Cookies Plain And Fancy 02 – Country Living

7. Cottage Mobile: Prepare Gingerbread Dough. Draw and cut out a
paper or cardboard pattern of a cottage (ours is 5 1/4inches high
from the point of the roof to the bottom 4 1/2-inch-wide floor; walls
are 3 inches high; roof extends 1/2 inch beyond the walls). Each
mobile takes 2 cottage cookies as they are sandwiched together. With
straw, punch out 3 holes in a triangle about 1/8 inch from point of
roof for hanging. Be sure the holes line up on the 2 cookies that
will be used together. With tiny metal skewer or round wooden pick,
make 7 holes about 1/4 inch up from bottom of cottages, being sure
cookies align. With the dough trimmings, cut out 1-inch stars, bells,
or hearts and 1 1/2-inch gingerbread boys and girls. Bake and cool
cookies. Prepare and tint Royal Frosting desired colors; spread or
pipe onto cookies to decorate. Decorate with red-hot candies, colored
sugar, or sprinkles, if desired. When icing is dry, cut out a
triangular piece of thin cardboard to fit just the roof. (This will
reinforce the cookie for hanging in humid conditions.) Match
cardboard to the cookie cottage and punch out the holes for hanging.
With frosting, glue cardboard to underside of one cottage, lining up
the holes. Frost the entire cookie and sandwich with an- other
cookie, making sure to line up the bottom holes. Tie a ribbon or cord
through the 2 lower holes of the roof and bring it out through the
top hole; tie into a knot. Tie silver thread onto small cookies,
varying their lengths and tie onto cottage.

8. Stand-Up Place Cards: Prepare and cut Gingerbread Dough using old-
fashioned 4-inch-high boy or girl cookie cutters. From the dough
trimmings, cut out 2 small triangles for each cookie that will be
attached to the back of each so that the cookie will stand up. (To
make a triangular pattern, draw and cut a rectangle 1 1/4 inches wide
and 1/2 inch shorter than the cookie. Draw and cut a diagonal line
dividing rectangle into 2 trian- gles. Discard one triangle. Measure
a point 1/4inch up long side from the fight angle. Draw and cut a
line from that point to the point at other end of short side.) Bake
and cool cookies. Prepare and tint some Royal Frosting, if desired.
With frosting, attach the long sides of 2 triangles at fight angles
to the back of each cookie Let frosting dry. Decorate stand-up
cookies.

9. Animal Mobile: Prepare and cut Gingerbread Dough using
animal-shaped cookie cutters. Punch a hole in dough with a straw to
hang cookies. Bake and cool. Prepare and tint Royal Frosting desired
colors. With drops of water, thin some frosting slightly and paint a
base color onto each cookie and let it dry completely. Thin a small
amount of frosting with more water until it will drip or flow from a
tiny brush. Drizzle or spatter a contrasting color onto cookies;
using a tiny natural sponge or crumpled paper towel; blot up the
drizzle to give cookies a spattered look. You may also paint thinned
frosting onto the cookies to color the tail or mane.