Iced Christmas Cookie Letters Recipes

ICED HOLIDAY ORNAMENT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and liqueur. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. ornament-shaped cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. If hanging cookies, make a hole with a plastic straw about 1/2 in. from the top of each cookie., Bake 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Use plastic straw to reopen holes in cookies., For icing, in a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, liqueur and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Tint with food coloring as desired. (Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.), Using pastry bags and small round tips, decorate cookies as desired. Let dry at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Thread ribbon through holes if desired. Store in an airtight container.

ICED LETTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture until combined.Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. with racks in upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8-inch thick. Cut twelve 2-inch circles and twelve 1 1/2- inch circles using cookie cutters. Cut out centers with a mini letter-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. If cookies become soft, refrigerate until firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Bake, switching positions of sheets about halfway through, until just golden, about 10 to12 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire racks; let cool completely.
• Tint royal icing with food coloring. Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a very small plain round tip (such as Ateco #3). Pipe icing around edges of each cookie and around edges of letter cut out of center. Fill in with a thin layer of icing. Let stand until set, 1 to 2 hours.

ICED CHRISTMAS-COOKIE LETTERS

Steps:

• Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut out printed letters with scissors to use as stencils.
• Generously flour a rolling pin and work surface. Working with 1 disc at a time, roll dough to 1/4" thick. Place stencils over dough. Using X-acto knife, cut out letters (or use alphabet cookie cutters). If dough becomes too soft, chill until firm. Place cookies 1/2" apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies until edges are light golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool.
• Meanwhile, heat chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let water touch bowl), stirring, until chocolate is melted (you can also microwave chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in short bursts until melted, stirring in between bursts). Dip tops of each letter in chocolate. Using a toothpick, drag down thin lines of chocolate to form icicle shapes. Sprinkle with sanding sugar and transfer to parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Let stand until chocolate is dry, about 1 hour.

SIMPLE ICED BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put the butter in a bowl and beat it using an electric whisk until soft and creamy. Beat in the sugar, then the egg and vanilla or lemon, and finally the flour to make a dough. If the dough feels a bit sticky, add a little more flour and knead it in.
• Cut the dough into six pieces and roll out one at a time to about 5mm thickness on a floured surface. The easiest way to do this is to roll the mixture out on a baking mat. Cut out letter and number shapes (we used 7 x 4cm cutters) and peel away the leftover dough at the edges. Re-roll any off-cuts and repeat.
• Transfer the whole mat or the individual biscuits to two baking sheets (transfer them to baking parchment if not using a mat) and bake for 7-10 mins or until the edges are just brown. Leave to cool completely and repeat with the rest of the dough. You should be able to fit about 12 on each sheet. If you are using two sheets, then the one underneath will take a minute longer.
• Ice the biscuits using the pens to make stripes or dots, or colour in the whole biscuit if you like. They will keep for five days in an airtight container.

GRANDMA'S CHRISTMAS ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat brown sugar, butter, and white sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Beat the first egg into the butter until completely blended, then beat in the vanilla extract with the last egg.
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture until dough is just mixed. Fold pecans and candied cherries into dough. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch rolls on a piece of waxed paper. Seal waxed paper on the ends with tape; refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Slice cookies to about 1/4-inch thickness and arrange on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

GINGERBREAD-COOKIE LETTERS TO SANTA

Steps:

• Cookies: Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt.
• Combine butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Beat in molasses. Add flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Divide dough in thirds; form each into a flat rectangle and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick between lightly floured sheets of parchment, flipping and lifting off parchment occasionally to avoid sticking. Transfer to a baking sheet; chill 30 minutes. Cut into 3-by-2 1/4-inch rectangles. Chill until firm, 15 minutes.
• Bake until crisp but not dark, about 14 minutes. Halfway through baking, lift up sheet and bang on oven rack to flatten cookies. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
• Royal Icing: Beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and a scant 1/4 cup water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, beat icing for 2 to 3 minutes more, or add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature overnight; stir before using. (Makes about 2 1/2 cups.)
• Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a very small round tip (such as Ateco #1 or #2). Pipe designs on cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).

ICED ITALIAN KNOT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth and creamy. Change to the dough hook and gradually mix in flour mixture. Add warm water and mix until a smooth dough forms.
• Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll each ball out to a 4-inch long worm. Bring one end over the other, then underneath and through the middle, like a knot. Place 16 cookies on a baking sheet, four rows of four.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Repeat to bake remaining 2 batches of cookies.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar, anise extract, and salt together in a bowl. Mix in water, a little at a time, until desired consistency.
• Dip cooled cookies upside down into the icing, then turn over onto waxed paper. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

PAULA DEEN'S ICED CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• To make the cookies - in a large bowl, beat butter and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each additon.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Cover dough with plastic and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On lightly flour surface roll dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut dough with desired cutters. Reroll dough scraps and cut out cookies until all dough has been used.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on pans for 2 miutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• To make Royal Icing - In a small bowl, whisk water and meringue powder until foamy. Gradually add confectioners sugar, whisking until smooth. Divide into small bowls and tint with food coloring pastes, stirring to achieve desired colors.
• Decorate cookes as desired with Royal Icing, dragees and sugar sprinkles.
• Store in airtight containers for up to 1 week.

EMILY'S ICED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar until smooth.
• Add flour and mix to combine well.
• Cover and chill until firm enough to roll out.
• Roll out on a lightly floured cutting board and cut out using lightly floured cookie cutters.
• Bake at 350°F on baking sheets until pale golden in color, about 10 minutes.
• Remove to racks to cool completely.
• Mix icing together and tint as desired and chill slightly.
• When cookies are cooled, ice cookies as desired.