Decorative Dove Sugar Cookies
Create stunning decorative dove sugar cookies that taste as good as they look! Perfect for any special occasion, these cookies are sure to impress.
Ingredients:
– 1 cup 225g unsalted butter, softened
– 1 large egg
– 4 cups 500g powdered sugar, sifted
– teaspoon salt
– 2 cups 315g all-purpose flour
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
– Gel food coloring white, pink, and light blue
– 3 tablespoons meringue powder
– 6-8 tablespoons water adjust for consistency
– teaspoon almond extract optional
Instructions:
1. Begin by preparing the cookie dough. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
2. Once creamy, add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle and roll out.
5. Preheat your oven to 350F 175C and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to a thickness of about inch. Use a dove-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. After baking, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the royal icing. In a mixing bowl, beat together the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Start by adding 6 tablespoons of water and whisk until stiff peaks form. If the icing is too thick, add more water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
9. Divide the royal icing into separate bowls and add gel food coloring to create your desired shades: white for the base, pink for accents, and light blue for additional touches.
10. To decorate, use a piping bag fitted with a small round tip to outline the edges of the cookies with white royal icing. Once the outline sets, flood the inside of each dove with more white icing and smooth it out using a toothpick or a small spoon.
11. Use a small piping tip to add delicate pink and light blue details to the cookies, such as on the wings and beaks.
12. Allow the royal icing to dry and set completely before serving or storing the cookies.
Nutritional Information: Each cookie contains approximately 150 calories, 6g fat, 22g carbohydrates, and 1g protein.
Time: Preparation time: 1 hour plus chilling Cooking time: 10 minutes