Scalloped Wreath Gingerbread Cookies Recipe 445

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, molasses, and vinegar until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a cookie sheet; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough portion at a time to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2 to 3-inch flower-shape or scalloped round cookie cutter, cut out dough. Using a 3/4 to 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out a circle from the center of each cookie. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Using a decorating bag fitted with a small round tip, pipe an outline around edges of each cookie with frosting-consistency Royal Icing tinted light green and flood cookies with glaze-consistency Royal Icing tinted dark green. While icing is still wet, pipe glaze-consistency light green icing on dark green base to make sprigs of greenery. Pipe dots of frosting-consistency red-tinted Royal Icing for berries. ROYAL ICING: In a large mixing bowl stir together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and cream of tartar. Add the water and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined; beat on high speed for 7 to 10 minutes or until icing is very stiff. If not using right away, cover bowl with a damp paper towel and cover paper towel with plastic wrap; chill for up to 48 hours.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, molasses and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface; gather into a ball and press into a flat disk. Wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with floured 4- to 5-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Reroll dough and cut additional cookies.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Remove lid and foil seal from frosting container. Microwave on High 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Spoon frosting into resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above frosting; squeeze bag to pipe frosting in skeleton design on cookies.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients together and chill for up to 1 hour. Roll dough out on floured board about 1/8-inch thick. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven. For Royal Icing: With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes till stiff and glossy. Add food coloring, if desired, and transfer to a pasty bag to pipe onto cookies.