You can use your favorite sugar cookie recipe, as long as it is a sturdy cut out style cookie, or use the recipe that follows:
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
To Decorate (as pictured above):
Royal Icing: (make 2 batches - color one red with lots of red food coloring, but add extra Confectioner's Sugar to make sure it's thick)
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons water
DIRECTIONS
Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or until icing forms peaks.
Tip: Keep icing covered with a wet kitchen towel at all times. Icing can dry out quickly.
First with a thin pointed pastry bag tip (or a very small hole cut in a ziploc bag) circle the whole outside of the cookie with a thick icing, either red or white. Let set and dry.
Thin out icing enough to spread.
With thin pointed tip or the whole in the bag pool the icing onto the cookie - then take the other color and create circles or stripes, then take a tooth pick and run through the design.
Have fun with it! They are yum!!
