Sugar Cookies Decorated with Fondant

Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on cookie cutter size.

Ingredients:

2 cups- All-purpose flour

¾ cup- Butter at room temperature

¾ cup- Powdered Sugar

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. vanilla essence

1 large- Egg

¼ tsp. Baking Powder

All Purpose Flour Extra for Dusting

For fondant:

2 cups- Mini marshmallows

2 tbsp. Water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 pound- Confectioner’s sugar
Crisco or vegetable shortening

Corn syrup

Method:

1. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and quite fluffy.
2. Add the egg, salt, baking powder and vanilla essence and mix until they are well combined.
3. Sift the flour. Add to the bowl and mix until all the ingredients are just come together you – do not over mix.
4. Put the dough into a container or cover with a Clingfilm and leave it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
5. On a work surface lightly dusted with floor, roll out the cookie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the top of the dough as you roll to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
6. Cut out your desired shapes. Place on baking trays lined with wax paper and return to the refrigerator to rest for at least 5-10mins.
7. Bake cookies in a preheated oven at 170°C/325°F for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be pale on top and slightly golden on the bottom.

8. Cool them before decorating.

Notes:
1. Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on cookie cutter size.

2. Keep baked and decorated cookies fresh in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to one week.

3. Cookie dough can be refrigerated for two weeks or frozen up to a month.

For Fondant:

1. Grease a microwave safe bowl with Crisco. Pour marshmallows in bowl.

2. Pour water and vanilla extract over marshmallows.

3. Heat in microwave until marshmallows puff a bit, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well until fully melted and smooth and runny.

4. Put confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater (I greased the beater with Crisco).

5. Pour marshmallow mixture into the sugar and blend on low speed. continue blending until dough forms.

6. Knead briefly on a surface dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Wrap in plastic and let sit about 4-5 hours.

7. Divide the fondant and tint desired colors. (Tint fondant by kneading one or more drops of food coloring into a half of white fondant. For pastel colors, start with only one drop and add one additional drop at a time until desired color is reached.)

8. Roll out preferred color of fondant on a surface dusted with confectioner’s sugar to prevent sticking, and cut out the shapes.

9. Spread a small bit light corn syrup on a cookie and gently place the shaped fondant on top and smoothing the edges with your fingers.