Christmas Shortbread Wreaths Food

HOLLY WREATHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. , Using a cookie press fitted with a star piping tip, shape dough into 2-1/2-in. wreaths 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until set (do not brown), 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks., Decorate with green cherry pieces for leaves and Red Hots for berries. Use red decorating icing to form bows and adhere candy to wreaths.

ALMOND WREATHS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk the all-purpose flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, almond butter, honey and almond extract in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, then beat in the almond flour until well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Pipe 2 1/2-inch rings about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough is too stiff to pipe, let soften slightly at room temperature.) Decorate the cookies with sanding sugar and/or nonpareils. Refrigerate the cookies until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges, about 18 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.

OATMEAL SHORTBREAD WREATHS

Steps:

• Pulse the oats in a food processor until finely ground. Add the flour, brown sugar and salt and pulse. Add the butter and egg yolk and process until the dough comes together and no streaks of butter remain. Divide the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pat into disks; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Let the dough sit at room temperature about 5 minutes to soften slightly. Working with one piece at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper until 1/4 inch thick; dust with more flour. (If the dough becomes too soft, refrigerate 15 minutes.) Cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter (preferably fluted), then cut out the centers with a 3/4-inch round cutter. Arrange the wreaths 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies.
• Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are dry and firm on top and golden brown around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans. Lightly brush the tops with the maple syrup, then immediately sprinkle with the crushed raspberries and sanding sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

MEYER-LEMON SHORTBREAD WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with zest on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Reduce speed to low. Beat in lemon juice and salt, then flour, until combined. Divide dough in half, transfer each to plastic wrap, pat into disks, wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Stamp out rounds with a 3-inch cutter, preferably fluted. Transfer to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Use a 1- to 1 1/4-inch plain round cutter to stamp out centers of 3-inch rounds. Gather scraps; roll out again, stamping out more wreaths. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake, rotating sheets and rack positions halfway through, until set and pale golden on bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week before decorating.
• Glaze and Decorations: Brush herbs with egg white; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Transfer to wire rack; let stand until stiff and dry, at least 1 hour or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. One at a time, dip cookie tops in glaze; lift and tilt slightly for a few seconds, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer to wire rack; decorate with sugared herbs and candies. Let stand until set, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, between sheets of parchment, up to 2 days.

SHORTBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.