Food Network Magazine - (12)December 2020

Make cookies with a pumpkin cookie

cutter. Flood the bottom half with icing

for the face; flood the top with icing

for the hair. Let set, then add details to

the hair and face with more icing. Use

sprinkles or sugar pearls for the holly.

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2

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ACTIVE: 45 min l TOTAL: 2 hr 45 min (plus cooling)

MAKES: 24 to 36

2½ cups cake flour, plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Royal icing, for decorating (see below)

1.Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of

parchment paper or into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and

granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high

speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg

and vanilla 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.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with
   1 disk of dough 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 cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart
   on the 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.
   Refrigerate 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,

ROYAL ICING

Whisk 1 pound (about 3¾ cups) 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 peaks form, adding up to

1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Tint with

food coloring. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly

on the surface of the icing until ready to use

to prevent it from drying out.

HOW TO FLOOD

To flood, or cover cookies completely with royal icing,

start with icing that’s fairly thick (the consistency

of Greek yogurt). Using a piping bag or resealable

plastic bag, pipe a border around the edge of the

cookies. Thin the remaining icing with a few drops

of water and use it to fill within the border.

Let harden overnight.

HOW TO MAKE

.

~asic Sugar~ookies

until the cookies are slight ly puffed and just golden, 13 to

15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans, t hen transfer

the cookies to racks to cool completely before icing.

112 FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE• DECEMBER 2020

~ ~laus Cookies

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