Royal Icing

I found this recipe for Royall Icing from Wilton's website and it is what I used for my Valentine's day cookies.  It isn't real sweet tasting and it dries hard and fast.  My cookie recipe made 66 cookies and I halved the recipe and was able to completely ice every one of them.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons warm water

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Directions:
Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
Thinned Royal Icing: To thin for pouring, add 1 teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Use grease-free spoon or spatula to stir slowly. Add 1/2 teaspoon water at a time until you reach proper consistency.

Souper Salad Fettuccine Salad

This is a yummy salad that travels well to potlucks or to your own dinner table!


8 oz. Fettuccine
1/2 C. Mayo
1/2 C. Frozen Corn
1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Fresh Cracked Pepper
Salt to taste (I omit)

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain. Mix pasta and corn in a bowl. Mix together the mayo, cheese, garlic powder, and pepper. Combine the pasta, and sauce, and mix well. Salt to taste (I omit the salt). This is best if refrigerated for a couple of hours before serving.

Sugar Cookies

I tried out this recipe for sugar cookies the other day and it was a hit.  These cookies are not too sweet, even with using royal icing on them.  They are mother-in-law approved!

Ingredients

• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) butter (no substitutions), softened
• 1/2 cup(s) sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract
• 3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and creamy. On low speed, beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking powder, and salt until blended.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is firm enough to roll. (Or place dough in freezer 30 minutes.)
3. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 piece of dough 1/8 inch thick. With floured 3-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; wrap and refrigerate trimmings. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet.
4. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.