Christmas Tree Shortbread Food

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.

CHRISTMAS TREE "FOOD"

Steps:

• DISCLAIMER: This should go without saying, but - DO NOT DRINK THIS. THIS MIXTURE IS NOT MEANT TO BE CONSUMED BY HUMANS OR ANIMALS. IT SHOULD ONLY BE USED TO WATER YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE.
• IMPORTANT: DO NOT MIX VINEGAR AND BLEACH TOGETHER DIRECTLY - IF YOU MIX THEM DIRECTLY THE MIXTURE WILL PRODUCE TOXIC VAPORS. MIX THE VINEGAR WITH THE WATER FIRST, THEN PROCEED WITH THE REST OF THE RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS.
• In a large bowl, mix together the water and the vinegar.
• Add the corn syrup or the sugar, and stir well until all is combined or the sugar is dissolved. If you are using sugar, it may help to use half hot water first to dissolve the sugar, then add the second half, using cold water.
• Add the bleach, if using, and mix well to combine.
• Place your Christmas tree securely in the Christmas tree stand.
• Place a penny in the reservoir of the Christmas tree stand, then fill it with the water mixture.
• Store the remainder of the mixture in a gallon jug, and check the tree every day to see if it needs more of the mixture. Christmas trees which are not watered and which dry out become fire hazards, so make sure your tree is kept watered. If you have used bleach in the mixture label the container appropriately so that no one will drink from it.

THE BEST SHORTBREAD COOKIES FOUR WAYS

Steps:

• All of the shortbreads are made in the same manner using an electric mixer. If you're making a shortbread with two kinds of flour, whisk the flours together.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, salt and zest, if using, together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, scraping the bowl as needed. One by one, beat in the yolks, followed by the vanilla.
• Turn off the mixer, add the flour(s) all at once and mix on low speed only until incorporated. If you've got wheat germ, chocolate or flax seeds or nuts, mix in now.
• Scrape the dough out onto the work surface and divide it in two; the dough will be soft and sticky. Put each piece on a sheet of parchment and cajole it into a log that's 6 to 6 1⁄2 inches long, tightening the log with the paper and twisting the ends. Refrigerate the logs for at least 3 hours (overnight is better) or freeze them for 2 hours. (The logs can be frozen for up 2 months; slice when they're still frozen. You might need to add a minute to the oven time.)
• When you're ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
• Using a chef's knife, cut each log into 1⁄2-inch-thick rounds. Lay them out on the baking sheet, leaving about an inch between them.
• Bake, rotating the cookie sheet after 10 minutes, for 21 to 23 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and set. The cookies will still be soft, so leave them on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack and allowing them to cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: The cookies can be packed in an airtight container and kept at room temperature for at least 5 days.