Spiderweb Sugar Cookies

Serves: 5

Irwin Berge

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

61

Spice

45

Sweetness

55

Sourness

48

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.4

Difficulty

Ingredients:

1

Egg

1 tsp

Vanilla

1 tsp

Salt

1 tsp

Lemon Juice

Directions:

1

Cream the butter and sugar

2

Add the egg and beat until fluffy

3

Blend in the vanilla

4

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing until just combined

5

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour

6

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

7

On a floured surface, roll half of the dough to 1/8-inch thick

8

Cut into circles using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or the top of a drinking glass

9

Gather and reroll scraps

10

Repeat with remaining dough

11

Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, until just golden

12

Do not allow cookies to brown

13

To decorate, melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in a heatproof bowl for 1 minutes

14

The chips may look unmelted, but stir them with a spoon to see if they have actually softened before putting them in for another minute, if necessary

15

Spoon the melted chocolate into a zipper-lock bag

16

Seal the bag, pressing out any air

17

Use a toothpick to make a very tiny hole in one corner of the bag to release a very thin stream of chocolate for writing

18

To make the spiderwebs, spread white royal icing smoothly over the surface

19

Immediately, before the icing can set, pipe a spiral of chocolate over the surface, starting in the middle and working outward

20

Starting in the center, use a toothpick to pull outward through the icing, making a spiderweb design

21

With beaters or a standing mixer, whip the egg white and lemon juice until frothy

22

At medium speed, beat in the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture is thick but still liquid enough to beat

23

Then beat on high until the mixture is thick and glossy, about 3 minutes

24

Cover the surface with plastic wrap while waiting to use it

25

Royal icing will set to a firm, glossy finish when applied to a cookie

26

The icing can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week