These bite-size buttons make perfect gifts for crafters. Simply fill a small jar with the colourful cookies and top it off with a festive ribbon and handwritten label.
- Portion size 80 servings
- Credits : Canadian Living: Holiday Baking 2014
Ingredients
Royal Icing:
Method
In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg yolk and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture in 2 additions just until combined. If necessary, knead gently to form dough. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. (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 scant 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Using 1-inch (2.5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out shapes, rerolling scraps as necessary. Arrange, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on parchment paper–lined rimless baking sheets.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 375°F (190?C) oven just until firm and edges and bottoms are light golden, about 7 minutes. Let cool on pans for 1 minute; transfer to racks to cool completely.
Royal Icing: 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. Remove half of the icing to small bowl; cover with damp towel and set aside.
Divide remaining icing among 3 small bowls. Using food colouring, tint 1 bowl of the icing blue, 1 bowl of the icing red and 1 bowl of the icing green; gradually add water, 1/2 tsp at a time, to each of the coloured icings until mixtures are consistency of molasses. Cover bowls with damp towels and set aside.
Spoon half of reserved white icing into piping bag fitted with small plain tip; pipe outlines along edges of cookies. Let stand until dry, about 15 minutes. Spoon small amount of blue icing onto centres of one-third of cookies; using toothpick or skewer, spread to piped edges, popping any air bubbles. Repeat with red and green icing and remaining cookies. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. Using remaining white icing, pipe outlines along edges of cookies, over top of original borders; pipe 4 small dots in centre of each cookie to resemble button holes. Let stand until dry, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 5 days.)
Nutritional facts per cookie: about
- Sodium 100 mg
- Sugars 4 g
- Calories 30.0
- Total fat 1 g
- Potassium 5 mg
- Cholesterol 4 mg
- Saturated fat 1 g
- Total carbohydrate 6 g
%RDI
- Iron 1.0
- Folate 1.0
- Calcium 4.0
- Vitamin A 1.0
