snowman cookies

I have to admit that someone more creative than I came up with these cute cookies  (I found them on a blog last year) but they were just too cute not to copy.

I started out by mixing up a favorite sugar cookie recipe and rolling it out and cutting into squares.  Once the cookies were baked and cooled it was time to decorate them.  For the background I used a confectioners sugar icing made with milk and confectioners sugar with a teaspoon of corn syrup and vanilla added.  This will dry hard and allow the tree and snowman to be added over the top.  I started by using white icing to do the snowy ground.  Using a squeeze bottle with a fairly large opening I outlined a rectangle on one edge of the cookie and filled it in. This will be the snow on the ground.

After doing all of the cookies they are set aside to dry.

Then I outlined and filled in the sky portion of the cookie.

 While the icing was still wet I sprinkled it with white sprinkles.

I used white royal icing in a pastry bag to pipe three dots to represent a snowman.  I used pale green icing in a pastry bag to add a Christmas tree. This uses such a tiny bit of royal icing that I decorated these cookies when I was doing other cookies with royal icing.

 

On the cookie tray you can see the finished cookies.  I decided the tree was a little too pastel so I painted a little green food coloring over parts of the tree with an artist's brush.  I used a edible food marker to paint a little black hat above the snowman's head.

snowman cookies

1/2 recipe vanilla-almond sugar cookies

confectioners sugar icing for background

mix together
confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp corn syrup
few drops clear extract
milk, enough to make thin enough glaze to pour and will level

royal icing for snowman and tree

6 Tbsp meringue powder
scant 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 pounds confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp corn syrup
few drops clear extract

Combine the meringue powder and water in bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment and mix until foamy.  Add the sifted confectioners sugar, extract and corn syrup and mix until stiff peaks form.  Do not over beat.  Cover until ready to use so it doesn't dry out.  Use as is in decorating bag for outlining and thin with small amounts of water at time to make flood icing for filling in the outlined areas.

Source for royal icing (tutorial) here