(BlackDoctor.org) — Decorate this cookie in dozens of ways! Cut into stars, snowmen, snowflakes, or other festive shapes. Then, top with icing and sprinkles for the perfect holiday treat.
Substituting white whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour preserves the sweet and delicate flavor and look of traditional sugar cookies while boosting fiber. And there’s another bonus: royal icing contains no butter and can be piped or spread as the foundation for your favorite adornments (like dragées, colored sugars, and nonpareils). Just be sure to work quickly, since the icing dries to a hard finish.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Servings: Makes 48 cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 C white whole wheat flour (such as King Arthur)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C sugar
1 lg egg
2 tbsp 2 percent milk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
Icing:
1/3 C pasteurized egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
4 C confectioners’ sugar
Directions
Cookies:
1. Whisk together first four ingredients in medium bowl.
2. Place butter and sugar in large bowl and, using electric mixer, beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg, followed by milk and lemon extract. Add flour mixture and blend until just mixed. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in wax paper, and chill at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put oven rack in middle position. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to a 1/4″ thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut dough into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place cookies on ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 2″ apart, and bake 10 minutes or until pale brown around edges. Cool completely on rack.
Icing (Prepare while cookies cool):
1. Using electric mixer at low speed, blend egg whites, vanilla extract, and cream of tartar in medium bowl until frothy.
2. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until icing thickens and stiffens, about 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Tint with food coloring if desired. Spread or pipe icing onto cooled cookies.
Cooking Tip: Tip: Royal icing recipes usually call for raw egg whites — the recipe uses the pasteurized variety to avoid the slight risk of Salmonella contamination.
Nutrition
Per serving (1 cookie): Calories 87.5, Fat 2.1g, Saturated fat 1.3g, Sodium 43 mg, Carbohydrates 16.0g, Total Sugars 13.1g, Dietary Fiber 0.4g, Protein 1g.