BUTTER COOKIE ANGELS - COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAY

      Title: BUTTER COOKIE ANGELS - COUNTRY LIVING HOLIDAY
  Categories: Holidays, Cookies
       Yield: 36 Cookies
  
   3 1/2 c  Unsifted all-purpose flour
     1/2 ts Baking powder
     1/2 ts Salt
     1/2 c  (1 stick) butter, softened
     1/4 c  Vegetable shortening
   1 1/3 c  Sugar
       2 lg Eggs
            Royal Icing (recipe follows)
            Yellow food coloring
            Edible gold dust (opt.,
            -see Note)
            Small gold dragees (opt.,
            -see Note)
  
   1. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
   
   2. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and
   shortening until well blended. Add sugar and beat until light and
   fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
   
   3. With mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture to butter
   mixture and beat just until blended; add remaining flour mixture and
   beat until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap and
   refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
   
   4. Heat oven to 350'F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Cut 2 pieces of
   waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets. Lightly flour waxed
   paper and roll out one ball of dough between paper to 1/8 inch
   thickness. Remove top piece of waxed paper. Using 6-inch angel-shaped
   cookie cutter, cut out as many angels as possible from dough, leaving
   1/2 inch between cookies. Remove all trimmings and press together.
   Invert waxed paper with angels onto greased baking sheet and peel off
   waxed paper. Reroll trimmings between waxed papers and repeat cutting
   and inverting angels to fill second baking sheet. If making cookies
   for ornaments, pierce a small hole with a drinking straw about 1/2
   inch from top of each cookie.
   
   5. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on
   baking sheets, then remove to wire racks and cool completely before
   decorating. Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining balls
   of dough and trimmings.
   
   6. To decorate cookies, prepare Royal Icing. Divide icing between 2
   bowls. Cover one bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Using just a few
   drops yellow food coloring, tint the other bowl of icing very pale
   yellow.
   
   7. With pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a thin
   coating of tinted icing, being sure not to cover up pierced hole; let
   dry and paint again. When icing has dried, brush cookies with gold
   dust, if desired. Pipe decorative designs on front of cookies using
   reserved white icing and pastry bag fitted with a small (#1) writing
   tip. If using small gold dragees, carefully place onto cookies before
   icing dries. If making cookies well in advance, store in airtight
   container and freeze.
   
   Royal Icing: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low speed, beat 2
   1-lb packages confectioners' sugar, 6 large egg whites (if cookies
   are going to be eaten, use meringue powder instead of egg whites and
   follow package instructions for Royal Icing; see Note), and 1 t cream
   of tartar until mixed. Increase speed to high, beat until very thick
   and fluffy-about 6 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to
   prevent dry- ing until ready to use. Makes 4 C.
   
   Note: Meringue powder can be purchased wherever cake-decorating sup-
   plies are sold or by calling Wilton Industries at (800) 772-7111.
   Gold dust and dragees may be purchased from the Chocolate Gallery,
   (212) 675-2253. Both sources carry decorating tips, pastry bags,
   parchment paper, insulated baking sheets, and other baking supplies.
   
   Country Living Holidays/1994 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl &
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