This year I'm participating in a Christmas cookies event and a most of the event sponsors sent out product to try. Two of the sponsors were completely new to me and I loved what I received...so much so that I've already ordered three times on my own from one of them, Sprinkle Pop.
When I saw their Día de los Muertos sprinkle mix, I couldn't resist. I ordered that and some sugar skulls for a batch of Halloween cookies. Last night I baked cookies late into the evening and wrapped them up for the robotics team, Jake's office, and a few lucky friends.
And a quick note about the frosting: I know they look colorfully toxic, but these were made with vegetable and fruit-based food dyes. I'll write more about them later as they, too, are a #ChristmasCookies sponsor. But I will share that I love that the colors are made from fruits, vegetables, and spices. No Red No. 40 here!
Ingredients makes approximately 60 cookies
Almond Cookies
- 1-1/2 C butter, room temperature
- 1-1/2 C organic granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 4 C flour (I used a mixture of all purpose, brown rice, and banana flours)
- 1 C ground almonds
- 2 t pure vanilla extract
- 2 t pure almond extract
- Also needed: parchment paper, baking sheet, and cooling rack
Royal Icing
- 3 egg whites, or more to thin icing
- 6 C organic powdered sugar, or more to thicken icing
- juice from 1 to 2 organic lemons (I used a Meyer lemon)
- food coloring, optional
To Finish
- sprinkles
- sugar skulls
Procedure
Almond Cookies
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until
light and fluffy. Blend in the eggs until incorporated. Stir in the flours and ground almonds until a flaky dough is formed. Add in the extracts, gently
working the dough until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least
30 minutes before proceeding. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325
degrees F.
Pinch off pieces of dough and form into small balls, about
the size of a walnut in its shell. Place each ball onto a parchment or
silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten the balls to between 1/4" and 1/2". You
can use your hand or a rolling pin. I used my wooden fermenting tamper!
Bake until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Let cookies cool
for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to
cool completely.
Royal Icing
Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon
juice. Beat for another minute. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites;
if it's too thin, add more sugar. Add food coloring if you desire. This icing may be stored in
an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Finish
Spread the royal icing over cooled cookies and add
sprinkles. Let icing set before storing or serving.
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