It’s time to decorate! Relax, make your cookies ahead of time and follow these easy steps to cookie perfection.
1. Use a cookie recipe that doesn’t include leaveners (such as baking soda and baking powder) for cookies that lay perfectly flat. Check out this Ginger Graham Cookie Recipe here.
2. Roll the cookie dough flat between two sheets of parchment paper, then freeze the dough on a cookie sheet for 1 hour or a few weeks if you’re planning ahead. Peel back the top piece of parchment when you’re ready to cut out the cookies with your favorite cookie cutters.
3. Cool before icing. Let your cookies cool completely.
4. Icing is made for cookies and frosting goes on cakes. Icing dries hard and is made with egg whites and powdered sugar. Place a couple of egg whites in a mixer with a whisk attachment, add 3 cups of powdered sugar and let it rip, adding water and a touch of lemon juice to thin it out to your desired consistency.
5. Layer it! Spoon a think layer of icing on top of the cookie, then drop in other colors and swirl for a paisley effect, or let them dry to pipe borders, buttons and more details. Let the cookies dry for a couple of hours before you pack them up.