Tips and recipes

  • Essential tips

    ♥ 4mm thickness of dough will be perfect

    ♥ For easy release of dough, remember to coat the cutter with icing sugar/ flour before cutting

    ♥ Use non-raising dough recipe to get the best looking cookie!

Butter cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, 1 cup sugar, pinch of salt, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract. I add 1 tsp almond extract too. You can add lemon, orange, coconut or any you like.

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so. Add the flour mixture slowly. Blend until all of the flour is incorporated and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Take the dough out of the bowl and using your hands, knead the dough a few times. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let to rest for half an our. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Roll out the dough between waxing paper sheets and put in a freezer for 20 min. Cut and bake cookies on middle rack of oven for 8-12 min or until cookies are lightly browned.

To make Chocolate sugar cookies just replace 1/3 (or 1/2 for more chocolate color) cup flour with cocoa and add 1 tsp chocolate extract + 1 tsp vanilla

Marshmallow fondant

16 ounce package mini marshmallows (8 ½ cups)

2-5 Tablespoons water

8 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

Instructions: Place marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on high; stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Place about 5 cups of the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture and gently fold it into the marshmallows. Grease your hands and your counter generously with shortening. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter and start kneading it like you would dough. Add more confectioners' sugar as needed and re-grease your hands and the counter as needed.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

2 pounds confectioners sugar, 5 tbsp meringue powder, 1/2 cup of room temp. water (plus more for thinning the icing later), 1 tsp clear Vanilla, 1 tsp additional flavoring, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (optional), 1tbsp corn syrup (optional), 1 tsp Glycerin (optional).

Directions

Combine water, meringue powder and cream of tartar and beat about 1 min on high speed.

Add vanilla, another flavor, glycerin and corn syrup and beat on medium speed for about 30 sec.

Add confectioners sugar gradually and beat on medium speed for about 1 min.

Icing should be very thick.

Place the icing in a plastic container, cover with wrap and close the lid. Icing can be stored in refrigerator for 3 weeks.

To achieve the desire consistency for decorating cookies just add water.