50
Enlist the help of your little pastry chefs to make these adorable sugar cookies.
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup white royal icing
large marshmallows
pretzel sticks
sour candy belts, cut into strips
large orange candy sprinkles
black gel icing
chocolate-caramel cups, such as Rolo
chocolate coins
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp white vinegar
5 cups icing sugar
2-3 tbsp cold water
Stir flour with baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
Beat butter with sugar, using an electric mixer on medium-high, in a large bowl until fluffy, 2 to 3 min. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. Divide dough into 3 portions. Form each portion into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your counter. Roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/4 in. thick. Using a 3-in. round cookie cutter, cut out circles. Arrange 2 in. apart on prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps and re-roll dough to cut out more circles. (Chill dough again if it is getting too soft.)
Bake in centre of oven until cookies just begin to brown around the edges, 10 to 12 min. Let cookies stand on baking sheets for 5 min. Remove cookies to a rack to cool completely, about 30 min. Repeat with remaining dough.
Spoon about 2 tsp royal icing onto a cooled cookie. Using the back of the spoon, drag icing to the edge of cookie in a random fashion. (It’s OK if it looks messy.)
Cut a small piece off a flat end of a marshmallow. Place remaining marshmallow, sticky-side down, on wet royal icing.
Break a pretzel stick in half and arrange on either side of the marshmallow “head.”
Wrap a sour candy belt “scarf” around the base of the head.
Using royal icing as glue, stick an orange candy sprinkle in the middle of marshmallow for the “nose.”
Use black gel icing to pipe eyes, mouth and buttons onto cookie.
Make a hat by using royal icing to stick a chocolate-caramel cup onto a chocolate coin, then on top of the marshmallow. Let cookie stand until icing is firm, about 2 hours.
Make your own royal icing by beating 3 egg whites with 1/4 tsp white vinegar in a large bowl using an electric mixer, until foamy. Gradually beat in 5 cups sifted icing sugar until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until icing is thick but still foamy, 3 to 7 min. Stir in 2 to 3 tbsp cold water to thin the icing to desired consistency. It should be thick and smooth.
Originally published in the Today’s Parent November 2015 issue. Photo: Tony Lanz.
Keep up with your baby's development, get the latest parenting content and receive special offers from our partners