Christmas ornament cookies- country living

 
                CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT COOKIES - COUNTRY LIVING
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 36   Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Kooknet                          Cookies
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
      1/2   c            (1 stick) butter, softened
      1/4   c            Vegetable shortening
    1 1/3   c            Sugar
    2       lg           Eggs
    3 1/2   c            Unsifted all-purpose flour
      1/2   ts           Baking powder
      1/2   ts           Salt
                         Royal Icing-recipe follows
                         Food coloring (see Note)
 
   1.  In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium
   speed, beat butter and shortening until well blended;
   add sugar and beat until light. Add eggs, one at a
   time, beating well after each addition.
   
   2.  In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder,
   and salt.  With mixer on low speed, add half of flour
   mixture to butter mixture and beat until soft dough
   forms.  Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap and
   refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
   
   3.  To cut and bake cookies: Heat oven to 350F.
   Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.  Cut 2 pieces of waxed
   paper the same size as the baking sheets. Lightly
   flour waxed paper and roll out one ball of dough
   between paper to 1/8-inch thickness.  Remove top piece
   of waxed paper. Using our 7-inch bauble-shaped cookie
   cutter, cut out as many baubles from dough as
   possible, leaving 1/2 inch between each shape. Remove
   all trimmings and press together.  Invert waxed paper
   with baubles onto greased baking sheet and peel off
   waxed paper.  Reroll trimmings between waxed paper and
   repeat cutting and inverting baubles to fill second
   baking sheet. If making cookies for ornaments, use a
   toothpick tp pierce a small hole about 1/2 inch from
   top of each cookie.
   
   4.  Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.
   Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to wire
   racks and cool completely before decorating. Repeat
   rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining balls of
   dough and trimmings.
   
   5.  To decorate cookies as pictured in the magazine
   (plaid), prepare Royal Icing.  Divide icing in half,
   placing one half in a medium-size bowl. Divide
   remaining half of icing among 3 small bowls or cups.
   Tint icing in medium-size bowl pale yellow with yellow
   food coloring (see Note). Mix one small bowl of icing
   with burgundy food coloring, another with teal food
   coloring, and the last bowl with violet food coloring.
   Spoon icings (except yellow) into separate small
   pastry bags fitted with small (#1) writing tips.  With
   pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a
   think coat of the yellow icing, being sure not to
   cover pierced hole; let dry and paint again.  When
   yellow icing has dried, pipe decorateive lines, dots
   and curls on front of cookies using other colored
   icings. To store cookies, place them in a single layer
   in airtight containers.
   
   ROYAL ICING: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low
   speed, beat two 1-lb packages confectioners' sugar, 6
   large egg whites (if cookies will be eaten, use
   meringue powder and follw package instructions for
   Royal Icing: see Note), and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
   until mixed. Increase speed to high, beat until very
   thick and fluffy-about 6 minutes. Cover tightly with
   plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use.
   Makes 4 cups.
   
   Note: We used Wilton's Egg Yellow, Burgundy, Teal and
   Grape Violet food coloring and meringue powder, which
   can be purchased wherever cake decorating supplies are
   sold or by calling Wilton Industries at (800) 772-7771.
   
   Country Living/November/1994 Scanned & edited by Di
   Pahl & 
  
 
 
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