Cocoa Bee Cookies
- 2 12 cups flour, plus more for dusting
- 12 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa
- 12 teaspoon coarse salt
- 12 teaspoon baking powder
- 12 teaspoon baking soda
- 34 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 34 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
- 12 cup dark unsulphured molasses
- superfine sugar, for sprinkling
- 7 12 teaspoons meringue powder
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 -6 tablespoons water
- lemon yellow gel-paste food coloring
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt baking powder, and baking soda.
- With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, Beat in egg and molasses, reduce speed to low.
- Add flour mixture; beat until just combined.
- Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic.
- Refrigerate until cold but not hard.
- Divide dough into quarters, Roll out each portion between two sheets of parchement to 1/4 inch thickness.
- Chill in freezer until firm.
- about 30 minutes.
- Using a 3-inch bee cutter cut out the shapes.
- Gather together the scraps; reroll and cut out.
- Space 1-inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.
- Bake cookies until firm, 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool.
- YELLOW ROYAL ICING:.
- With an electric mixer on low speed, beat meringue powder, sugar and 3 tablespoons water until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add more water, 1 tablespoons at a time until the mixture is the consistency of honey.
- Add the food coloring until desired color is reached.
- Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as Ateco#2) .
- Use immediately.
- Brush water on wings of bees and sprinkle immediately with sanding sugar, shaking off excess.
- Decorate bodies with royal icing and immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, shaking off excess.
- Let cookies set, at least 2 hours.
- Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 weeks.
flour, cocoa, coarse salt, baking powder, baking soda, unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg white, molasses, sugar, meringue powder, sugar, water, lemon yellow gelpaste
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/cocoa-bee-cookies-389225 (may not work)