CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT COOKIES COUNTRY LIVING
Yield: 36 Cookies 1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened 1/4 c Vegetable shortening 1 1/3 c Sugar 2 lg Eggs 3 1/2 c Unsifted all purpose flour 1/2 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Salt Royal Icing recipe follows Food coloring (see Note) 1. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter & shortening until well blended; add sugar & beat until light. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 2. In medium size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, & salt. With mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture to butter mixture & beat until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap & refrigerate at least 30 minutes. 3. To cut & bake cookies: Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Cut 2 pieces of waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets. Lightly flour waxed paper & roll out one ball of dough between paper to 1/8 inch thickness. Remove top piece of waxed paper. Using our 7 inch bauble shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many baubles from dough as possible, leaving 1/2 inch between each shape. Remove all trimmings & press together. Invert waxed paper with baubles onto greased baking sheet & peel off waxed paper. Reroll trimmings between waxed paper & repeat cutting & inverting baubles to fill second baking sheet. If making cookies for ornaments, use a toothpick to pierce a small hole about 1/2 inch from top of each cookie. 4. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks & cool completely before decorating. Repeat rolling, cutting, & baking with remaining balls of dough & trimmings. 5. To decorate cookies as pictured in the magazine (plaid), prepare Royal Icing. Divide icing in half, placing one half in a medium size bowl. Divide remaining half of icing among 3 small bowls or cups. Tint icing in medium size bowl pale yellow with yellow food coloring (see Note). Mix one small bowl of icing with burgundy food coloring, another with teal food coloring, & the last bowl with violet food coloring. Spoon icings (except yellow) into separate small pastry bags fitted with small (#1) writing tips. With pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a think coat of the yellow icing, being sure not to cover pierced hole; let dry & paint again. When yellow icing has dried, pipe decorateive lines, dots & curls on front of cookies using other colored icings. To store cookies, place them in a single layer in airtight containers. ROYAL ICING: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low speed, beat two 1 lb packages confectioners' sugar, 6 large egg whites (if cookies will be eaten, use meringue powder & follow package instructions for Royal Icing: see Note), & 1 teaspoon cream of tartar until mixed. Increase speed to high, beat until very thick & fluffy about 6 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use. Makes 4 cups. Note: We used Wilton's Egg Yellow, Burgundy, Teal & Grape Violet food coloring & meringue powder, which can be purchased wherever cake decorating supplies are sold or by calling Wilton Industries at (800) 772-7771. Country Living/November/1994 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
