Magic Wands Cookie: Sugar Cookies (recipe below) Icing: 1 recipe Royal Icing (recipe below) Decoration: pink and/or white sanding sugar, 6- or 8-inch lollipop sticks for magic wands, and ribbon for decoration (1 to 2 feet per wand, depending on whether a knot or bow is tied) Colors: pink liquid gel colors Miscellaneous: half-sheet baking pan, pastry cones, star cookie cutter 1. Bake the cookies and let them cool completely. Prepare the Royal Icing. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth. 2. Prepare the colored icing: approximately 1 cup light pink, 1/2 cup medium pink, 1/2 cup neon pink. 3. To prevent breaking when decorating, hold the cookie, not the lollipop stick. Spread a thin layer of colored icing over the entire cookie. Immediately pour white or pink sanding sugar over the top or dip the cookie into a bowl of sanding sugar, pressing gently to adhere. Shake or dust off any excess sugar. 4. Place 2 tablespoons of each color icing into separate pastry cones. Cut a small hole at the tip of each pastry cone. Pipe dots or lacy borders around the edge of each cookie, write the initials of the birthday fairy, or make a design of your own. Let dry overnight. 5. Tie a bow with long trails around the handle of each wand. Sugar Cookies Yield: approximately 24 to 30 wands Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have all ingredientsat room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, cream: 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter 2⁄3 cup sugar Add and thoroughly incorporate: 1 extra-large egg 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract On a piece of wax paper, sift together: 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. On a lightly floured board, roll the chilled dough out to ¼ inch thick. Slip parchment paper under the rolled dough and transfer it to a half-sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut out shapes (see below). For magic wands: Cut out stars using a star cookie cutter (2 inches to 3 inches across; larger stars need longer handles). Arrange the stars 1 inch apart along the long sides of the cookie sheets. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into the hollow created between two points of the star about 1/2 inch deep. Royal Icing Yeilds approximately 4 cups In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip to stiff peaks: 1/4 cup meringue powder 1/2 cup cold water Add and mix at low speed with a paddle attachment, until combined: 4 cups (1-pound box) confectioners' sugar Continue mixing at high speed for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the icing is stiff. Add and mix on low speed until combined: 1/2 teaspoon strained fresh lemon juice Cover the bowl with a damp cloth while you are working with or coloring batches of icing, or immediately place it in an airtight container or a pastry cone; otherwise, a hard crust will quickly form as it dries. Excerpted from Kids' Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: And Other Treats for Colorful Celebrations by Liv Hansen, Kaye Hansen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
