Christmas Candy Cookies

Decorate orange-flavored sugar cookies with M&M candies for a special Christmas treat. I give you directions to make large and small cookies, so use any cutters you own. Brushing the cookies with egg white ensures that your decorations will stick.
Prep: 30 minutes Chill: 2 hours to 24 hours Shape and decorate: 1 hour Bake: 9 minutes Bake at: 350°F Yield: 20 large or 45 small cookies Pan: 2 baking sheets Difficulty: intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (1 orange)
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 large egg, separated, yolk at room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold (see "Tips")
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup (102 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Sanding sugar (garnish)
  • Large cookies - 4 ounces M&M candies (garnish)
  • Small cookies - 8 ounces mini-M&M candies (garnish)
  • Parchment paper

Directions

Making the Cookie Dough

  • Separate the egg and refrigerate the egg white until needed. Bring the egg yolk to room temperature along with the butter.
  • Grate the orange zest, measure the orange juice, and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
  • Use an electric mixer at low speed to whip the shortening for 30 seconds. Add the butter to the shortening and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar with the mixer running and beat for 1 minute more. Add the egg yolk, orange rind and juice, and vanilla to the shortening mixture and beat until almost incorporated.
  • Add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture in 3 parts; beat the first 2 parts at low speed until halfway incorporated and the last part until the flour is just blended.
  • Divide the dough, form into 2 balls, and press each ball flat with your palm. Wrap the dough disks tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

Shaping and Decorating the Cookies

  • Remove 1 dough disk from the refrigerator and let warm to malleable consistency, about 15 minutes.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using large or small cookie cutters of choice, cut out desired shapes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookie cut-outs on the baking sheet and space 1-inch apart.
  • Remove the second dough disk from the refrigerator and let warm while you decorate the first sheet of cookies.
  • Brush the top of each cookie cut-out with the reserved egg white. Dust the tops with sanding sugar. Press M&M candies lightly into the dough in desired pattern. Refrigerate the sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before baking cookies.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F while the first sheet of decorated cookies is chilling.
  • Repeat the process with the second dough disk.

Baking the Cookies

  • Bake each sheet of cookies separately for 9 minutes at 350°F until the cookies are dry on the edges and very light brown on the bottom. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • Store the cookies in an airtight tin for up to 4 days with the cookie layers separated by wax paper. Freeze the cookies for up to 3 weeks.

Tips

  • You can substitute 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter for shortening. The dough will be harder to handle and the cookies will be more fragile.
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