4th of July pop star cookie pops

Jun 29, 2012 2:00 PM by Meaghan Mountford

Posted in Food & Recipes / Dessert Recipes / Baking

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

NOTE: You will only need to make the dough at this stage. You will bake the cookies later in the process.

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the flour and salt with a whisk and set aside. With a hand-held mixer or in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the flat beater, cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and blend well. Add the extract and blend. Gradually add the flour mixture until a dough forms. Wrap the dough and chill for two hours. When ready, roll the dough on a surface dusted with flour to one-quarter-inch thickness. Cut out your cookies and place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Yields about 12 sandwich cookies or 24 individual cookies.

Step 2: Make the royal icing

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 cup water
7 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Directions:

Whip the meringue powder and water on high speed for several minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and stiff peaks form. Blend in half of the confectioners' sugar on low speed. Blend in the remaining ingredients. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar to the desired consistency. The icing should be stiff enough to hold its shape, but not so stiff that it's difficult to pipe from a decorating bag. Store at room temperature in a sealed container up to one month.

Step 3: Assemble the cookie pops

Supplies:

free download

Click here to get the printable template.

Sugar cookie dough
Royal icing
Red, blue and white food coloring
2 (1/2-inch) star cookie cutters
1 (1/4-inch) star cookie cutter
Lollipop sticks
Disposable decorating bag
Coupler
Decorating tip, size 5
Rubber band
Pop Rocks candy
Parchment paper

Optional:

* Find the cookie cutters, lollipop sticks, decorating bag, coupler and decorating tip at the craft store. For food coloring, I suggest Americolor Soft Gel Pastes (Red Red, Royal Blue and Bright White used here), available at specialty stores and online.

Assembly step 1: Prepare your dough

Prepare your cookie dough according to the recipe, chill and divide the dough in two. Add a few drops of red food coloring to half of your dough and a few drops of blue food coloring to the other half. Add food coloring Knead the food coloring very well into the dough, adding more drops of coloring as needed for desired color. If the dough becomes soft from kneading, chill for an additional half hour before using.

Assembly step 2: Cut out your stars

Roll the blue dough about one-quarter-inch thick on a surface dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Cut out the larger stars, and then cut a star from the center with the smaller cookie cutter. Place on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Cut out stars Repeat with the red dough, but do not cut out the inner star. Continue with red dough Bake the cookies according to the recipe just until the edges start to brown, and let cool completely.

Assembly step 3: Prepare your icing

Prepare royal icing according to the recipe. Mix in white food coloring to the desired shade. Prepare a decorating bag with the coupler and decorating tip, fill with the white icing, and close the bag tightly with a rubber band. Cover and reserve the remaining icing. prepare your icing

Assembly step 4: Decorate your cookies

Pipe a line of icing on the back of a red star cookie and attach a lollipop stick. add the stick Pipe an outline on the back of the red star cookie. outline the star Pipe back and forth to completely fill the outline on the cookie. Fill in outline Turn a blue star cookie over and pipe an outline on the back. Outline back of blue cookie Gently press the blue star cookie on top of the red cookie. Sprinkle Pop Rocks candy to fill the little star in the center of the blue cookie. Add Pop Rocks Let the cookies dry very well, several hours to overnight.

Assembly step 5: Add flag

If desired, use a color printer to print the free printable on white card stock or other heavyweight paper. Cut out the flags using the gray lines as a guide. Fold each flag in half and snip a wedge from the end. Unfold, coat the entire underside with glue and wrap around the lollipop stick. add flag