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Halloween: Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

Source of Recipe


Cooking with Paula Deen (September / October 2008)



List of Ingredients



• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  
• ½ tsp salt
  
• ¼ tsp baking powder
  
• Meringue Powder Icing (recipe follows)
  
• Garnish: orange, yellow, and white sanding sugars; nonpareils
  






Instructions



1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and confectioners' sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
   
   
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed, until smooth. Wrap dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
   
   
3. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
   On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch candy corn cutter, cut out cookies, rerolling scraps as necessary. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Paint with Meringue Powder Icing, as desired. Decorate with sanding sugars and nonpareils, if desired.
   
   Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
   
   ............
   
   MERINGUE POWDER ICING
   
   • ¼ cup cold water
   • 3 Tbsp meringue powder*
   • 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
   • Orange, white, and yellow food coloring
   
   In a medium bowl, whisk water and meringue powder until frothy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Divide mixture into small bowls. Add one color of food coloring to each bowl to achieve desired color.
   
   Makes about 2½ cups.
   
   






Final Comments


* Meringue powder can be purchased at many craft stores such as Michael's, and at specialty baking and cake stores.