- One batch makes about three dozen cookies, depending on the size and shape of your cutters.
- With regard to food coloring, I prefer gels since they tend to produce bolder colors. Technically, with yellow, blue, and red, you should be able to mix up any color you like, although specialty colors can be a lot of fun.
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (the sugar must be sifted)
- 3-4 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Food colorings of your choice
- Electric mixer with some oomph (KitchenAid)
- Firm rubber spatula
- Cling wrap
- A medium mixing bowl in addition to the mixer's
- Whisk
- Cookie cutters
- Tools for decoration, like toothpicks, paintbrushes, spreading knives, chop sticks, etc.
- Not much prep to this recipe, but be sure to have the butter completely softened before mixing so it will smoothly combine with the dry ingredients.
- Combine butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in the electric mixer's bowl. Ramp up to high speed over the course of a minute or so, and beat 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy and fully combined.
- In the other mixing bowl, sift the flour and use the whisk to mix into it the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- With the stand mixer on its lowest setting, add one large, heaping spoonful of the flour mixture to the mixer's bowl at a time until it is all incorporated. You may need to increase the speed of the mixer to get it to cut through the thick dough. You may also need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as well as the beater attachment to get things fully combined.
- Detach the mixer bowl. Use a firm rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and form a rough ball out of the dough. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put it in the fridge for two hours, or until the dough is firm.
- Set oven to 400°F.
- On a very lightly floured surface roll out the dough into about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. After each round of cutting, roll the remaining uncut cookie dough into a ball, roll it out, and cut more shapes. Do this until there's not enough dough left to cut a shape out of. Form a rough circle cookie shape with the remainder. This is the cook's share of the recipe.
- Place cookies 2-inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake 4-6 minutes. When the batch is done, remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Place the next batch on the parchment and repeat the baking process until they're all done. For best results, chill the hot sheets between baking and putting new raw cookies on them.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing them.
- Sift the confectioners' sugar into a small-to-medium bowl. Stir in the milk. Start with 1 tablespoon, but add more if you need to thin it out. Icing should be thin enough to spread but thick enough to stand on its own without running.
- Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until the icing is smooth and glossy. If the icing is too thick add in a small amount more of corn syrup.
- Divide into as many separate bowls as you wish for different colours.
- Add in food colouring until desired intensity is achieved.
- Decorate the cookies to your liking. You can paint with a brush or spread with a knife, lay one color over another and drag a toothpick through it, whatever you like. Be creative.
- Allow to set on waxed paper.