Clementine Spice Sugar Cookies

Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, zest of 3 clementines and spices. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the ingredients until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 min.

• Add egg, yolk, salt and vanilla. Mix to combine.

• After eggs are incorporated, scrape down the bowl and add baking powder and flour, mixing until just combined.

• Flatten dough into a disk and refrigerate for 2 hrs or up to 3 days.

• When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 325F.

• Allow dough to soften slightly on the counter and roll to 1⁄4-in. thickness, then cut out your desired shapes and place on a silicone- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 min, or until the edges just start to turn golden, turning sheet halfway through. Let cool completely before icing.

• Icing: While cookies are cooling, use an electric mixer in a mixing bowl to combine icing sugar, meringue powder and 5 tbsp water. Beat until stiff peaks form, adding drops of gel food dye until desired colour is achieved. Cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use.

• When ready, reserve 1 cup of icing in a separate bowl. Add remaining zest to original mixing bowl. Mix in remaining 3 to 4 tbsp water, one at a time, until you reach a “flooding” consistency (icing should ribbon on surface, then level out smoothly when drizzled). Transfer thicker icing and flooding icing to separate piping bags.

• Pipe a thin line of thicker icing around edge of each cookie, then fill with flooding icing, using a toothpick to spread and smooth if needed. Let dry. Leftover icing will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

• To paint: Mix lustre dust and vodka in a small bowl to a paint-like consistency. (Add dust or vodka as needed.) Paint cookies in various brush strokes and colours, as desired. Allow cookies to dry, 5 to 6 min.