We may not be able to go trick or treating, but we can hold a safe socially distanced bonfire night, or cookout with the rule of 6 family members.
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| Charlie - Dungaree |
You will need:
16 ingredients
- 1 Egg, large
- 2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Almond extract, pure
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 Food coloring
- 1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp Meringue
- 3 cups Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Sea salt, fine
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure
- 1 cup Butter, unsalted
- 3 tbsp Half and half
- 1 Candy eye decals, Small
- 1 Nonpareils, Small or jumbo
- 3 oz Water
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and
salt. Set aside until ready to use.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively,
use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Add the sugar and beat on
medium-high speed once again until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape
down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly once again.
Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well-incorporated.
Add the half and half, along with both the vanilla and almond extract and mix
once more.
Add the flour in 3 separate additions, mixing on low after
each addition. Do not over-mix. Divide the dough into two rounds and lay each
atop a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk shape, wrap and refrigerate
until chilled, no less than 1 hour. The dough can be made a day in advance.
Preheat the oven to 350° and have ready cookie sheets lined
with either parchment paper
One at a time, lay the disks atop a large floured work
surface. Lightly flour each side of the dough round. Begin rolling, from the
middle outward in each direction, shifting the dough slightly after each roll
to avoid sticking. Do this until the dough is a 1/4” in thickness. Cut out
dough into desired shapes.
Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing
them at least 1 inch apart. Bake until the outer edges are just tinged with
golden-brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool
completely before icing.
For the Royal Icing:
Have ready a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar,
meringue powder, water and extract. Begin mixing on low until powdered sugar
has absorbed the liquid ingredients, then increase speed to high.
Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix for 2-3
minutes or until the icing is the consistency similar to toothpaste.
To ensure the icing is the right consistency, test it by
allowing icing to drip from the paddle attachment or beaters. It should take
about 30 seconds before the fallen icing loses its shape and melds into the
rest of the icing.
If colouring the icing, add the food colouring now.
To apply the icing to the cookie, pipe a line of icing about
an eighth of an inch from the edge of the cookie. This is also called
outlining. Do not pipe directly on the edge. Then, pipe in a tight and compact
zig-zag pattern to fill the inside of the cookie. This is also called flooding.
Decorate with sprinkles and decals while the icing is still
wet. Set aside and allow to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Tips for using royal icing - select your icing. Make up a batch of royal icing in a bowl and just dip the face of the cookie in it. This is great fun for getting the kids involved.
If you like sprinkles and candy, it to create add more colour and detail to your cookies
Cookie cutters can be so useful, for interesting shapes makes your cookies look well put together. (for the bake off pro)
If you want to go a step further, you could also buy candy eye decals for that perfect finish or pipe them from a non-plastic tube - for tips on how to use a piping tube, see here https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-use-a-piping-bag-224064
