Flocking Cookies With Colored Sugars Food

FLOWER SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a handheld mixer until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add brown sugar, and continue beating until light, 2 to 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Gradually add the 2 cups flour and salt while mixing slowly to make a rough dough. Press dough into a ball by hand. Lightly dust the cookie dough with flour and roll it between 2 pieces of waxed paper into a 1/4-inch-thick disk. Slide the disk in the paper onto a cookie sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes (or refrigerate about 1 hour).
• Evenly space the racks in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Transfer the dough to the work surface and remove the top sheet of paper. Cut into cookies with a 4-inch flower or other decorative cutter and transfer them to a parchment-lined or nonstick baking sheet. Press excess dough together and roll and cut into cookies as well. Bake until cookies' edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.
• For the icing: Whisk the water and egg white powder in a medium bowl until foamy and smooth. Gradually whisk in the confectioners' sugar to make a smooth icing. Spread a layer of icing over the entire surface of the cookies (or just in the center, if desired) with the back of a teaspoon. Place sprinkles, chocolate chips, or candies in the center of the cookies. Let rest until the icing sets, about 30 minutes.

FLOCKING COOKIES WITH COLORED SUGARS

Steps:

• to suggest the textural effect of an elegant flocked fabric or trim, generously sprinkle a fairly fine grained colored sugar over areas already decorated with royal icing or powdered sugar icing BEFORE the icing had a chance to set; immediately shake off excess sugar. For the best effect the sugar used for flocking should be a color similiar to the icing underneath. Depending on the look you desire, you can flock a large flat area or only the raised piped details ofa design.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

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.

COLORFUL COOKIE POPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl with spoon until smooth. Stir in flour. Divide dough in half. Stir red food color into one half of dough; stir green food color into other half of dough.
• Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, using some of each color of dough for each ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Insert wooden stick into side of each ball. Press bottom of glass onto dough to grease, then dip into sugar; press on balls until 1/4-inch thick. Press candy sprinkles into dough or sprinkle with colored sugars.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until slightly firm and edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

COLORED SUGAR

Steps:

• Place sugar into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Drip the food coloring onto the sugar, close the lid, and shake vigorously for about 1 minute. Adjust color with additional food coloring and repeat if the color is too light.

OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Do not preheat oven yet - dough must chill before baking.
• Melt butter.
• Add sugars and mix.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add vanilla, lemon zest, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• Mix well.
• Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.
• Chill dough for at least one hour (overnight is fine).
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees, rack in middle of oven.
• Use hands to roll dough in walnut-sized balls.
• Roll dough balls in a bowl of white sugar.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.
• Flatten dough balls with a greased spatula.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes (They should have a tine of gold on the top).
• Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
• Cookies can be decorated with frosting piped from a pastry bag for special occasions - or left just as they are.

COLOR-FIELD COOKIES

Steps:

• Prepare the glaze: Combine box of confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons warm water in a medium bowl. Stir with a fork to combine well, slowly adding water as needed to achieve the desired consistency. You should have 2 cups total. Test the glaze on a cookie as you go: If it doesn't spread out on its own to a smooth finish within 10 seconds, it is too thick and needs more water. If it runs off the edge of the cookie, it's too thin and needs more confectioners' sugar.
• Let glaze sit, tightly covered, until ready to use, stirring occasionally. The glaze will keep for at least a week in a small airtight container like a glass jar.
• Decorate the cookies: Pour about 1/3 cup glaze into a small, wide bowl. Starting with a light gel food coloring, mix in color until desired shade is reached. Holding a cookie by the edges, with the top-side down, dip into the glaze, moving the cookie around a bit to make sure it coats the whole surface. Gently shake the cookie from side to side to let the excess glaze drip off.
• Use a small offset spatula to stop the flow of icing, gently scrape cookie against edge of bowl, and flip the cookie over. Use the spatula to spread the icing to pop any air bubbles, and make sure it goes all the way to the edges. The glaze should quickly smooth out on its own. If not, thin it out a bit until it does. Use your fingers to wipe away any icing on the outside edges.
• Continue in this way until you have mixed nine different colors and coated 2 or 3 of the cookies in each color. Let dry completely, a few hours. Cookies will keep in an airtight container up to 3 days.

SUGAR COOKIE BLOSSOMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter, vanilla and egg with spoon until smooth. Stir in flour.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft to shape, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.) Roll balls in colored sugars. On ungreased cookie sheet, place about 2 inches apart.
• With kitchen scissors or paring knife pointing down, snip each ball in half, cutting three-fourths of the way through dough; cut each half into 3 wedges for petals.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Immediately press 1 candy into each cookie. Cool completely.