I have made these for years and years, creating funny little names for them and they have always been a hit. These are made with my standard sugar cookie recipe and royal icing. Edible markers are used for the writing.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE COOKIES:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup white corn syrup
pinch of salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3¼ cups flour
TO DECORATE:
White royal icing
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
5-6 Tbsp. water, plus more to thin
Edible color markers
INSTRUCTIONS
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars together until creamy. Add eggs and mix well.
Add vanilla and syrup and continue to beat on medium speed.
Whisk together dry ingredients and slowly add to the wet ingredients. Mix well until all is incorporated.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours (best if overnight).
Flour a clean working surface and roll the cookie dough so it’s about ¼ of an inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out tombstone shapes. If you do not have a tombstone cookie cutter, use a circular one and then cut 3 sides to achieve the same look.
On a parchment paper or baking mat lined cookie sheet, bake at 325 degrees F for 8-10 min and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
For the icing:
Add the ingredients to a standup mixer with a paddle attachment and mix for 5-7 min. until soft and glossy, if too thick add more water. Add additional water to thin to a toothpaste consistency. Take out about ½ cup for piping the outside, depending on the size and shape of cookies you may want more. Thin the rest of the icing sugar to a corn syrup consistency, continuing to beat. Place in piping bags with plain tips. Cover any remaining icing with a damp towel.
Outline cookies with the thicker frosting and flood with the thinner, use a toothpick to guide the icing right up to the border or use the tip of the icing bag itself to come in closer and finish off any tiny areas with a toothpick.
