Piggie Butter Cookies
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sifted sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Royal Icing, recipe follows
- 1 pound confectioners' sugar
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 3 drops red food coloring
- Sift together flour and salt into a bowl.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the butter and mix on medium-high until fluffy and light.
- Add the sugar and the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated and combined.
- Add vanilla and cinnamon.
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour to the butter, sugar, egg mixture.
- Mix until batter looks smooth.
- Place dough onto a flowered cutting board and cut the dough into quarters, flatten and wrap with the plastic.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 2 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- With a rolling pin covered in flour, roll out dough quarters 1 at a time, on a floured work surface to 1/4 to 1/8-inch thick.
- Use a variety of cutters to cut out cookies.
- Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment and space cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies until they are golden brown, about 8 minutes.
- Using a using a spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, add sugar and meringue powder.
- Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined, then drizzle in 1/2 cup of cold water.
- Beat until thick and glossy.
- Add the lemon juice to thin it out slightly.
- Add red food coloring a little at a time until you achieve a pretty pink color.
- Once cookies are cool, coat the cookies with the pink frosting, using an offset spatula.
- You can use a toothpick to carefully spread out the frosting in the small spaces.
- Sprinkle with pink sanding sugar for a glitzy effect.
- Let the frosting dry for 1 full day.
flour, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, ground cinnamon, icing, sugar, meringue powder, lemon juice, coloring
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/piggie-butter-cookies-recipe.html (may not work)