Christmas Ornament Cookies

These Christmas ornament cookies are unique and make a great gift!  

Sugar cookie dough- home-made (No Fail Sugar Cookie recipe below) or store-bought mix
White fondant
Fondant and gumpaste star tool
Fondat and gumpaste ball tool
Rolling pin
Cake sparkles and/or edible glitter
Edible glaze spray
Edible markers
Edible pearl dust- various colors (I used red, bronze, silver, white) but there are several colors available
Paint brushes (for food)
Tweezers- only used for food
Small cup (for water)
Water
Paper towel
Parchment paper
Brush for dusting on pearl dust (I use a new blush brush)
Small round cookie cutter -optional
Christmas ornament cookie cutter (or make your own https://www.instructables.com/id/Quick-And-Simple-FlowerClover-Cookie-Cutter-From-/)
Gift box
White tissue paper
Black food coloring
Shortening
Cutting board/working surface for fondant

I love this recipe because the dough holds its shape and won't spread during baking.

No Fail Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 ½  tsp. baking powder
• 1 cups unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar (white granulated)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring
• ¼  tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
2. Chill for 1 to 2 hours
3. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees F (176 C) for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Yield:  about 2 dozen

Roll out your dough  a little thicker than a regular cookie (about 3/8 of an inch) You want to ensure it's thick enough to indent in the centre. Use your ornament cookie cutter to cut out your cookies.

As you can see, I made a cookie cutter to save money based on this awesome instructable: .https://www.instructables.com/id/Quick-And-Simple-FlowerClover-Cookie-Cutter-From-/
 It  was easy - only need a can and a pair of pliers!

 Cut out as many as you need (I made 6 for this particular gift box)

Make a little circular mark in the centre of the the cookie. You can use a cookie cutter or something that size (like the top of a spice bottle)or just wing it.

Indent the cookie with the star tool (as shown). Don't worry if it's not perfect, you will be covering it with fondant and repeating it - this is just so there is some ident in the cookie itself.

Bake the cookie at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

While the cookies are baking,  roll out your fondant to desired  thickness (1/8 of an inch is average)

Cut out the fondant ornament shapes with your ornament cookie cutter.

* The cookie will expand a little while baking, so you may need to go over the cut out with a rolling pin to widen it a bit. Go over once both ways (across and top to bottom)

When the cookies are cool, rub a little water on the back of the fondant (to make it stick to the cookie and place it on top of the cookie.)

Indent the cookies with the ball tool or your thumb. Use the same process (the circle as the guide) and indent the fondant with the star tool.

.

Put a little circle in the middle of the cookie, then color outward and in the creases with an edible marker

Dust with pearl dust

Color a little white fondant with a touch of black food coloring to make grey

Then use your cookie cutter to cut out the hanger, as shown.

Cut and shape and decorate the hanger (by using a fondant tool or knife, as shown) and put a little water on it to paste to the cookie

Take some of the same fondant and roll out into a skinny snake, bend it into a 1/2 circle and let it dry. When it is dry (at least 15 minutes), attach to the cookie with some water

Brush the hanger/hook with silver pearl dust

Dip the paint brush in a little water, then go over the area colored with marker. Sprinkle on some cake sparkles

Put the hanger and hook on with a little water for glue (may have to hold the hook in place for 10 seconds or so to ensure it stays) Then keep it leaning on something the same height, as it dries (as shown).

If you wish, paint a little water around the edge of the cirlce and shake on the edible glitter (OR use tweezers - I find I have more control this way)

Spray the whole thing with edible glaze.You may have to spray it twice to get a good shine.

Put some tissue paper in any kind of gift box (an ornament box is best, if you can find one) and place cookies inside.