Cupcake Pinata Cookies

Ann Reardon's Video

Ingredients

• My Sugar Cookie Recipe
• 130g (4.59 ounces) butter
• 175g (6.17 ounces) or 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 cups or 323g (11.39 ounces) plain or all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Sugar Cookie Frosting Recipe
• 1kg (1.2lbs) sifted icing sugar
• 100g (3.52 ounces) powdered egg white or 124g (4.38 ounces) pavlova magic mix
• 100ml water
• plus an additional 4-7 tablespoons water to get the correct consistency
• To Decorate
• Nerds or mini M&M's for filling
• pink and blue food colouring

Method

1. Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the scraper paddle. Mix on low speed for 1 minute until it’s just combined. Do not use high speed.
2. Add egg and mix again on low speed until just combined.   Add the flour and the spices; mix on low speed for about 2 minutes.
3. Place half of the mixture onto a sheet of baking paper and flatten it down. Place a second sheet of baking paper on top and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough. (See Ann’s extra tips in the video for this step).
4. Slide the dough onto a tray and refrigerate for a few hours to chill. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Use cookie cutters to cut biscuits. Place onto baking trays and bake in a preheated oven (180°C/ 355°F) for 10 minutes. Turn once for even browning.  Do not overcook. Allow cookies to cool before icing.
6. To make icing, combine sugar, egg white mixture and the 100ml water and mix on low speed to combine. Add 2 extra tablespoons water and mix on high speed for a few minutes.
7. Divide icing into three bowls and colour two with food colouring.  Spoon icing into a zip-lock plastic bag and cut a very small hole at one end.  Decorate cookies as directed by Ann in her video.

Cupcake Cookie Cutters (In Australia) http://goo.gl/L0oeqB