Butter Cookie Angels Recipe

• 3 1/2 c. Unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp Baking pwdr
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/4 c. Vegetable shortening
• 1 1/3 c. Sugar
• 2 lrg Large eggs Royal Icing (recipe follows) Yellow food coloring Edible gold dust (opt., see Note) Small gold dragees (opt., see Note)

1. 1.
2. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking pwdr, and salt.
3. 2.
4. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and shortening till well blended.
5. Add in sugar and beat till light and fluffy.
6. Add in Large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
7. 3.
8. With mixer on low speed, add in half of flour mix to butter mix and beat just till blended; add in remaining flour mix and beat till soft dough forms.
9. Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap and chill at least 30 min.
10. 4.
11. Heat oven to 350'F.
12. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
13. Cut 2 pcs of waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets.
14. Lightly flour waxed paper and roll out one ball of dough between paper to 1/8 inch thickness.
15. Remove top piece of waxed paper.
16. Using 6-inch angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many angels as possible from dough, leaving 1/2 inch between cookies.
17. Remove all trimmings and press together.
18. Invert waxed paper with angels onto greased baking sheet and peel off waxed paper.
19. Reroll trimmings between waxed papers and repeat cutting and inverting angels to fill second baking sheet.
20. If making cookies for ornaments, pierce a small hole with a drinking straw about 1/2 inch from top of each cookie.
21. 5.
22. Bake cookies 8 to 10 min or possibly till golden brown.
23. Cold 5 min on baking sheets, then remove to wire racks and cold completely before decorating.
24. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining balls of dough and trimmings.
25. 6.
26. To decorate cookies, prepare Royal Icing.
27. Divide icing between 2 bowls.
28. Cover one bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
29. Using just a few drops yellow food coloring, tint the other bowl of icing very pale yellow.
30. 7.
31. With pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a thin coating of tinted icing, being sure not to cover up pierced hole; let dry and paint again.
32. When icing has dry, brush cookies with gold dust, if you like.
33. Pipe decorative designs on front of cookies using reserved white icing and pastry bag fitted with a small (#1) writing tip.
34. If using small gold dragees, carefully place onto cookies before icing dries.
35. If making cookies well in advance, store in airtight container and freeze.
36. Royal Icing: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low speed, beat 2 1-lb pkgs.
37. confectioners' sugar, 6 large egg whites (if cookies are going to be eaten, use meringue pwdr instead of egg whites and follow package instructions for Royal Icing; see Note), and 1 t cream of tartar till mixed.
38. Increase speed to high, beat till very thick and fluffy-about 6 min.
39. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent dry- ing till ready to use.
40. Makes 4 C.
41. Note: Meringue pwdr can be purchased wherever cake-decorating sup- plies are sold or possibly by calling Wilton Industries at (800) 772-7111.
42. Gold dust and dragees may be purchased from the Chocolate Gallery, (212) 675-2253.
43. Both sources carry decorating tips, pastry bags, parchment paper, insulated baking sheets, and other baking supplies.

flour, baking pwdr, salt, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/butter-cookie-angels-95401 (may not work)