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Sugar Cookie Scarecrow and Pumpkins

Sugar Cookie Scarecrow and Pumpkins
To add bushels of fall flavor to your birthday bash, try baking up this cookie scarecrow shaped and decorated by the Crafting Traditions kitchen crew. It starts with Vickie's sugar cookies. "The recipe is a winner with my family and friends," Vickie says. "I am always asked to bring it—or even make it—for people." The scarecrow's easily adapted for other themes besides. For example, try
20 ServingsPrep: 45 min. Bake: 15 min.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 4 tablespoons water
  • Blue, green, red and yellow liquid or paste food coloring
  • 3/4 cup vanilla frosting, divided
  • Pastry tips- #18 open star and #5 round
  • 1 large green gumdrop, sliced into thirds
  • 1 large red gumdrop, sliced into thirds
  • 1 large black gumdrop, sliced into fourths
  • 1 yard thin ribbon, cut into 6 pieces

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add
  • egg and extracts. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed
  • mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or
  • overnight.
© Taste of Home 2013

2 of 2

Sugar Cookie Scarecrow and Pumpkins (continued)

Directions (continued)

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-in. thickness.
  • Cut into two 4-in. squares, four 4-in. x 2-in. rectangles, a 5-in. x
  • 1-1/2-in. rectangle and 3-in. x 3/4-in. rectangle. Place the 5-in.
  • and 3-in. rectangles together on a ungreased baking sheet to form
  • scarecrow's hat.
  • Place remaining pieces 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Round
  • edges of one 4-in. square to form scarecrow's head. With a straw or
  • toothpick, make holes so cookie pieces can be attached later with
  • ribbon (there should be one hole in hat, two holes in head, five
  • holes on 4-in. body and one hole in each arm and leg). Cut out
  • remaining dough with a 2-1/2-in. round cookie cutter for pumpkin
  • cookies. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
  • Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Immediately remove small round cookies to wire racks to cool. With
  • straw or toothpick, reopen holes in scarecrow pieces. Carefully
  • remove scarecrow pieces to wire racks.
  • Place a tablespoon each of water in four small bowls; tint each with
  • a different color of food coloring. Using a small pastry brush,
  • paint hat, arms, body and legs as shown in photo above. Combine red
  • and yellow water to make orange. Use orange- and green-tinted water
  • to paint round cookies like pumpkins.
  • Tint 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting yellow. Cut a small hole in the
  • corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert star tip. Fill bag with
  • yellow frosting. Pipe straw on head, body, arms and legs. Attach
  • gumdrop pieces with frosting to form eyes, nose, cheeks, buttons and
  • patches.
  • Tint remaining frosting black. Prepare a second plastic or pastry
  • bag, insert round tip. Fill bag with black frosting. Pipe frosting
  • in a stitch pattern around eyes, mouth and patches. Let frosting dry
  • for 30 minutes.
  • Place scarecrow pieces on a covered board; carefully tie pieces
  • together with ribbon. Arrange pumpkins around the scarecrow. Yield:
  • 1 scarecrow and about 1 dozen pumpkins.
© Taste of Home 2013