holly and berry cookies

This cookie recipe was originally in a Christmas baking magazine published many years ago.  The original cookie was a sandwich cookie with a filling and a decorated top.  I cannot recall what the filling was--possibly an uncommon berry--but I remember that the cookie was a sugar cookie type with cinnamon added so I adapted my favorite sugar cookie recipe to add a little cinnamon and decorated the tops in a similar fashion.

The cookies are rolled thin and cut out with a round cookie cutter.  They are frosted with a confectioner's sugar glaze and while the glaze is still wet three red hots or imperials are set in place and the cookies are allowed to dry for several hours.  I often do this step on one day and finish them the next allowing them to dry overnight.

a dab in the center of the cookie

spreading the frosting

I use the tip of a spoon to drop three candies into the wet icing.

five trays of cookies drying

 The next day I paint the holly outlines on each cookie using a tiny paintbrush and liquid green food coloring and let them dry again. I am not very artistic so this is what works best for me:

tiny artist's brush and pinch bowl with 4 drops of food coloring

the stem

one side of the leaf

finished cookie

I paint the curved stem first and then make first one side of the leaf with resembles a cursive u and then make the other side of the leave in the mirror image. 

Holly and berry cookies

1/2 recipe lollie's roll out sugar cookies with 1 tsp cinnamon added with the flour

Confectioners icing

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 tsp corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

small amount of milk

candy imperials

liquid green food coloring

Once your  cookies are baked and cooled mix up your confectioners icing using just enough milk to make an icing that will spread easily on the cookie and level itself without running off the edge of the cookie.  I never measure when making this icing so the listed amounts are an approximation.  It might take some experimenting but you can add more liquid or more confectioners sugar until you get a consistency that works.   I have tried using a spoon to drop a bit of icing into the center of the cookie and then used an offset spatula or a butter spreader  to spread the icing to about 1/4 of an inch from  the edges and I have used a squeeze bottle to apply the icing and both work well.

While the icing is still wet place three red hot candies in a little group close to one edge of the cookie.  I usually frost 5 or 6 cookies at a time and then add the candies to those before going on to do more.  I put the cookies on parchment lined baking sheets or trays  and allow them to sit undisturbed to dry.

Once the cookies have dried the glaze should be hard and the candies imbedded.  I put a few drops of green food coloring in a small bowl and use a small artist brush to paint the holly.  I bought a new brush and have used it only for cookies.  Now that they made edible markers I would think that those could be used as well.