Decorated Spice Cookies Recipes

DECORATED SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• In one bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg.
• In a separate bowl, beat the butter until light using an electric hand mixer, about 2 minutes.
• Add both the sugars and molasses and continue to beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the egg and vanilla, and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
• Add the dry ingredients and using the mixer at slow speed, mix until blended.
• Divide the dough into two balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/2 inch thick and cut with your favorite cookie cutters.
• Place the cookies evenly spaced on parchment lined baking sheets.
• Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway.
• Cool the cookies completely on wire racks.
• For the icing, whisk together the icing sugar, corn syrup, and 2 teaspoons of water.
• The icing should be thick, if too thick to use, add 1/2 teaspoon more water.
• Place the icing in a decorating bag or squeeze bottle and decorate cookies as desired.
• Allow the icing to dry for at least 6 hours, or until dry to the touch, then store cookies in airtight containers.

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES FOR DECORATING

Steps:

• For the dough: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together the egg and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed. Once incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly creamy, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Reduce the speed to low again and slowly pour in the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture, in 3 additions, increasing the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed. Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together. Divide into 2 even pieces. Shape each piece into a flat square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• To roll, cut and bake the cookies: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Dust another sheet of parchment paper with flour and put 1 piece of the dough on top. Dust with more flour and top with another sheet of parchment. Roll the dough out between the parchment sheets into a square about 1/4-inch thick (about 11-by-9 inches) and place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
• From 1 piece of rolled dough, cut out cookies with a 2 1/2-inch cutter and arrange on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Refrigerate while you cut the remaining cookies. Reroll any scraps of dough and repeat the freezing, cutting and refrigerating process until all the dough is used.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets front to back and bottom to top about halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets set on a wire cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water and the vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the icing forms thick and glossy peaks, about 2 minutes (adding up to 1 tablespoon more water, if needed). Tint with a few drops of food coloring as desired.
• Fit a pastry bag with a small round tip and fill it with the icing.
• Pipe royal icing on cookies with the design of your liking and let dry for 30 minutes.

SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in small amount to the butter mixture, beating each addition until blended. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Arrange the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

DECORATED SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.
• Mix margarine and sugar until fluffy; stir in Karo syrup.
• Add dry ingredients.
• DO NOT CHILL DOUGH!
• Roll out 1/8” thick on floured surface.
• Cut into shapes.
• Place on baking sheet.
• Bake in 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool and decorate.

BEST SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour with baking soda, spices and salt.
• Cream cooking oil and sugar together. Blend in egg and molasses.
• Add flour mixture, mix well.
• Chill for 1 hour or longer.
• Form into balls about the size of walnuts. Roll in granulated sugar.
• Place on ungreased baking sheet about ½ inches apart.
• Bake at 350o for 10-15 minutes.