Iced Sugar Cookies and Tasty Snake

Iced Sugar Cookies

I love this recipe because you can immediately use the dough and it doesn't require any chill time in the fridge beforehand.

Cookie:

  • 10 Tablespoons butter, softened 
  • 1/2 cup sugar 
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, optional 
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
Icing:
  • 1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • Food coloring, optional 
Cookie:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine butter and sugar in medium mixing bowl, mix until smooth. Add flour, spice, and salt; mix until ingredients are well blended. Knead dough by hand to form a smooth dough, it will seem dry at first, but will moisten as it is kneaded.

Rollout dough on lightly flowered surface. Using cookie cutters, cut shapes and transfer to lined baking pan. Gather scraps together and re-roll to cut additional shapes. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly golden brown. Remove from oven; cool cookies on baking pan for two minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling rack; cool completely.

Icing:
To a small bowl of powdered sugar, whisk in water 1/2 tablespoon at a time, along with food coloring of choice, until desired consistency.

Tasty Snake

I made this a few years ago and came across the photo today. This was a big hit with my co-workers and both easy and fun to make. I used the above recipe when I made it for my nephews, but I altered the “guts” for a more adult pallet by mixing together softened cream cheese, fresh herbs, garlic and parmesan cheese…scrumptious! 

  • 2 whole cloves
  • 3 egg yolks
  • liquid food coloring
  • 12 oz grated Monterey Jack
  • 10 oz bologna
  • 10 oz thinly sliced salami
  • 10 oz thinly sliced ham
  • 4 tablespoons spicy mustard
  • for dusting all purpose flour
  • 1 can crescent rolls
  • 2 pimento-stuffed olives
  • 1 jar roasted red pepper strips
  • toothpicks

  • Preheat the oven to 375 °F.

  • Line a cookie sheet with foil. Grease the foil and set aside.

  • Dust a flat surface lightly with flour. Spread out the crescent dough – do not separate. Pinch together the seams so that you have 1 piece of dough. Roll out to make a large rectangle. Make sure the dough is not stuck to the surface at all.

  • Brush the dough with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer the meats down the center of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border on either end. You can feel free to use your favorite cold cuts.

  • Top the meats with the cheese. Fold 1 side of the dough over the filling, lengthwise. Then, fold the other 1/2 over and press the seal the filling inside. Take 1 egg yolk, and beat lightly with a fork. Brush the egg yolk over the top of the dough. The yolk will act as the glue to hold. Fold the dough in 1/2 again lengthwise. Pinch the seam with your fingers to seal. Press the outside of the dough to make sure everything is sealed tight and to make an even thickness for the body of your snake. Taper 1 end of the dough to form a tail shape. Form the other end into a head shape.

  • Beat the 2 remaining egg yolks together. Transfer to 3 separate small bowls. Add some food coloring to each bowl – whatever colors you like! Using a clean paintbrush, paint the snake with the egg yolk/food coloring mixture.

  • Transfer the snake to the foil-lined sheet tray. Form into an s shape so it looks like the snake is slithering. Insert 2 cloves into the head to look like nostrils and 2 stuffed olives for eyes. Create a mouth or tongue with the roasted red peppers. Bake the snake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.

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