Friday, December 18, 2009

Stained-Glass Cookies & Frosting

Betty Crocker presents Stained-Glass Cookies
{This recipe came from a little pamphlet I pulled from some magazine, probably in the 70s. See my note following this first recipe to get tips that have been perfected through many years of making these cookies. The amount here are the ones in the original recipe, but I doubled them after the first year. Same work for double the amount. If you have leftover cookie dough, roll it in a log, wrap in clear wrap, freeze it and use it for slice and bake cookies later.--clb}

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup soft butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
{1/2 tsp nutmeg -- nutmeg was my addition to the original recipe. --clb}

Mix sugar and butter. Add egg and flavorings; mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together and blend into sugar mixture. Divide dough in half. color portions of 1/2 of the dough with about 5 food colors. (Refrigerate if necessary to roll.)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. roll plain dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Cut with decorative Christmas cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Roll out colored doughts; cut out different shapes to fit on top of each plain cookie. Bake 7-8 minutes or until delicately golden.

(If using self-rising flour, omit soda and cream of tartar.)


OK. THIS IS HOW YOU REALLY MAKE THESE THINGS:

For 1/8 inch cookies, cut in half a regular yard stick. Place these halves on either side of the dough and keep your rolling pin on the two halves. This will insure an even 1/8 inch. If your rolling pin is too short, purchase a 1-inch or larger dowel rod and cut it as long as you need to work with cookie or pie dough. Sand the dowel rod slightly to smooth it out and it will work as well as the most expensive rolling pin.

KEEP YOUR DOUGH COLD ALL THE TIME. Between rolling, put the dough back into the fridge, better yet, the freezer if you are going to make all the cookies at once.

If the cut cookies warm up in the process of cutting and handling, put the unbaked cookies on the sheet into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until they get cold and firm again.

KEEP YOUR COOKIE SHEETS COLD. When a sheet of cookies comes out of the oven, put the sheet into the fridge or freezer to get it cold.

Keeping dough and utensils cold insures that the cookies will maintain their shape during baking. This process MAY add about a minute to the baking time, but do not OVER BAKE. Because cookies are so small, they continue baking from their own heat even after they are removed from the oven. Give them time to finish and cool slightly before removing them from the cookie sheet... about 1-2 minutes.

I have never made the colored dough for the stained glass effect. I make a lot of colors of decorator icing and fill as many pastry bags as are needed for all the helpers. -clb

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COOKIE FROSTING

{CAROL'S NOTE: For the frosting for these cookies I always used this Wilton recipe. I used regular vanilla instead of the clear. The color is not affected by the brown color or regular vanilla.}


WILTON HOME RECIPES: BUTTERCREAM ICING
Our Buttercream Icing recipe is perfect for spreading or decorating. Follow our instructions to make it the ideal consistency you need.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
* 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
* 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
* 2 tablespoons milk

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.
Buttercream Icing

Instructions:
(Medium Consistency)

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

For Pure White Icing (stiff consistency), omit butter; substitute an additional 1/2 cup shortening for butter and add 1/2 teaspoon No-Color Butter Flavor. Add up to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk to thin for icing cakes.


http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Buttercream-Icing

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