Recipe

September 30, 2011

Snowflake Sugar Cookies Recipe

Recipe:

Step 1: Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg together and reserve. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir in gently until combined. Divide mixture into two discs, wrap in plastic and chill until almost firm, about 30 minutes.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8″. Dip a 1-1/2″ snowflake cookie cutter in flour, tap off excess, and cut out cookies, dipping cutter in flour again as necessary. Transfer cookies to prepared sheets. Reroll scraps up to 2 times. Chill 10 minutes, then bake 8-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway, or until very pale gold. Let cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 3: To make icing, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites and vinegar just until foamy. Add icing sugar and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until dense and thick but foamy, 3-7 minutes. Stir in 2-4 tbsp cold water to thin icing to desired consistency. Transfer to piping bag fitted with very small plain tip to decorate cooled cookies. Let sit at room temperature until icing hardens.

Makes about 100 cookies

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Royal Icing
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp white vinegar
5 cups icing sugar, sifted

Directions

Yield:

Step 1: Whisk flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg together and reserve. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir in gently until combined. Divide mixture into two discs, wrap in plastic and chill until almost firm, about 30 minutes.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8″. Dip a 1-1/2″ snowflake cookie cutter in flour, tap off excess, and cut out cookies, dipping cutter in flour again as necessary. Transfer cookies to prepared sheets. Reroll scraps up to 2 times. Chill 10 minutes, then bake 8-12 minutes, rotating pans halfway, or until very pale gold. Let cool on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

Step 3: To make icing, use an electric mixer to beat egg whites and vinegar just until foamy. Add icing sugar and mix until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until dense and thick but foamy, 3-7 minutes. Stir in 2-4 tbsp cold water to thin icing to desired consistency. Transfer to piping bag fitted with very small plain tip to decorate cooled cookies. Let sit at room temperature until icing hardens.

Makes about 100 cookies

Photographer:

Angus Fergusson