Gold Medal Cookies for the Olympian!

I have an Olympian in my family.  Not everybody can say something like that.

This past weekend my step-brother, G, competed in three events at his local Special Olympics.  He came prepared – he had been practicing in school and outside of school for weeks.  His hard work payed off.  G was crowned an Olympian and was able to nab a few gold and bronze medals along the way!

In the past, I’ve sent G cookies in the mail.  He always receives them with such excitement and enthusiasm, that I find any excuse to mail out a batch when I have the time.  So given the accomplishment of our family’s first Gold Medal Olympian, I decided to try out a new technique, decorating with royal icing, along with a new cookie recipe, chocolate roll out cookies.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies (adapted from here, originally of Smitten Kitchen)

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup lightly salted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
Whisk  flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside.  In bowl of your mixer, add butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.  When ready to roll out, preheat oven to 350*.

Roll out cookie dough on floured surface to 1/8″ thickness. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Royal Icing (for icing tips, see Annie’s Eats)

1 large egg white
1/2 pound powdered sugar
water droplets to change consistency as needed
food dye

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and egg white. Mixing on low speed, about 7 minutes. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add water and food dye.

Using royal icing at the thickest consistency (before any water is added), pipe a border along the edges of your cookie.  Thin remaining portions of royal icing with dye and drops of water until runny.  Flood insides of cookies.  Allow to dry 30 minutes before piping on top of flooded centers.