Fireworks cookies

Preparation

Baking Directions:

Active time 40 min.

Total time 3 hours For the cookies: Sift flour, baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt into a large bowl.

Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

Reduce speed to low.

Add flour mixture, then vanilla.

Refrigerate dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Roll out dough to a scant ¼-inch thickness on a floured surface.

Cut out cookies using a 1 ¾, 2 ¼, 2 ¾ or 3 ½ -inch round cookie cutter, rerolling scraps once.

Transfer to a baking sheet.

Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Bake until edges just start to brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Decorate the cookies: Pipe an outline of white icing around edge of 1 cookie, leaving a ¼ -inch border, then “flood” with more white icing to cover.

Immediately pipe a red or blue dot in the center of cookie.

Then pipe concentric rings of colors around the center dot (using the same color as the dot, or alternating colors).

Immediately drag a toothpick through the colors to create bursts, starting from the center dot and working toward the edge, then alternate dragging inward and outward as you work around the cookie.

(Or drag around the cookie in 1 direction or curve the lines for a pinwheel effect.)

Let dry.

Repeat with remaining cookies and icings.

Make ahead: Cookie dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

Thaw before using.

Storage: Decorated cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Red, white and blue royal icing:Active time 10 min.

Total time 15 min.

Makes about 4 2/3 cups (enough for 7 dozen 1¾-inch cookies, 5 dozen 2¼-inch cookies, thirty 2¾-inch cookies, or thirteen 3½-inch cookies) To apply the icing and make the spectacular bursts, you’ll need three plastic squeeze bottles (nycake.

com) or three pastry bags — one for each color.

Snip the tip of one squeeze bottle to form a small hole (for the white) and the tips of the remaining two to form even smaller holes (for the red and blue).

If using pastry bags, fit one with a small round tip (we used Ateco #2), and the remaining two with very small tips (such as Ateco #0).

Whisk water and meringue powder with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.

Add sugar, and beat until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface for 5 seconds when beater is raised.

(Icing should be the consistency of glue.)

Transfer two-thirds of the white icing to the squeeze bottle with the larger hole or to the pastry bag fitted with the larger tip.

Divide remaining icing in half, and tint one half using red food coloring and the other half using the 2 blue food colorings until desired colors are achieved.

Transfer red and blue icings to the remaining 2 squeeze bottles or the pastry bags fitted with the smaller tips.

Make ahead: Icing can be refrigerated in an airtight container (with a damp paper towel covering the surface) for up to 1 week.