Embellished Wreath Cookies Recipes

HOLLY WREATHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. , Using a cookie press fitted with a star piping tip, shape dough into 2-1/2-in. wreaths 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until set (do not brown), 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks., Decorate with green cherry pieces for leaves and Red Hots for berries. Use red decorating icing to form bows and adhere candy to wreaths.

MEYER-LEMON SHORTBREAD WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter with zest on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Reduce speed to low. Beat in lemon juice and salt, then flour, until combined. Divide dough in half, transfer each to plastic wrap, pat into disks, wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days (or freeze up to 1 month; thaw in refrigerator before using).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with one disk at a time, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Stamp out rounds with a 3-inch cutter, preferably fluted. Transfer to prepared sheets, 1 inch apart. Use a 1- to 1 1/4-inch plain round cutter to stamp out centers of 3-inch rounds. Gather scraps; roll out again, stamping out more wreaths. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Bake, rotating sheets and rack positions halfway through, until set and pale golden on bottoms, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week before decorating.
• Glaze and Decorations: Brush herbs with egg white; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Transfer to wire rack; let stand until stiff and dry, at least 1 hour or, loosely covered, up to 1 day. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. One at a time, dip cookie tops in glaze; lift and tilt slightly for a few seconds, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer to wire rack; decorate with sugared herbs and candies. Let stand until set, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, between sheets of parchment, up to 2 days.

CHRISTMAS WREATH SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, sour cream and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add egg, lime peel, lime juice and vanilla; beat until smooth. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda and salt until dough forms. Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Shape each half into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Place pastry cloth on work surface; sprinkle with flour. With floured cloth-covered rolling pin, roll 1 disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured 3-inch fluted cutter. With 1-inch scalloped or fluted canapé cutter, cut out center of each circle. On ungreased cookie sheet, place wreath cutouts 1 inch apart. Cut each small cutout in half; brush backs of small cutouts with water and place on wreaths for bows. Repeat with second disk of dough.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges start to brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lime juice with wire whisk. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is thin. Working with a few cookies at a time, brush glaze over cookies and immediately decorate with sugars and sprinkles as desired. Let stand until set. Store in layers with waxed paper between.

WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. gradually mix in the flour. Cover dough and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Roll dough into balls a little smaller than walnuts. Dip the balls in egg white, then roll them in the chopped walnuts. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press thumb into middle of each ball to create a divot.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and repress divots, fill the divots with 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Remove cookies to cool on wire racks.

CHRISTMAS CORNFLAKE WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler if one doesn't have a microwave.)
• Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
• Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

EMBELLISHED WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Sugar Cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, orange zest, and brandy until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 3 1/2-inch fluted round. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut out centers of cookies. Reroll scraps once (you should have about 16 cookies). Transfer both wreaths and cookie centers to prepared sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Bake until set and golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
• Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar, egg white, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Glaze should be opaque but not too thick as to run down the edges of the cookie once dipped. If not using immediately, glaze can be stored at room temperature, with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface, up to 2 days, or in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Working with one cookie at a time, dip cookie top-side down in glaze to coat surface, allowing excess glaze to drip back into bowl. If glaze runs down sides of cookie and is too transparent, add more confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If glaze is too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Transfer glazed cookies to a wire rack or baking sheet. Working quickly before glaze sets, decorate cookies with toppings, if desired. Let stand at room temperature until completely dry, at least 2 hours. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.