/4 for red stitch details. I use flavorless red gel food coloring and added about 1/4 teaspoon to achieve a dark red.

Frost cookies with the white frosting, smoothing out each as much as you can.

Fit a pastry bag with a small plain tip. Pipe curved lines first, then add stitch details. Allow frosting to set before storing; store cookies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container for up to three days.