Sugar Poinsettia Recipes

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and cream cheese until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well blended. Stir in flour by hand using a sturdy spoon while adding enough red food coloring to make the dough turn a pretty red color.
• Roll the balls in the red decorator sugar and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the cookies on their cookie sheets until firm, about 10 minutes.
• When the cookies are firm, make three slices across each cookie to make 6 slices like a pie, cutting only about 2/3 of the way through the cookie balls.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies appear dry. Cool on the cookie sheets, then peel away from the aluminum foil.
• Make the icing for the cookies by mixing the confectioners' sugar and water until it reaches a piping consistency. Add a drop of yellow food coloring. Put icing into a pastry bag or resealable bag and cut a small piece off of the corner. Pipe small dots onto the center of the cookies. Allow icing to dry before storing cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies can be stored for up to two weeks.

POINSETTIA COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic. Chill overnight or until firm., On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of dough into a 12x10-in. rectangle, about 1/8-in. thick. Cut into 2-in. squares. In each square, make 1-in. slits in each corner. Bring every other corner up into center to form a pinwheel; press lightly. Sprinkle cookies with red sugar and press a candied cherry piece into the center of each., Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Cool 1-2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

POINSETTIA COCKTAIL

Steps:

• In cocktail shaker with ice, combine the cranberry juice, simple syrup and orange liqueur.
• Shake well (until the shaker is covered with condensation).
• Strain the mixture, dividing it between 6 Champagne flutes.
• Add the champagne, dividing it between the glasses.
• Garnish each drink with 3 cranberries skewered on a cocktail pick.

MERINGUE POINSETTIAS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 250 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large clean dry bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until thick and opaque, about 1 more minute. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until stiff shiny peaks form, about 5 more minutes.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe 1/2-inch drops that are just touching to form about twenty-four 2- to 3-inch cookies. Bake at 250 degrees F until dry and crisp, 3 to 4 hours. Let cool.