Christmas Cookie Ornaments
Country Woman
Want to get a head start on your holiday baking? You can—by making the goodies here for your Christmas tree! Simply whip up the cookies any time you want and store them plain in your freezer. Come Christmas, you can fix homemade frosting and do the decorating. Then tie on ribbons and hang the shapes on your evergreen. Of course, you can also create these treats for eating! If you do, start them from scratch at holiday time and keep them in an airtight container.
SERVINGS: 40
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- FROSTING:
- 6-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Assorted liquid or paste food coloring
- 9 yards of 1/8-inch-wide ribbon in Christmas colors of your choice
- Christmas cookie cutters or sizes of your choice
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the honey, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and salt.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters dipped in flour. Transfer cutouts to ungreased baking sheets.
Using a straw, make a hole in the top of each cookie. Remove the center circle of dough. Bake the cookies at 350° for 6 minutes o until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool.
For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Tint the frosting with liquid or paste food coloring in desired colors.
Place each color of frosting in a pastry or plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of each bag. Spread and pipe frosting onto cookies as desired.
If desired, create stitch marks on a stocking or veins on holly leaves by dipping a toothpick in food coloring and painting on the lines.
For hanging loops, cut forty 8-inch strips of 1/8-inch-wide ribbon. Thread a ribbon strip through the hole in each cookie and tie the ends into a bow. Yield: 40(3-inch) cookies. Crafter thoughts: —To help give your frosting a smooth look, work quickly when spreading it on the cookies. —Write a name on each treat by painting the letters with a toothpick dipped in food coloring or by piping them using plain or tinted frosting. Then serve the cookies after a holiday meal.