Recipe: Halloween Cookies with Royal Icing

HALLOWEEN COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
FOR THE ROYAL ICING:
1 (1 pound) package (3 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar
3 large egg whites (pasteurized egg whites or equivalent amount of meringue powder moistened according to package directions)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Orange, green, and black paste food coloring

Beat the granulated sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed in a medium-size bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the flour, baking powder and salt. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten to a 5-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough at least 30 minutes or overnight.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Cut 2 pieces of waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets.

Cut the dough round in half. Wrap and return one piece to the refrigerator.

Lightly flour the waxed paper and roll out the dough between the two sheets to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Remove the top piece of waxed paper from the dough.

With different sizes of pumpkin cookie cutters, cut out as many cookies as possible, leaving at least a 1/2 -inch space between them. Remove the trimmings and press together to reuse. Invert the waxed paper with the shapes onto a greased cookie sheet. Peel off the waxed paper. Reroll the dough trimmings between the floured waxed paper and cut out more shapes. Invert the paper onto the second baking sheet and peel off paper.

Bake the cookies 10 to 14 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Repeat this process with remaining dough, using additional sheets of waxed paper if necessary.

TO PREPARE ROYAL ICING:
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low speed, beat the confectioners' sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar until mixed. Increase the speed to high and beat about 5 minutes, or until very thick and fluffy. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying until ready to use.

Transfer some of the frosting to 2 small bowls and color with black and green food coloring. Cover with plastic wrap. Color the remaining frosting orange. Transfer some of the orange frosting to a medium-size bowl and beat in a few teaspoons of water, until it reaches a spreadable consistency.

Spread the orange frosting on the cooled cookies with the back of a spoon. Let dry completely.

Transfer the undiluted orange frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a No. 1 tip. Pipe lines and dots on the cookies, leaving space in the middle to make jack-o'-lantern faces. Pipe on faces with the black frosting and stems and vines with the green.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Adapted from source: Country Living Handmade Halloween: Ideas for a Happy, Haunted Celebration by The Editors of Country Living