The figures are made with regular cookie cutters and simple piping, but you can also tint the icing and decorate with candies. There is enough dough and icing to make one large rectangular centrepiece that's perfect for the holiday table, plus a second smaller square box that's ideal for the mantel or side table - or as a gift. With the little leftover dough, you can bake any shape of cookies you like.
- Portion size 1 serving
- Credits : Canadian Living Magazine: December 2004
Ingredients
Method
Large Rectangle Centrepiece: Working with half of the dough, roll out between waxed paper to (1/8)-inch (3 mm) thickness. Using ruler and knife, cut out one 12- x 4-1/4-inch (30 x 10.5 cm) rectangle for base, two 3-1/2- x 2-inch (9 x 5 cm) rectangles for sides and two 12- x 2-inch (30 x 5 cm) rectangles for ends. Slide paper and dough onto rimless baking sheets; chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Peel away scraps; reroll between waxed paper to same thickness. Using 5-1/4-inch (12.5 cm) cookie cutters, cut out 10 large figures.
Using 3- to 4-inch (8 to 10 cm) cookie cutters, cut out 10 small figures. Slide paper and dough onto rimless baking sheet; chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes. Peel away scraps.
Small Square Centrepiece: Roll out remaining half of dough between waxed paper to (1/8)-inch (3 mm) thickness. Using ruler and knife, cut out one 6-inch (15 cm) square for base, two 6- x 2-inch (15 x 5 cm) rectangles for sides and two 5-1/4- x 2-inch (12.5 x 5 cm) rectangles for ends. Slide paper and dough onto rimless baking sheets; chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.
Peel away scraps; reroll between waxed paper to same thickness. Using 5-1/4-inch (12.5 cm) cookie cutters, cut out 8 large figures.
Using 3- to 4-inch (8 to 10 cm) cookie cutters, cut out 8 small figures. Slide paper and dough onto rimless baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Peel away scraps.
Transfer as many pieces to parchment paper-lined baking sheets as can fit 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Freeze until hard, about 20 minutes.
Bake in top and bottom thirds of 325°F (160°C) oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until firm to the touch, about 25 minutes for large pieces, 15 minutes for small.
While still warm, trim edges of bases, sides and ends to straighten. Transfer to racks; let cool completely.
Divide and tint royal icing, if desired. Using icing as glue, attach sides and ends to each base to form box; let dry completely, about 1 hour. Decorate figures with icing and candy as desired. Let dry.
Using icing as glue, attach overlapping large figures to boxes; attach small figures in front. Let dry for 24 hours before moving.
