Second Place, Texas
The 2017 Dallas Morning News Central Market Holiday Cookie Contest
Dr Pepper Cherry Christmas Cactus Sugar Cookies
Shalise Quinlan, Garland
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 egg white
2 tablespoons Dr Pepper
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 tablespoons grenadine syrup
5 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
Royal Icing (recipe follows)
Heat oven to 400 F.
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream softened butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg and egg white and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Add Dr Pepper, almond extract and grenadine and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Little by little, mix flour mixture into butter/sugar mixture. The dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. (When you touch it, it should have a little give but not stick to your fingers; do not overmix.) With a spoon, stir in cherries.
Allow dough to rest for a few minutes to become firm. Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Chill rolled dough in freezer for 30 minutes. Cut into shapes. Freeze cut shapes for 30 minutes more to prevent spreading while baking.
Bake 7-8 minutes until golden, rotating the cookie pan halfway through baking. Remove from the oven. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Decorate with Royal Icing and sprinkles.
Makes 4 dozen.
Royal Icing: Stir 3 teaspoons almond extract (or other flavoring) into 3/4 cup warm water. In a mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment at low speed, combine 32 ounces powdered sugar with 5 tablespoons meringue powder; the mixture will be thick and lumpy. Continue adding and mixing in flavored water as needed to reach a honeylike consistency. Turn the mixer to medium speed and whip 3 minutes until icing is light, fluffy and thick enough to form a soft peak. Tint with gel food coloring as desired.
Note: Meringue powder and gel food coloring are available in craft- and cake-decorating supply stores.
PER SERVING: 233 calories, 8 g fat (5 g sat fat), 28 mg cholesterol, 119 mg sodium, 39 g carbohydrates, no fiber, 28 g sugar, 2 g protein