Critter Cookies Recipes

THE BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through the mixing; the butter should be very light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl before adding the remaining dry ingredients and beat to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour in the bowl for drop cookies, or form into a 1-inch log for slice-and-bake cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. For drop cookies, scoop the cookie dough with a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop and then dip the tops of the cookie dough balls into the sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• For slice-and-bake cookies, cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Press the tops into the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

STAINED-GLASS CRITTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Place dough on a nonstick baking mat; place a piece of plastic wrap over dough. Roll out dough between baking mat and plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Cut out cookies with a 5-inch butterfly- or dragonfly-shaped cookie cutter; cut out negative space in the wings using both sides of a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to create a mirror image (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Use a drinking straw to create a hanging hole at top of cookie, if desired. Transfer baking mat to a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to freezer, freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from freezer; remove scraps and reposition cookies so that they are at least 1 inch apart. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
• Transfer to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool and sprinkle candy in a single layer in negative space of each cookie. Return to oven and bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks; carefully remove with a metal spatula.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with food coloring until desired shade is reached for wings. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Outline wings (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates) with colored icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add candy decor to wing edges, if desired (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with food coloring until desired shade is reached for bodies. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Outline body (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates) with colored icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add dragees or candy eyes to create eyes (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Let dry.

CRITTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Cream the shortening and sugars together until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In a seperate bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon and baking soda. Gradually add the dry mixtureto the wet, a little at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Add the oatmeal and walnuts. The dough should be very still and clining to the beaters. More flour may be needed to achieve this consistency.
• Scoop the dough into ball, about the size of a walnut, which is 2-3 TB, place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350for about 18 minutes. The cookies "poof up" while baking and the cookiesare very airy.