Recipe: Swedish Wish Cookies

SWEDISH WISH COOKIES

"Wishing cookies are a Swedish treat that have special powers. Place the cookie in the palm of your hand and press the cookie's center. If the cookie breaks into three pieces, you get to make a wish. Eat all three pieces without saying a word, and the wish will come true."

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
2 T.molasses
1 T. water
1/2 tsp grated oange or lemon peel
Lace icing

Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. In a large mixer bowl beat butter till softened. Add sugar and beat till fluffy.Add egg, molasses, water and peel and beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

Roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes or until done. Remove and cool. Using a decoating bag and writing tip, pipe on designs with Lace icing. Makes about 100.

LACE ICING

Stir together 2 cups sifted powdered suger, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and about 2 T. light cream or milk to make icing piping consistency. Tinting icing with food coloring is also good.

Request: I found this recipe for Swedish Wish Cookies just recently in a publication, however I am wondering how to decorate the cookies with the icing. Are there particular designs or patterns that would be more traditionally used?