Swedish Sugar Cookie Snowmen, Doves an..

Cooking Instructions

Beat butter, sugars, vanilla, cardamom and salt in a large bowl with mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg until fluffy, then beat in flour on low speed just until blended.

Divide dough in thirds. Shape each third into a 1-in.-thick disk; wrap separately. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F. You’ll need a baking sheet(s).

On floured surface, roll out 1 disk at a time to 1/4-in. thickness. Using floured cutters, cut out snowmen and doves. For wreaths, cut out 3-in. rounds, then cut out center with 1-in. round. Cut out 8 (1 1/2-in.) holly leaves per wreath; arrange holly leaves on top of round, with stem ends toward the center hole. Score deep veins in leaves. Transfer shapes with a floured spatula 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s). Reroll and cut scraps only once.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes for snowmen and doves, and 16 to 18 minutes for wreaths, until cookies are golden at edges. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on sheet on a wire rack. Remove to rack to cool completely.

Decorate: Thin icing for spreading by adding drops of water to tinted and white icing until just thin enough to spread. Leave some icing thick if making wreaths.

Snowmen: Spread black icing on hats and white icing on rest of cookie, leaving a slim edge of cookie showing all around and between hats and top of snowmen’s heads. Let dry 3 hours. Dip paintbrush or a toothpick in black icing and paint on eyes and mouth. Dip a brush or toothpick in orange icing; paint on carrot nose. With dabs of icing, attach red candy sequin for hat flower and large blue for buttons.

Doves: Spread thinned white icing on cookies, leaving a slim edge of cookie showing all around. While wet, decorate wings and tail with almond slices. Let dry 3 hours. Dip paintbrush or a toothpick in yellow icing and paint on beaks. Dip a toothpick in white icing, apply to bird and add a small blue candy sequin eye.

Wreaths: Tint thick decorating icing pale green. Using a fine paintbrush, brush thick lines of icing on holly leaves, following the veins, pulling the icing up and out to resemble pine needles. Paint the exposed areas on the bottom round cookie with thinned green icing. While wet, attach pink dragées or candy balls to the spaces between leaves (see photo).

Let cookies dry at least 6 hours.

Decorating Icing: Beat 1 lb confectioners’ sugar (3¼ cups) and 1/4 cup Just Whites (powdered egg whites, found in your store’s baking section) in a large bowl with mixer on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 cup water; beat until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 8 minutes or until icing is very thick and white. Makes 21/2 cups.

Storage Tip: Store airtight at cool room temperature with wax paper between layers up to 3 weeks.