Recipe of the day

Snowflake Cookies Recipe

• 

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  ROYAL ICING:
• 2 pounds confectioners' sugar
• 6 tablespoons meringue powder
• 3/4 cup warm water
• Sky blue gel food coloring
• White edible glitter and superfine sugar
• 
  Ribbon

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
• Divide dough into fourths. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion to 1/8-in. thickness. (Refrigerate other portions until ready to use.) Using a variety of sizes of floured snowflake cookie cutters, cut out snowflakes.
• Carefully place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using small decorating cutters, cut out desired shapes to create designs in some of the snowflakes. Use a toothpick to help remove the cutouts. With a plastic straw, poke a hole in the top of each small cookie.
• Bake medium and large snowflakes at 375° for 6-1/2 to 7 minutes and small snowflakes for 6 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
• For royal icing, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. Add warm water; beat on low speed for 1 minute. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Tint half blue. Leave remaining icing white; cover and set aside.
• With blue icing and a round tip, outline half of the cookies; fill in centers with blue icing and let dry completely. With white icing and a round tip, outline each blue-colored cookie and create snowflake designs. Let dry completely.
• On the remaining cookies, repeat process using white icing on white frosted cookies. Thread a ribbon through the hole in each small snowflake and through the cutout in each medium and large snowflake. Yield: about 3 dozen.