LE REFUGE

Sugar Cookies

1. With paddle attachment on mixer, lightly cream butter and sugar. Slowly add eggs.

2. Once incorporated, add extract. Scrape down sides.

3. In a separate bowl, stir baking powder into flour.

4. With mixer on low, add your flour mixture until just combined. Scrape down and give it a couple of more turns.

5. Roll dough and cut the dough in two. To each half add either the cacao powder or the flour (20 g). Place the two dough balls in plastic wrap.

6. Refrigerate 5-6 hours, or freeze for 1-2 hours.

7. Roll out the dough to desired thickness (I like 3/8”). Cut out shapes and place on silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheets at least 1/2“ apart. Refrigerate for another hour.

8. Preheat oven to 350°F.

9. Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on size), rotating sheets half-way. And if baking more than one cookie sheet at a time- swapping racks once in the middle of your bake time.

Royal Icing Base

1. With whisk on stand mixer, add powdered sugar and cream of tartar.
2. Once incorporated, add clear vanilla extract, and finally egg whites.
3. Beat on medium high speed until white and when stiff peaks form. About 5 minutes.
4. Cover with a plastic wrap for a couple of hours. Make sure the plastic wrap touches the top of the icing so the top layer doesn't harden.
5. When ready separate icing in desired amount and add the necessary food coloring (a couple of drop of gel food coloring will do). Refrigerate overnight to allow the color to develop in the icing.

Difference between flooding icing and piping icing:

                 When decorating sugar cookies, you do not want your icing to fall on each side of the cookie but you don't want it bumpy either. You want a smooth shiny surface... But how to do it? The perfect flooding royal icing (used as the base of the decoration) is not easy to achieve. Technically, when mixing the icing, if you cut a line in the middle it should take 15 seconds for the icing to restore it's shape. But, who has time to count for hours... The easiest way to describe the flooding icing is that when taking a big spoon of it and dropping it back in the bowl, there should be a big gloop and afterwards, an even ribbon. As for the piping texture, when cutting into the icing, wiggling the bowl should restore the icing's shape.

Each Fall Cookie

For the Squirrel:

• Light brown icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD and PIPING
• Dark brown icing (with #30 piping nozzle) FLOOD and PIPING
• White icing (with #1 piping nozzle) PIPING
• Black icing (with #1 piping nozzle) PIPING

1. Use light and dark brown (with #2 tip) to do the base of the cookie

2. Use the light brown to add details to the squirrel's body. Use dark brown (with #30 tip) to add texture to the squirrel's tail. Use withe to add ear, fur and eye. And black for the pupil.

For the Pumpkin:

• Orange icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD
• Green icing (with #1 piping nozzle) PIPING

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1. Use orange to do the base of the pumpkin. In order for the separation of the pumpkin to show, do the section by skipping one between each, let dry for 2 minutes and do the 'in between'.
2. Use green icing to add details to the pumpkin.

For the Acorn:

• Light brown icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD
• Medium brown icing (with #1 piping nozzle) PIPING
• Dark brown icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD

1. Use the light and dark brown to do the base of the acorn.
2. Use medium brown and repeat a U shape to create the texture.

For the Apple:

• Red icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD
• Green icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD
• Brown icing (with #2 piping nozzle) FLOOD

1. Use red, green and brown for the apple shape.

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For the leaves:

Use colors you wish to use,

All FLOOD

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1. Put dot of each color you wish to use on the cookie and use a toothpick to draw your designs

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Have fun!