Ingredients
2¼cupsall-purpose flour,(280g), spoon & leveled
½tspbaking powder
¼tspsalt
¾cupunsalted butter,1½ sticks (180g), softened to room temperature
¾cupgranulated sugar,150g
1large egg,at room temperature
2tsppure vanilla extract
½tspalmond extract,optional
4cupsconfectioners’ sugar,(480g), sifted
3tbspmeringue powder
10tbspwater,room temperature
black, orange, and red food coloring
Preparation
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper.
Stack the pieces, with parchment paper between the two, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 to 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a snowman cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd dough piece.
Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Rotate the sheets halfway through the baking time.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat all of the icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
Place food coloring in 3 separate small bowls. Spoon 1/4 cup of icing into each bowl. The rest of the icing will remain white. Stir red food coloring into 1 bowl until you reach your desired shade.
Stir black food coloring into another bowl until you reach your desired shade.
Stir orange food coloring into the last bowl until you reach your desired shade. Spoon icings into piping bags.
Using round icing tip #5 or round icing tip #4, outline and flood the snowmen with white. Allow setting. Using this same piping tip, pipe the scarf with red icing on top of the white icing.
Using round icing tip #1, pipe the hat, eyes, and buttons with black icing. Using this same piping tip, pipe the nose with orange icing. Icing will completely set in about 2 hours at room temperature.
Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve.
