Not So Ugly Sweater Cookies Food

CHRISTMAS TIE-DYE SWEATER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the sugar cookie mix according to the package instructions and divide the dough into 3 equal dough balls. Color one dough ball red and the other dough ball green so you have 1 plain, 1 red and 1 green.
• Tear teaspoon-sized pieces of each color dough and drop them on a piece of parchment or a silicone baking mat, alternating colors close together so it looks like confetti. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the dough pieces and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate the rolled out dough for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour (this helps keep the cookies from spreading).
• Using a sweater cookie cutter, press out as many sweaters as you can and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Re-roll the leftover dough and keep punching out cookies. (Note, the more you roll, the cooler the dough pattern will be, but if you over-roll it, it will become a muddy color.)
• Bake just until the bottoms start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before decorating.
• Mix the royal icing according to the package instructions. Divide the icing into three bowls. Leave one bowl white, dye another red and the last green. Add the icing to piping bags or squeeze bottles. Outline a cookie with one color, then another inside the first outline, working in from the perimeter and alternating colors until the whole cookie is covered. Drag a toothpick from the center of the cookie out to the edges to create a tie-dye effect. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let set until dry, 20 to 30 minutes.

UGLY SWEATER CAKE

Steps:

• Remove the cake from the pan and place bottom-side up on a platter.
• Put 1 container of plain frosting in a piping bag with an X-shaped nozzle or in a resealable bag with the bottom corner snipped. Add green coloring to each of the other 2 containers of frosting and mix until they are a consistent green.
• Using an offset spatula, spread the green frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Pipe the plain frosting in a Y shape to make it look like a sweater V-neck and front fastening. Decorate with cake decorations and holiday candies--use any design you like and make it your own.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir together and set aside.
• In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, baking soda, vanilla and eggs. Mix with a fork and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the cocoa. Whisk together to combine. Meanwhile, bring 1 cup water to a boil. When the butter is melted, pour the boiling water in the pan. Allow to bubble for a moment, then turn off the heat.
• Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir together for a moment to cool the chocolate, then pour in the egg mixture. Stir together until smooth, then pour into a rimmed half sheet pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool, then cut the finished cake in half so it is the size of a quarter sheet pan.

UGLY SWEATER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half; shape each into a disk. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, 4 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-1/2-in. sweater-shaped cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake cookies until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely., Place first 5 icing ingredients in a small bowl; beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Thin with cream to desired consistency. If desired, tint with food coloring., Pipe icing onto cookies and decorate as desired. (Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.) Let cookies stand at room temperature several hours or until frosting is dry and firm.

UGLY SWEATER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour and baking soda. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with hand mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in dry pudding mix and egg. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface; mix with your hands until ingredients are well blended and come together to form smooth ball.
• Divide dough into 4 pieces; roll each into ball. Flatten each slightly into disk. Roll out dough, 1 disk at a time, on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into sweater shapes with 2-inch cookie cutter, rerolling scraps as necessary.
• Place, 2 inches apart, on parchment-covered baking sheets.
• Bake 10 to 12 min. or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
• Mix powdered sugar, water and meringue powder until blended. Spoon into separate bowls to match desired number of colored frostings. Tint frosting in each bowl with desired food colorings. Spoon frosting from 1 bowl into piping bag fitted with small piping tip, such as a number 2, 3, or 4. Repeat with remaining frostings to fill additional piping bags fitted with small piping tips.
• Use piping bags to pipe line of frosting around edge of each cookie, then gently squeeze frosting back and forth over top of cookie to cover with frosting. Decorate with sprinkles as desired. Let stand until frosting is firm.