Recipe: Ginger Cookie Pops with Royal Icing (cookies on a stick)

GINGER COOKIE POPS
"Let the whole family and even the neighbors join together in this decorating party. They look like lollipops, but they're really molassesy ginger cookies, decorated as far as your imagination will take you."


3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
2/3 cup light molasses
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
18 lollipop sticks (8 inches long)
Royal icing (recipe follows)
Paste food colors

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl.

Beat butter, brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and egg in a large bowl until fluffy. Stir in flour mixture. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Place lollipop sticks, 3 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets.

On a floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll out dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut out rounds with a 4-inch cutter or 1-pound coffee can. Reroll scraps. Press cookies onto top third of sticks, like a lollipop.

Bake in heated 350 degrees F oven 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Stir extra water into icing, drop by drop, to create a good flowing consistency. Divide into batches; tint with different colors. Decorate cookies as shown or as desired. Let dry.

ROYAL ICING
Makes 3 cups

3 tablespoons meringue powder or egg white powder*
6 tablespoon water
4 cups confectioner' sugar (a 1-pound box)

In a medium-size bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons meringue powder to egg white powder and 6 tablespoon water. Beat in 4 cups confectioner' sugar (a 1-pound box); continue beating until peaks form, about 10 minutes. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface of icing and keep covered until ready to use.

*Meringue powder and egg white powder are available in select supermarkets, gourmet shops, and health-food stores. Because of health concerns about eating raw eggs, be sure to use either meringue powder or egg white powder for the uncooked icing.

ICING KNOW-HOW - FOR BEST RESULTS, FOLLOW THESE TIPS:
- Paste food colors will tint icing the richest, deepest hues. use a clean wooden pick to dip into color, then into icing. Stir to mix.
- When glazing and piping, divide the icing. To make a glaze suitable for a base coat, thin one portion slightly with water, a drop at a time, until its consistency is that of sour cream. For piping, leave the other portion thicker so it holds a line or shape.
- Use a fine-tipped paintbrush to apply a base coat of the thinner icing. let it dry thoroughly. then, to decorate, use a pasty bag fitted with a writing tip to pipe on the thicker icing.

Makes 18 cookies
Source: Family Circle All-Time Favorite Recipes