Food for the Fourth

By Staff
TASTY COOKIES Celebrate the American spirit with tasty Stars and Stripes cookies a light, lemony treat that your children will enjoy making and eating. Submited photo
special to The Star
June 25, 2003
Everywhere you turn these days the Stars and Stripes are waving proudly and Independence Day is the perfect time to show your patriotic colors.
Make Stars and Stripes Lemon Cookies to add extra zest to your July Fourth celebration.
Anyone will enjoy baking and decorating these light, lemony cookies with a patriotic look.
The cookie dough is simple to make with the aid of your electric mixer and the right ingredients. Low-protein, soft wheat flour is best to use for tender, crisp cookies like these.
Real butter, fresh-squeezed lemon juice and freshly grated lemon peel combine for a light, summery flavor.
The home economists at White Lily Foods Co. say that this dough is easy to work with, so don't let the idea of rolling out the dough intimidate you. The little bit of extra effort will be well worth it.
If there are children in your family, make the dough ahead of time, then roll it out and cut the star shapes when you have helpers around to join in the fun.
Use the frosting recipe that follows. Don't forget the red, white and blue sprinkles.
Summer is a time for family reunions. Why not get the whole family involved and have a cookie-decorating contest? Make up rules to match your family's personality, then let family members vote for their favorites. Everyone wins when it's time to eat the contest entries.
Stars and Stripes Lemon Cookies
A batch of these star-spangled cookies shows your patriotic colors. Fresh lemon juice and lemon peel give them summer lightness.
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (peel from 1 large lemon)
31⁄4 cups low-protein all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
In a large mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, lemon juice and lemon peel; beat until light and fluffy. Stir to gather flour and baking powder; add to egg mixture, beating on low speed to combine. Spoon dough onto plastic wrap; shape into ball.
Divide in half, making two disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap; chill dough for at least 1 hour. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. On surface dusted with additional flour, roll out one disk to1⁄8-inch thickness (to about 14-inch-diameter circle).
With star-shaped cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until tops are no longer moist. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies, depending on size of cutters. Decorate as desired.
Try using several different sizes for these cookies.
Decorating Icing
9 cups sifted powdered sugar (one 2-lb. bag)
1⁄4 cup dried egg whites)
1⁄2 to2⁄3 cup water
Paste-style food colors (red, white and blue)
In medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar and dried egg whites. Stir in just enough of the water to make a spreadable consistency.
Divide into several small bowls. Add color by dipping wooden pick into food color and then into icing, stirring to combine. Using a pastry brush, brush icing on each cookie to coat top. Spoon remaining icing into small decorating bag. (Or use heavy-duty resealable plastic bag; fill, then cut off tip of one corner.) Pipe icing onto cookies to create desired designs.