Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil over medium
• heat. Add flour all at once; stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove
• from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time,
• beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is
• smooth and shiny.
• Spread into a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Bake at 400° for 30-35
• minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire
• rack. Reduce heat to 350°.
• Roll out cookie dough to 1/4-in. thickness. With floured 3-in. and
• 4-1/4-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutters, cut out 12 swimmers.
• Reroll scraps; cut out 1-1/2-in. circles for beach balls. Place on
• ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until
• edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
• For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, water and corn syrup
• until smooth. Divide glaze among small bowls; tint with food
• coloring as desired. Using a small brush and stirring the glaze
• often, brush glaze over cookies. Allow glazed cookies to set for at
• least 1 hour. Add designs with writing icing and nonpareils as
• desired.
• For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding
• mixes until smooth. Spread over puff layer; refrigerate for 20
• minutes. Set aside 2 tablespoons whipped topping for crests of
• waves; stir blue food coloring into remaining topping. Spread over
• filling; swirl, forming waves. Form crests with reserved topping.
• Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
• Meanwhile, for palm trees, break or cut 1 in. from one Pirouette
• cookie and 1-1/2 in. from another Pirouette. Leave remaining
• Pirouette full length.
• Sprinkle sugar on a work surface. For each palm tree, place three
• spearmint leaves on sugared surface. With a rolling pin, roll out
• each into an oval; cut out into a palm leaf shape. Using spearmint
• leaf scraps, attach three palm leaves to each Pirouette cookie;
• place flat. Let stand, uncovered, until set.
• Just before serving, sprinkle corner of dessert with cracker crumbs
• for an island; position trees in sand. Add swimmers and a beach ball
• to the water. Serve with additional cookies. Yield: 1 centerpiece
• and 18 cookies.