Sugar Cookie Trees Doves And Snowflakes Food

SWEDISH SUGAR COOKIE SNOWMEN, DOVES, AND WREATHS

Steps:

• Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, cardamom and salt in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg until fluffy, then beat in flour on low speed just until blended.
• Divide dough in thirds. Shape each third into a 1-in.-thick disk; wrap separately. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. You'll need a baking sheet(s).
• On floured surface, roll out 1 disk at a time to 1/4-in. thickness. Using floured cutters, cut out snowmen and doves. For wreaths, cut out 3-in. rounds, then cut out center with 1-in. round. Cut out 8 (1 1/2-in.) holly leaves per wreath; arrange holly leaves on top of round, with stem ends toward the center hole. Score deep veins in leaves. Transfer shapes with a floured spatula 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s). Reroll and cut scraps only once.
• Bake 11 to 13 minutes for snowmen and doves, and 16 to 18 minutes for wreaths, until cookies are golden at edges. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on sheet on a wire rack. Remove to rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing: Beat confectioners' sugar and Just Whites in a large bowl with mixer on low speed until combined. Add water; beat until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 8 minutes or until icing is very thick and white. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
• Thin icing for spreading by adding drops of water to tinted and white icing until just thin enough to spread. Leave some icing thick if making wreaths.
• Spread black icing on hats and white icing on rest of cookie, leaving a slim edge of cookie showing all around and between hats and top of snowmen's heads. Let dry 3 hours. Dip paintbrush or a toothpick in black icing and paint on eyes and mouth. Dip a brush or toothpick in orange icing; paint on carrot nose. With dabs of icing, attach red candy sequin for hat flower and large blue for buttons.
• Spread thinned white icing on cookies, leaving a slim edge of cookie showing all around. While wet, decorate wings and tail with almond slices. Let dry 3 hours. Dip paintbrush or a toothpick in yellow icing and paint on beaks. Dip a toothpick in white icing, apply to bird and add a small blue candy sequin eye.
• Tint thick decorating icing pale green. Using a fine paintbrush, brush thick lines of icing on holly leaves, following the veins, pulling the icing up and out to resemble pine needles. Paint the exposed areas on the bottom round cookie with thinned green icing. While wet, attach pink dragées or candy balls to the spaces between leaves (see photo).
• Let cookies dry at least 6 hours.

SNOW FLAKES AND PEACE DOVES CUT-OUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the cookie mix with the cream cheese until crumbly. Mix in the eggs and flavoring until well combined. Add enough flour to make a firm dough that can be rolled out. Roll dough out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out snow flakes, doves, or other desired shapes.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.
• While the cookies are baking, make the icing by combining powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it reaches desired consistency.
• Decorate cookies with royal icing. Allow to dry for 1 hour.

SUGAR COOKIE TREES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar; beat well. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
• On low speed, gradually add flour, baking powder and salt; beat just until blended. Beat in food color. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. With floured 3-inch or 5-inch tree-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 30 trees, rerolling trimmings if needed. Trim bottoms of trees straight across to cut off trunks. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not browned. Immediately cut half of the cookies in half vertically; cool cookies on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• With icing, adhere 2 cookie halves at right angles on opposite sides of the center of each whole cookie. Use icing to decorate cookie trees with star and snowflake candies and nonpareils. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.

SNOWFLAKE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with Reynolds® Parchment Paper, set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar until fluffy with an electric mixer. Mix in egg and lemon extract until well blended.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until smooth. Divide dough in half; shape into 2 flat disks. Wrap dough in parchment paper; refrigerate 1 hour until firm enough to roll.
• Roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper.
• Cut dough with 2 to 6-inch snowflake cookie cutters. Place cookies 1-inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Decorate with colored sprinkles.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to brown on edges. Cool.
• Mix powdered sugar and milk together in a small bowl, adding milk slowly until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over cooled cookies.