The sugar skull cookies are homemade sugar cookies baked to celebrate the Day of the Dead. These are tasty decorative edible cookies with colorful motifs.
2cupsall-purpose unbleached flour (sifted)used King Arthur flour
1/2teaspoon baking powder
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupunsalted buttersoftened and cubed (1 stick of butter)
1eggat room temperature
3/4 cupcaster sugar
1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1teaspoonalmond extract
1cupcolorful sugar motifsflowers, sugars, etc
1tubecolorful decorating gel
1tubeblack decorating icing
Royal icing
1/2cuproyal icing mix
1cupconfectioners sugarsifted
2teaspoons watercould require more, add water one teaspoon at a time
1/4teaspoonanise extractoptional
Instructions
Cream the butter using the hand mixer and add the sugar, the almond and vanilla extracts, and the egg. Mix again until getting a uniform consistency. Add the sifted flour and combine using your hands. The dough will be ready when has a playdough consistency.
Place the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for a few minutes and take out. Add some flour and roll using the rolling pin. Do not work the dough too much, needs to be as cold as possible before cutting.
Use a skull cookie cutter and cut the forms. Place the cookies on a baking sheet previously covered with waxed paper. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Do not overcook. Take the cookies out of the oven and place them in a rack for cooling.
Prepare the royal icing combining all the ingredients on the list. Just be careful with the amount of water. The royal icing needs to be runny but not watery, so add the water slowly.
Begin covering the cookies with the withe icing and let them dry. When the royal icing has set start decorating first with the black icing, and then with the colored gel. Use colored sugar and sugar flower motifs for decorating.