Butter Cookie Angels

1. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In large bowl, with electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and
shortening until well blended. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

3. With mixer on low speed, add half of flour mixture to butter mixture and
beat just until blended; add remaining flour mixture and beat until soft
dough forms. Shape dough into 3 equal balls; wrap and refrigerate at least
30 minutes.

4. Heat oven to 350’F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Cut 2 pieces of
waxed paper the same size as the baking sheets. Lightly flour waxed paper
and roll out one ball of dough between paper to 1/8 inch thickness. Remove
top piece of waxed paper. Using 6-inch angel-shaped cookie cutter, cut out
as many angels as possible from dough, leaving 1/2 inch between cookies.
Remove all trimmings and press together. Invert waxed paper with angels
onto greased baking sheet and peel off waxed paper. Reroll trimmings
between waxed papers and repeat cutting and inverting angels to fill second
baking sheet. If making cookies for ornaments, pierce a small hole with a
drinking straw about 1/2 inch from top of each cookie.

5. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking
sheets, then remove to wire racks and cool completely before decorating.
Repeat rolling, cutting, and baking with remaining balls of dough and
trimmings.

6. To decorate cookies, prepare Royal Icing. Divide icing between 2 bowls.
Cover one bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Using just a few drops yellow
food coloring, tint the other bowl of icing very pale yellow.

7. With pastry brush, paint the front of each cookie with a thin coating of
tinted icing, being sure not to cover up pierced hole; let dry and paint
again. When icing has dried, brush cookies with gold dust, if desired. Pipe
decorative designs on front of cookies using reserved white icing and
pastry bag fitted with a small (#1) writing tip. If using small gold
dragees, carefully place onto cookies before icing dries. If making cookies
well in advance, store in airtight container and freeze.

Royal Icing: In large bowl, with electric mixer on low speed, beat 2 1-lb
packages confectioners’ sugar, 6 large egg whites (if cookies are going to
be eaten, use meringue powder instead of egg whites and follow package
instructions for Royal Icing; see Note), and 1 t cream of tartar until
mixed. Increase speed to high, beat until very thick and fluffy-about 6
minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent dry- ing until ready to
use. Makes 4 C.