Festive Spicy Christmas Cookie Cutouts

 

Festive Spicy Christmas Cookie Cutouts

(From Woman’s Day Food Department 12/23/1986 – I wasn’t kidding about how many years I’ve been baking these cookies!)

 

This recipe makes about 90 2-inch nicely spiced cookies.

 

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder (For best results - buy a new can before Christmas baking)

1 ½ Tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon ground ginger

¾ teaspoon ground allspice

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 ½ cups butter, at room temperature

1 ¾ cups packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

Icing (recipe follows)

For decoration:  sliced almonds, red cinnamon candies, silver dragees

 

Mix flour, baking powder and spices. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with electric mixture until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended.  

 

Divide dough in thirds.  Shape each into a ball; flatten to 1-inch thick rounds.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hours or until firm enough to roll.

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

 

On a lightly floured surface roll one third of dough at a time to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut dough in desired shapes with floured cookie cutters.  Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.  Chill and reroll scraps.  

 

Bake 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool on rack.  Ice and decorate as desired when cooled.  Let stand till icing hardens, about 2 hours.  

 

Icing

 

Whites from 3 large eggs

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

Paste or liquid food coloring

In a large bowl bet egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixture until frothy.  Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and beat 5 to 7 minutes until thick and glossy.  Makes 2 ½ cups. 

 

To color, put portions of icing into small bowls.  Add food color a small amount at a time to each, mixing well after each addition, until icing is the shade you want.  When not actually working with icing, keep it covered with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out.

 

To pipe, spoon icing into decorating bag fitted with a small writing tip.

 

To paint, add a few drops of water until thin enough to spread easily.

 

Note: For intense color you need past food coloring.