Umbrella Butter Cookies

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Chef Test Kitchens Consultant at Land O'Lakes
These crisp, tender almond-flavored cut-out cookies are creatively decorated for springtime fun.


Yield: 4 dozen cookies


Ingredients:

Cookie
1 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
60 (4-inch) lollipop sticks

Frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Food color

Decorations
Decorator candies, as desired
White decorator gel
Colored bendable drinking straws



Directions:

Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and egg in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add 2 tablespoons milk and almond extract. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.

Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into a ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (2 to 3 hours).

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated) to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch round cookie cutter. Cut each cookie in half, using crinkle cutter if scalloped edge is desired. Place each cookie, cut-side down, over lollipop stick on un-greased cookie sheets; press dough lightly around stick to adhere cookie to stick. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheet 1 minute; remove to wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and vanilla in medium bowl. Beat at low speed, adding enough milk for desired frosting consistency, until creamy. Tint frosting with food color, as desired.

Frost cooled cookies. Decorate as desired. Using white decorator gel, draw 3 or 4 horizontal lines across umbrella. To form umbrella ribs, drag toothpick from top center of umbrella down to bottom edge. Let stand until frosting is set.

Pull out bendable portion of straws to resemble umbrella. Trim straight portion to same length as umbrella stick. Slide straw over stick; trim bent end, if necessary.



Recipe Tips:


- If lollipop stick appears to be coming out of base of cookie, spread frosting over stick and let stand until set.

- Crinkle cutters can be found in the cooking utensil section of major department stores or cooking specialty shops. This handy kitchen gadget can be used for making crinkle cut French fries, carrots and many other food garnishes.
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