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Title: Tartan Christmas Tree Cookies
Categories: Irish Holiday Cookie
Yield: 10 Cookies

1/2cButter; unsalted, (1 stick)
1/4cPowdered sugar
1/2tsVanilla extract
1 1/4cAll-purpose flour
1/4tsSalt
9ozWhite chocolate; such as
  . Lindt or Baker's
  Blue, red & green food
  . coloring
2smResealable plastic bags

Tinted white chocolate icing is used to make the festive plaid pattern that decorates these tasty sugar cookies.

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Preheat the oven to 325øF. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until light. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add flour and salt and mix just until combined. Gather dough into a ball; flatten into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Roll out dough on a floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking. Using a 5-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Gather dough and scraps together. Repeat the rolling and cutting dough scraps to make about 10 cookies total. Transfer cookies to 2 heavy large baking sheets, spacing apart. Bake until cookies begin to brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Divide melted chocolate among 3 small bowls. Working quickly so that the chocolate does not harden, mix 8 drops blue food coloring into 1 bowl. Spread blue chocolate evenly over the surface of the cookies. Mix 8 drops green food coloring into the second bowl of melted chocolate. Mix 8 drops of red food coloring into the third bowl of melted chocolate. Spoon the green chocolate into a plastic bag. Cut off 1 bottom corner tip of the bag to allow a small ribbon of chocolate to come out. Repeat the procedure with the red chocolate and another plastic bag.

Using green chocolate pipe 4 diagonal lines from left to right across the cookies spacing evenly. Using the red chocolate pipe 4 diagonal lines from left to right across the cookies alongside the green lines. Repeat the diagonal lines going from right to left. Let the cookies stand until the chocolate sets, about 2 hours.

Can be prepared as much as 3 days ahead. Store cookies between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers at room temperature. ** Bon Appetit -- December 96 **

Scanned and formatted for your use by The WEE Scot -- paul macGregor

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