Spice Bee Cookies

Total Time: 16 mins Cook Time: 16 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• superfine sugar, for sprinkling
• 7 1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 -6 tablespoons water
• lemon-yellow gel-paste food coloring

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325°f
• 2 whisk together flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
• 3 with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup- and vanilla until smooth. beat in egg. reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, amd beat until just combined. turn out dough and shape in a disk. wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until cold but not hard, about 30 minutes.
• 4 divide dough in half. roll each hafl between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness, chill in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes. using 3-inch bee cutter, cut out shapes, gather scraps together; reroll and cup out. space 1-inch apart on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake cookies until firm and pale golden 16-18 minutes. let cool.
• 5 yellow royal icing: with an electric mixer on low speed, beat meringue powder, sugar and 3 tablespoons water until smooth, about 1 minute. add more water, 1 tablespon at a time until the mixture is the consistency of honey. add food coloring until desired color is reached. transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip (such as ateco#2). use immediately.
• 6 brush water on wings of bees, and immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, shaking off excess. decorate bodies with royal icing, and immediately sprinkle with sanding sugar, shaking off excess. let cookies set at least 2 hours.
• 7 cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.