Beach Sugar Cookies Food

VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• For the vegan sugar cookies: Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the almond milk, then continue to beat until smooth and combined. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat on low speed until a dough comes together; it should be similar in texture to Play-Doh. If the dough seems too dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon almond milk, then stir again until combined.
• Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and roll it into a smooth and even log that's about 2 inches wide and 8 1/2 inches long. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Unwrap the log of dough and trim the ends with a sharp chef's knife. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the tops and edges are set and the bottoms are just starting to turn golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the vegan icing: Once the cookies are cool, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and almond milk in a small bowl until a smooth icing forms; it should be thick enough to spread on a cookie without dripping off the sides. If the icing is too thick, add an extra 1 to 2 teaspoons of almond milk until the desired consistency is achieved. Leave the icing plain or tint with food coloring.
• Use a small offset spatula to spread the icing onto the cooled cookies and immediately top with some sprinkles. Return to the wire rack until set, about 15 minutes. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

BEACH DAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the cookie dough according to the package directions for roll-out cookies, incorporating flour as instructed. Cut the dough into twelve 4 1/2-inch circles, rerolling the scraps as needed. Arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, 11 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, adding up to 1 tablespoon more water if needed, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer 1/4 cup of the icing to a piping bag fitted with a round number 3 tip. Spoon another 1/4 cup of the icing into a small bowl and thin with 1/2 teaspoon water to flooding consistency. You will know it has reached flooding consistency when you run a knife or fork through the icing and it flows back to where it was in 10 seconds. Add more water 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you've reached the right consistency. Transfer to a small piping bag (no tip needed).
• Add the food coloring to the remaining icing in the bowl and mix to combine. Transfer 1/4 cup to a piping bag fitted with a round number 3 tip. Thin the remaining blue icing with 1/4 teaspoon water to flooding consistency. You will know it has reached flooding consistency when you run a knife or fork through the icing and it flows back to where it was in 10 seconds. Transfer to a small piping bag (no tip needed).
• Using the thick blue icing, pipe the outline of the ocean and some waves on the bottom half of each cookie circle and let dry, about 20 minutes. Fill in the ocean with blue flooding icing using a toothpick to spread it all the way to the edges. Let dry completely, about 30 minutes.
• Outline the top half of each cookie with the thick white icing. Let dry completely, about 20 minutes. Fill in the empty space on the top half of each cookie with the white flooding icing using a toothpick to spread it all the way to the edges. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon crushed graham crackers over the wet icing on each. Let the icing dry completely, about 30 minutes, then tap the cookies to remove any excess crumbs. Pipe white ocean foam in swirls over the space where the blue and sand meet. Let dry completely, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, build the sandcastles: Dip 4 mini marshmallows in water, then roll in the graham cracker crumbs until completely covered. Use the thick white icing to stick 3 marshmallows together to form the base of a sandcastle. Pipe a small amount of icing on the bottom of the fourth marshmallow and stick it on top of the base. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows, cracker crumbs and icing to make 12 castles.
• Make the flags: Use a sharp knife to cut 12 small flags out of the rainbow sour candy. Cut 6 toothpicks in half for the flag poles. Stick each flag to a toothpick piece, then stick a flagpole into the top of each sandcastle.
• Make the sand buckets: Cut 12 strips from the green taffy, each 1/2 inch long and 1/16 inch wide. Roll 1 strip in your hand to a 1-inch-long rope for a bucket handle. Use thick white icing to glue the handle to a green gumdrop half. Sprinkle some graham cracker crumbs into the top of the gumdrop bucket. Repeat with the remaining taffy strips, icing, gumdrop halves and graham cracker crumbs to make 12 buckets.
• Make the shovels: Cut 12 strips from the green taffy for the shovel handles, each 1/2 inch long and 1/16 inch wide. Cut twelve 1/4-inch squares from the green taffy. Squeeze one square onto the top of each handle to make 12 shovels.
• Make the crabs: Use the round part of a number 3 piping tip to cut 12 half-circles out of the red taffy. Cut 72 strips for legs, each 1/6 inch wide and 1/4 inch long. Press 3 legs onto each side of each half-circle to make 12 crabs.
• Make the seashells: Use a sharp paring knife to cut 2 small pieces off the bottom of each white chocolate chip to create a seashell. Use the paring knife to make indentation lines in the shape of a seashell on top of each chip.
• Assemble the cookies: Use thick white icing to glue 1 sandcastle, 1 bucket, 1 shovel, 3 seashells and 1 crab to each cookie. Let dry completely, about 20 minutes.

SOUTH BEACH DIET FRIENDLY CHOCOLATE MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Combine egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla. Beat until the whites form soft peaks. Slowly add sugar substitute and cocoa; beat until stiff peaks form, and mixture becomes glossy.
• Optional - Fold in nuts.
• Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

LARGE BATCH SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix together flour, salt, soda, and baking powder and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Add vanilla, beat. Add milk, beat. Slowly add in the flour mixture, one to two cups at a time, and mix well.
• When all ingredients have been added in, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight before baking.
• Before baking, preheat the oven to 350.
• Scoop dough by teaspoon-fulls and roll into balls, then place onto cookie sheet. Use a kitchen glass dipped in white sugar to flatten the balls of dough. Bake in preheated oven aprox 12 min, or until golden.
• Let set on cookie sheet for aprox 3 min, until firm, then transfer to cooling rack, or wax paper, to cool completely.
• *These can also be sprinkled with Cinnamon before baking to make Snickerdoodle or Spice Cookies.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk for 4 mins until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla. Whisk in the cornflour and plain flour until the mixture comes together into a dough. Put the dough between two pieces of baking parchment, and roll out to a 6mm thickness using a rolling pin. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Peel the top layer of parchment off the dough and stamp out circles using a 6cm round cutter (or the shape of your choice). Re-roll any offcuts and continue stamping out rounds until all the dough is used. Transfer the cookies to a second large baking sheet lined with baking parchment, spacing them 2cm apart (you may need two sheets). Bake for 7-10 mins. Leave to cool on the sheet for 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep in an airtight container for one week.

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in extracts and eggs, one at a time. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually beat into creamed mixture. , Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets; flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire racks; cool completely., For frosting, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, extract and enough water to reach desired consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring. Spread over cookies.