Use silver dragées (hard edible candy decorations) to add a classy touch to these show-stopping ornaments. Look for them in baking supply stores, and use tweezers to apply them with precision.
- Portion size 60 servings
- Credits : Canadian Living: Holiday Baking 2014
Ingredients
Royal Icing:
Method
In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg, fancy molasses and cooking molasses. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions just until combined. If necessary, knead to form dough. Divide dough in half; shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
Let dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll out, about 15 minutes. Between waxed paper or on lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Using 3-inch (8 cm) ornament-shaped cookie cutters, cut out shapes, re-rolling scraps as necessary. Arrange, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on parchment paper– lined rimless baking sheets. Using plain piping tip, punch hole through top of each cookie. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 325°F (160°C) oven just until firm, about 12 minutes. While still warm, use plain piping tip to repunch holes through tops of cookies; transfer to racks to cool completely.
Royal Icing: Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat meringue powder with 1/4 cup water until foamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in icing sugar until stiff and glossy, about 9 minutes. Spoon one-third of the icing into piping bag fitted with small plain tip; pipe outlines along edges and holes of cookies. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes.
Gradually add water, 1/2 tsp at a time, to remaining icing until mixture is consistency of molasses. Spoon icing onto centres of cookies; using toothpick or skewer, spread to piped edges, popping any air bubbles. Decorate with dragées. Let stand until dry, about 45 minutes. Thread ribbons through holes in tops of cookies; tie ends together.
Nutritional facts per cookie: about
- Sodium 24 mg
- Sugars 6 g
- Protein 1 g
- Calories 64.0
- Total fat 2 g
- Potassium 69 mg
- Cholesterol 7 mg
- Saturated fat 1 g
- Total carbohydrate 11 g
%RDI
- Iron 4.0
- Folate 5.0
- Calcium 2.0
- Vitamin A 2.0
