Cookie Cards – Country Living

1. Prepare Angel Cookie recipe through the end of Step 2. While dough
is chilling, prepare Royal Icing; cover tightly and set aside.

2. Heat oven to 350’F. Cut three 12-inch pieces of aluminum foil and
waxed paper. Lightly flour a piece of foil and waxed paper. One at a
time, roll out balls of dough between floured waxed paper and foil to
10- by 9-inch rectangles. Remove waxed paper and allow rectangles to
remain on foil. If necessary, trim outer edges to straighten.

3. Score lines lengthwise and crosswise through center of dough
rectangles divid- ing each into 4 smaller rectangles. With sharp
knife or pastry wheel, cut a line 1/4 inch from either side of the
scored lines in both directions. Remove the 1/2-inch-wide strips of
dough that now separate the 4 rectangles or “cards” on each piece of
foil. Reserve removed dough. Place foil with cookie cards on baking
sheets.

4. If desired, decorate cookies using one or more of the Before-Baking
methods.

5. Bake cookies on baking sheets 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are
golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove cookies and foil
to wire racks and cool before decorating with Royal Icing.

6. To decorate cookies after baking, divide Royal Icing among 3
bowls. Set aside one bowl of white icing. Tint the other bowls of
icing red and green. With small brush or pastry bag fitted with small
writing tip, paint or pipe icing greetings or designs on each cookie.
For large sur- faces, thin icing with a few drops of water and paint
a thin coating onto cookies. If desired, decorate with candies,
drag6es, colored sugar, or sprinkles. Set cookies aside until dry.

7. To wrap cookie cards, cut 5- by 4 1/2- inch rectangles from thin
cardboard and cover with aluminum foil. Place each cookie card on a
cardboard rectangle and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Tie with
ribbon, if desired. Cookies are best when given away within several
days of baking.

BEFORE-BAKING DECORATIONS Applique 1. Knead food color into reserved
dough and roll out between sheets of waxed paper; place in freezer 15
minutes.

2. Using holiday cookie cutters, cut designs from colored dough and
place on unbaked cookies.

3. With fingers, form small ropes of dough and place on unbaked cookie
cards to create messages or to outline designs.

4. Roll balls of colored dough and press onto cards to create borders
and designs.

Cutouts 1. Using holiday cookie cutters, cut designs into unbaked
cookie cards.

2. Shapes may be either left in place for a baked-in outline, removed
to leave an open area, or removed and replaced with the same shape
piece of colored dough.

Stained Glass Using holiday cookie cutters, cut designs into unbaked
cookie cards. Remove dough and fill space with crushed hard candies.
Once baked, allow cookie to cool completely before removing from foil.

Handprint Have child press hand into center of unbaked cookie card.
With toothpick, trace outline of hand into dough. Once baked, paint
or outline with frosting.

AFTER-BAKING DECORATIONS Painted Decorations 1. Color some Royal
Icing and thin it with a few drops of water. With brush, paint edges
of baked cards, then top with colored sugar or sprinkles, if desired.

2. Paint tops of cookie appliques with thinned colored icing.

Piped Decorations Spoon colored Royal Icing into pastry bag fitted
with writing tip. Pipe messages or designs onto baked cookie cards or
outline appliques.