PASTEL COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours or until dough is easy to handle., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. butterfly or flower cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool., For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and meringue powder; stir in water until smooth. Divide among small bowls; tint pastel colors. Spread over cookies; let stand until set.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place toasted almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Add flour, salt, and cinnamon, and process until nuts are finely ground, about 1 minute.
• In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add almond mixture and beat until just incorporated.
• Using a 1 1/2-inch (1-tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
• For each desired color, place 1/2 cup fruit with 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a food processor; process until smooth and evenly tinted. (Sugars can be stored in airtight containers up to 1 month.) Place tinted sugars in small bowls and dip cookies, domed-side down, into tinted sugars to coat. Transfer to a plate and let rest, about 30 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)