MITTEN TINT RECIPES

Steps:

• Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl; set aside.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and sugar in another bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well mixed.
• Divide dough in half; flatten each half into 4-inch disc. Wrap each half in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
• Heat oven to 325°F.
• Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch mitten cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6-8 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Place white chocolate into bowl. Microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, 1-2 minutes or until melted. Cool 10 minutes.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and powdered sugar in bowl. Beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add cooled white chocolate gradually, beating at high speed until creamy. Tint with food color, if desired. Frost and decorate cookies as desired.

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Shape the dough into four 1-inch-thick disks and roll each between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/8-inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a floured mitten cutter, cut out cookies. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. Reroll, chill, and cut the scraps. Bake, rotating the position of the pans halfway through, until the cookies are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the icing. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until stiff glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. (You should have about 3 cups icing) Divide the icing among 4 separate bowls. Tint 3 bowls desired colors. Using 1 teaspoon water at a time, thin each of the bowls to the consistency of marshmallow cream such as Fluff (you will need 2 to 3 teaspoon water total per color). Transfer 1/3 cup of each color icing to a pastry bag fitted with a writing tip. Slightly thin remaining icing in each bowl with 1 teaspoon water. Place the thinned icing in separate resealable plastic bags. (You should now have 4 pastry bags with thick icing, and 4 resealable bags with thinner icing.) To decorate, start with the cuffs of each mitten. Working with one mitten at a time, use the thicker icing to pipe the cuff outline. Squirt some thinner icing of the same color inside the cuff outline and use a small brush to spread the icing within the border. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle it with the sanding sugar; let set. Repeat with the remaining mittens. Working with one mitten at a time, use the same method as with the cuffs, piping borders with the thicker icing and filling it in with the thinner icing. While the icing is still wet, pipe lines or dots onto the mitten using an alternate color thin icing. With a toothpick, pull the icing through or around to create patterns. Let the cookies dry completely, about 1 hour.