Food Network Magazine - (11)November 2019

SUGAR COOKIES

ACTIVE: 45 min l TOTAL: 2½ hr

MAKES: 24 to 36

2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising),

plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter,

at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Royal icing, for decorating (see below)

1. Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt

into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter

and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on

medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about

5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat

until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low

and beat in the flour mixture in two batches

until just combined. Divide the dough between

2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks.

Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

(The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month;

thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the

dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour

as needed, until about ⅛ inch thick. Cut out

shapes with 2- to 4-inch leaf cookie cutters;

arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking

sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you

work, return to the refrigerator until firm.)

Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm;

reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the

cutouts 30 minutes.

3. Position racks in the upper and lower

thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 ̊. Bake,

switching the pans halfway through, until the

cookies are slightly puffed and just slightly

golden on the edge, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool

5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer

to racks to cool completely before decorating.

Using a resealable plastic bag or

a piping bag, pipe an outline on

each cookie with red, orange or

yellow icing. Let set 10 minutes.

Fill inside the line, using thinner

icing of the same color. Let set

completely, at least 1 hour.

Using a resealable plastic bag or

a piping bag, pipe an outline on

each cookie with red, orange or

yellow icing. Let set 10 minutes.

Fill inside the line, using thinner

icing of the same color.

Using a resealable plastic bag or

a piping bag, pipe an outline on

each cookie with red, orange or

yellow icing. Let set 10 minutes.

Fill inside the line, using thinner

icing of the same color. While

the icing is still wet, pipe a line or

dots with icing of another color.

Put a dab of red, orange

and/or yellow gel food coloring

in separate small bowls; add a

drop of water to each. Use

a small brush to paint the

color on the cookies in small

brush strokes.

While the icing is still wet,

sprinkle red, orange, yellow

and gold sanding sugar in small

sections on the cookie, letting

the colors mix slightly. Let set

completely, at least 1 hour.

While the icing is still wet,

drag a toothpick through

the different colors to create

feathered designs. Let set

completely, at least 1 hour.

ROYAL ICING

Whisk one 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar

and 2 tablespoons meringue powder in a

large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat

with a mixer on medium-high speed until

soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 more

tablespoon water if needed. Divide among

bowls and tint with gel food coloring as desired.

You’ll need two consistencies of icing: For

outlining, the icing should be thick and pipable.

For flooding (filling inside the lines), the icing

should be the consistency of runny yogurt; thin

with more water as needed.

fun

cooking

Using a resealable plastic bag or

a piping bag, pipe an outline on

each cookie with red, orange or

yellow icing. Let set 10 minutes.

Pipe pools of icing inside the

line, using thinner icing of

each color.

While the icing is still wet,

use a small brush to marble

the colors together. Let set

completely, at least 1 hour.

62 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE ●NOVEMBER 2019