Chicken Farm Baker Special Project: Let's it snow, welcome winter!

The winter time comes again, and to cerebrate the month that will be filled with a lot of joy I told my friend to create something that will make us say “Welcome” to the winter with happy tone.

Actually, the reason for this project is easy, ^ ^, my friend and I just got the snowflake cookie cutter set, they are very cute, with a lot of shape and size. So, we thought about using them and post it together, but as we have a lot of friend, it’s not a good idea to do it without inviting them to play with us.

So, from the simple project like making cookie in a snowflake shape, the people who will joy this special project can make any kind of dessert, cake, cookies or etc., and decorate it with the snowflake shape or theme.

I still make the cookie as I decide on the first place, and the other reason is I want to try the recipe from the new book:. I just order it after I fall in love with her book: ………….. I think that if she can make a good book for cake recipe, her book about the cookie will be good too, haha.
The cookie is good but it will be hard to work with if the weather is quite warm, because the dough contains a lot of butter. But because of the butter, the cookie taste good! Anyway when you making it just keep the dough cool and it will be easier to cut and move.
For the icing, I choose to make it from the meringue powder, because it is easy to work with and it’s already pasteurized.
So, come together with me and enjoy the winter together!

– my cookie cutter –

Adaptation from: The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes from Simple to Sublime by Tish Boyle

Snowflake cookies
Make about 36 (3inches cookie)

Basic decorative cookie dough
3¼ cups	All purpose flour (410g)
¼ tsp	Salt
1¼ cups	Unsalted butter (279g)
1 cup	granulated sugar (200g)
1	Large egg
1	Large egg yolk
1tbsp	Vanilla extract
1tsp	Orange extract (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer; using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and orange extract and mix until well blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture one-third at a time, mixing just until combined. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide it into 4 pieces.

Shape each piece into a disk (I shape into a block), wrap well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm (or up to 2 days).

3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one of the dough disks out to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes (save the scraps for rerolling). Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1½ inch apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 10 to 15 minutes, until pale golden brown (baking time will vary depending on the size and shape of the cookies). Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

decorator’s icing
3 tablespoons	meringue powder
6 tablespoons	warm water
1-pound	confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment beat the meringue powder; water; and confectioners’ sugar at medium-low speed until the icing forms stiff peaks, about 7 minutes. Thin the icing to the consistency you want by adding a little warm water, a few drops at a time.

Decorating the cookie:

1.Flooding
Thin some of the icing with water (adding it drop by drop) until it’s thin enough to pipe the smooth line.
In another bowl thin some of the icing with water (adding it drop by drop) until it does not leave a trail when it drops from a spoon.

Outline the cookie and pour the thiner icing over the center. Spread the icing over the cookie .
Let the icing dry before decorating with more icing.

2. Flocking

Pipe the icing over the cookie, while the icing is still wet, sprinkle it with fine sanding sugar, let stand for 5 minutes and shake off the excess.

Note: If you want to apply the dragées, do it before the icing hardens.