EGGLESS SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

This Diwali I wanted to make cookies along with my usual batch of traditional sweets (mithai).  In most Hindu households nothing non vegetarian is eaten on the Diwali day, so I decided to make these cookies without any eggs for the guests and the family.  As I wanted to decorate these cookies with the royal icing, I had to stick to no egg royal icing also. 
I must say the end result was very satisfactory as everyone had two or three of these cookies in one go.  I wanted to make these cookies without any white flour so I used multi grain flour instead.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

½  cup sugar, ½  cup butter on a room temperature,  2 tbsp milk,  1 tbsp vanilla extract,  1 cup multi grain flour,  1 ½  tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt,  3 tbsp flour,  2 tbsp sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).  In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and milk, and mix. 

In a separate bowl, combine the one cup of flour with the salt and baking powder.  Now mix the wet and dry ingredients to make a dough.  This dough will be slightly sticky.  Once mixed, add about 3 tablespoons of flour, until the dough becomes smooth.  Now pour two tablespoons of sugar on a flat tray.  

Form the dough into 12 equal-sized balls, and flatten until approximately 1/2 inch thick. Cut your favorite shapes with a cookie cutter and roll one side into the sugar to coat.  Place these on a baking sheet with sugar coated side up.   Bake for eight to ten minutes, until bottom is golden brown.  Let these cookies cool off for 4 to 5 hours and then you can decorate them with royal icing.

Egg-less Royal Icing 

Royal icing is a baker's staple for decorating cookies and cakes, and most recipes call for egg whites or meringue powder. However, with a little variation I decorated these cookies with an egg-free royal icing.

 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar, 4 tsp milk, 1 ½ tsp light corn syrup, ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Measure the sugar and pour it into a clean glass bowl.  Add milk, and stir it until the lumps of sugar are all gone.  Stir in corn syrup; if you want a thinner consistency, add another tsp of syrup.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Now add color as per your choice or the design you want to make. Creativity has no limits.

Once icing on the cookies dries up, you may keep them in an airtight container. Enjoy as a  dessert or with a cup of coffee.