Shelly's Recipe

BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

Category: Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Poured icing, red (recipe follows)
Royal or buttercream icing, red, white, black and green (recipes follow)
Silver metallic shimmer dust (see note)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour, soda and salt; add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Roll dough to 1/4 -inch thickness on floured wax paper. Cut into desired shapes and move to cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Let cookies cool and decorate. Outline truck in red poured icing and let harden slightly. Then fill in outline with remaining red poured icing. Using pastry bags with your choice of decorating tips, add details on truck and Christmas tree with red, white, black and green icings. For added shimmer, paint silver metallic shimmer dust on chrome truck details.

Poured icing: Combine 1 cup of sifted powdered sugar and 2 tsp milk; add 2 to 6 tsp of light corn syrup (depending on desired consistency) and mix well. Stir in food coloring, drop by drop, until you achieve desired tint.

Buttercream frosting: In a mixing bowl, cream r 1 cup softened margarine and 1 tsp vanilla. Gradually beat in 4 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well after each addition. Add 2 tbsp milk and beat until light and fluffy. Tint to desired shade with food coloring. Keep in refrigerator, covered, when not in use.

Royal icing: Beat together 3 tbsp meringue powder (see note), 4 cups sifted powdered sugar and 6 tbsp water in mixer at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes, until icing forms peaks. Tint to desired shade with food coloring. Pipe onto cookies with pastry bags.

Note: Metallic shimmer dust, meringue powder and food coloring are available in crafts stores, such as Michaels and Jo-Ann stores, and cake-supply.