For Thanksgiving this year I had the idea of making each guest’s place card into a cookie! I decided on using a white pumpkin with gold script and details. Not only does it add a special touch to your Thanksgiving table but everyone gets their own personalized cookie! I’ve experimented with a few different techniques for making royal icing for sugar cookies and the Wilton stiff royal icing mix I used to make these turned out just as delicious as making it from scratch! You can find the Wilton royal icing mix at Michael’s or buy it here. I’ve included my own sugar cookie recipe below that is by far my favorite. What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I would love to hear some of the traditions you have and the recipes you make!
SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE (MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES)
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients slowly. Chill at least 1 hr. Roll out cookies and use a pumpkin cookie cutter. Bake for 7-10 minutes.
Icing:
Water as needed
Pure Lemon Extract
Directions:
After baking the cookies, follow the instructions on the royal icing box to mix the icing. For the border icing use a small tip, such as a Wilton #3 tip, and used the icing at its thickest consistency. At this time you can also ice the stem of the pumpkin. After letting that dry, save a small amount of this thick icing in a bowl for the writing icing. Be sure to cover the bowl with a wet towel until you are ready to use it. Next, water down the remaining icing ( 1 tsp at a time) until it takes about 10 seconds for it to dissolve back into itself if you drip some back into the mix with a spoon. Use this consiency with a larger tip, such a as Wilton #5 to flood the cookies with icing. Once this is dry you can use that thicker icing you saved to pipe the names on the cookies and pipe the swirly vine detail on each cookie. For this step use a very small tip, such as the Wilton #2 tip. Finally, once everything is dry, you can mix gold dust powder with a few drops of pure lemon extract and, using a tiny brush, paint the gold onto the letting, stem and swirly vine.
Oh this is such a cute idea for a place card! I love this idea. Xo, Ellese
Rock.Paper.Glam.
Thanks Ellese! Now I want to do this for every holiday party!
Love,
Natalie