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Cut-Out Filled Holiday Cookies
by
Michelle Jones
These delicious cut-out cookies can be made for any holiday or special occasion, and with any cookie cutter shape desired. Cookies are layered with icing spread in between two cookies, and can have additional shapes cut out from the top cookie, so that the colored icing below peaks through.
If you're in a hurry, use refrigerated sugar cookie dough and/or canned frosting.
Ingredients:
Cookies
4 c. all-purpose flour
3
1/4 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces
1
1/3 c. confectioners sugar
2 egg
yolks plus 1 whole egg
2 tsp.
vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Icing (make two batches)
1 pound confectioners sugar
3
T. powdered egg whites
6-9 T.
water
Filling
1 pound confectioners sugar
1/2
c. butter-flavored Crisco (vegetable shortening)
1
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c.
plus 2 T. water
1/2 c.
unsweetened cocoa powder
Assorted paste gel food colors (available in cake decorating supplies)
Directions:
Cookies
In a large bowl, beat together flour and butter until crumbly. Add remaining cookie ingredients and beat until soft dough forms. Divide dough in half and wrap in waxed paper. Chill for at least 1 hour.
On floured surface, roll out half of dough into 1/8" thickness. Cut out with various cookie cutter shapes desired, making even amounts of each to sandwich together.
Using a small knife or smaller sized cookie cutters, cut out additional shapes from each cookie that will be on top (such as smaller hearts for heart shaped cookies, face for pumpkins, mini-stripes for candy canes, etc...) so that the filling will show through.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer cookies to baking sheet, in a single layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just slightly golden brown.
Cool cookies on rack completely before frosting.
Icing
First batch - on your mixer's low setting, beat together sugar, powdered egg and 6 T. water until blended. Beat for another 5-6 minutes on medium speed until icing is thick. Cover tightly.
Second batch - repeat as above, except adding 8-9 T. water for a thinner icing.
Divide thinner icing into small bowls (4-6) and tint with assorted paste gel food colorings as needed. Using different shades of the same color is also a nice touch (either to be used on each cookie, or making some cookies lighter, some darker).
Paint cookie tops as desired and let stand for at least 40 minutes.
Divide thicker icing the same way, and color as desired. Use for piping outlines and decorations on cookie tops with pastry bags and round tips. Let stand for at least 90 minutes.
Filling
In another bowl, beat sugar, shortening, vanilla and 1/4 c. water together until spreading consistency, for about 2 minutes. If you want to use different filling colors, divide into small bowls and color as desired. You can also add 1/2 c. cocoa and 2 T. water to 1 3/4 c. icing for a chocolate one, or 1/4 c. of cocoa and 1 T. water to 3/4-1 c. icing.
Spread filling on tops of bottom cookies and then sandwich together with matching decorated top cookies.
Whether you have extra cut out shapes on the top cookies or not, they will still look (and taste) wonderful!
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Source: Family Circle, October 8, 2002
Adapted by Michelle Jones