These cookies are a fun way to keep the kids busy during the holiday season. My cousin and I were planning a cookie exchange and so I came up with this. Kids love to create edible works of art so if you make these cookies I am sure you will have some happy campers. Wilton sells tools needed to stamp on fondant cakes but I wanted to apply this concept to cookies and let the kids color their cookies before the eat them. I also didn't like the stamps that were available so I went searching in the craft store and found these stamps ,they are for fabric but work great on the cookies and you could even make your own stamp if you want. Then my cousin showed me a video where you can make coloring cookies for kids but that involves piping colored royal icing over the white and basically drawing on the cookie. I love that idea but I know a lot of people like me are more comfortable stamping then drawing. ;)

Versatility of this cookie...
*Use or make the stamp/stamps of your choice like this one from groover
*Lots of different colors to choose from
*Can use royal icing or fondant to cover your cookies
*Great keepsake and/or gift idea
*Make it into an ornament or a fun gift tag
*You could even not stamp the cookies and just let the kids paint or color on the blank cookies

Step 1: You Will Need

*Sugar cookies
*Royal icing or fondant
*Stamps of your choice
*Edible airbrush paint or Wilton dab n color (in the color of your choice)
*Food safe paintbrush
*Edible markers
*More edible airbrush colors (if the kids just want to paint instead)

Step 2: The Recipe I Used

2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

all the ingredients at room temperature.

Over a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on hight speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixter occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour and continue beating until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls. Shape each into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 3/16 to 1/4 inch ( 4.5 to 6mm) thick.

Preheat an oven to 350. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using the cookie cutters, cut out the desired shapes. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip the cutter into flour before cutting out more shapes. Using a small offset spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool completely. Decorate as desired. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes about 8 of each cookie.

Step 3:

Bake your cookies. Let cool. Ice them with royal icing and let dry for 1 -2 days. Make sure that you cookies are big enough for your stamp to fit comfortably.

TIP: Make sure they are completely dry or when you stamp it , the royal icing might collapse. i learned that the hard way. :)

Step 4:

Now simply use a food safe paintbrush to "paint" on your Wilton Dab n color. Carefully stamp your cookie and try to make sure that the whole stamp touches the cookie. If not you may have to use the paintbrush to fill in a few blanks. If your kids color the freshly stamped cookie you might have the colors bleeding into each other so I suggest giving the stamped cookie some time to dry. Overnight would be ideal.

Step 5: Alternate Method

You could also use this technique the same way but use your cookie cutter to cut a piece of fondant and then attach it to the cookie using piping gel. This wont taste as good but it could be fun if the kids wanted to keep their colored cookies or give them as gifts to their family. They will basically last forever this way. If you wanted to make it into a keepsake ornament just put a small hole in the top of the cookie before you bake it and then a hole in the fondant also. Have fun with it. I know my kids did. :)