Sparkling Starwiches Recipes

HOMEMADE SPRINKLES

Steps:

• Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons water, corn syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until mixture has consistency of glue, adding more water if necessary, 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Divide into 3 small bowls; tint with food coloring as desired.
• Transfer lightest-colored mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small pastry tip (such as Ateco #2). Pipe long, thin lines onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Fill pastry bag with medium-colored mixture; repeat piping. Fill pastry bag with darkest-colored mixture; repeat piping. Let stand, uncovered, until very firm, at least overnight. Once lines are dry, break enough into small pieces for 1/3 cup; keep remaining sprinkles long for garnish.

SPARKLING STARWICHES

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer at low speed beat together almond paste, granulated sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and creamy. Gradually beat in flour and salt until just combined well. Quarter dough and roll out each quarter between sheets of wax paper into an 11-inch round (about 1/8 inch thick). Stack rounds in wax paper on a baking sheet. Chill rounds until firm, at least 2 hours, and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 325°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Transfer 1 round, still between sheets of wax paper, to a work surface. Remove top sheet of wax paper from round (keep remaining rounds chilled) and replace it loosely. Flip over wax-paper-enclosed round and remove and discard sheet of wax paper now on top (this process prevents cookies from sticking to wax paper). Working quickly, with a 3-inch star-shaped cutter cut out stars and arrange about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheet. (If dough becomes too soft to work with, freeze or chill on wax paper until firm.) With a 1/2-inch star-shaped or round cutter cut and lift out centers from half of stars (about 15). Lightly beat egg whites and lightly brush onto tops of cut-out stars. Sprinkle sand or pearl sugar over cut-out stars, pressing sugar down lightly so that it adheres.
• Bake cookies in lower third of oven until bottoms are pale golden but tops are still pale, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet on a rack 5 minutes and transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough rounds in same manner, lining baking sheet with fresh parchment.
• Arrange solid stars, bottom sides up, on a work surface. In a small heavy saucepan boil jelly, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes and cool 10 minutes. Transfer jelly to a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip (slightly smaller than 1/8 inch).
• Pipe about 1/4 teaspoon jelly onto center of each cookie. Center cut-out stars on top of solid stars, pressing gently so jelly fills in holes. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 3 days.