Holiday Star Cookie Recipe

Holiday Star Cookies

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at www.tasteofhome.com.

These lovely treats are both a cookie and a candy.  A melted hard-candy center looks like stained glass surrounded by a frosted cutout cookie.

Holiday Star Cookie Recipe

Holiday Star Cookies

1 ½ cups butter, softened

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. each baking soda, cream of tartar and salt

Assorted colors of Jolly Rancher hard candies

1 Tbsp. Meringue powder

3 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. water

2 2/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Assorted colors of paste food coloring

White edible glitter

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Divide into three portions; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Roll out one portion between two pieces of parchment paper to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut with floured 5 inch star shaped cookie cutter.  Cut out centers with 2 ½ inch star shaped cookie cutter.  Place larger cutouts 2 inch apart on parchment lined baking sheets.  Repeat with remaining dough; reroll small cutouts if desired.

Place the same color of hard candies in small resealable plastic bags; crush candies.  Sprinkle in center of each.  Bake at 350 F. for 8 – 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 2 -3 minutes or until candies are set before carefully removing to wire racks.

In a small mixing bowl, beat meringue powder and water until soft peaks form.  Gradually add the confectioner’ sugar.  Tint icing to match the selected candies.  Decorate cookies with icing and sprinkle with edible glitter if desired.

(Recipe for Holiday Star Cookies was in Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies and bars, January 19, 2009 issue)

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