Spring Training Cookies

By gmbeckett

Get into your spring training - cookie style. The icing paint is quick and easy for little kids to use and eat right away, but for a longer lasting design, use the sturdier Royal Icing.

Ingredients

• Icing Paint:
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 1/4 cup water (approximately)
• paste food colouring

Preparation

Step 1

In bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; stir into butter mixture. Gather into ball; divide in half and flatten into discs. Wrap each and refrigerate for 1 hour.

On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to scant 1/4 inch thickness. Using 2 1/2 inch round cutter, cut out shapes, rerolling scraps once.

Place, about 2 inches apart, on greased baking sheets. Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 350 F oven until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool on pan on rack for 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely.

Icing Paint: Whisk sugar with water until spreadable, adding more water if necessary. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup for piping; cover tightly with plastic wrap directly on surface.

Divide remaining icing among small bowls; tint with colouring as desired. Using palette or small knife, spread thin coat on cookies. Let dry about 4 hours.

Tint reserved icing as desired. Place in small plastic bags, snip corner off each. Pipe patterns onto cookies. Let dry, about 4 hours.