Christmas Cookies: Lollipop Cookies

Crunchy sugar cookies on a stick...imagine them decorating a cake, or wrapped and tucked in your favorite kid's Christmas stocking. (Me -- pick me!)

P.S. Don't use my otherwise-favorite sugar cookie recipe for this, unless you overbake the cookies -- they're too soft to hold up to the pressure.

LOLLIPOP COOKIES

Makes 16 cookies| Hands-On Time: 25m| Total Time: 1hr 30m

Ingredients

• 1 1/4  cups  all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 8  tablespoons  (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1  cup  granulated sugar
• 1  large egg
• 1  teaspoon  pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4  cups  confectioners’ sugar
• food coloring
• mini jelly beans, colored sprinkles, or metallic dragees, for decorating
• special equipment: 14 6- to 8-inch lollipop or ice-pop sticks (found in large craft stores -- wooden skewers may be substituted, but you might need more than one per cookie)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the flour mixture just until combined (do not overmix).
3. Drop mounds of the dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 4 inches apart. Insert one end of a lollipop stick into each and flatten the dough slightly with your fingers. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 to 2 drops food coloring. Drizzle the cookies with the icing and sprinkle with the candies and sprinkles. Let dry for at least 30 minutes.
5. Storage suggestion: Keep at room temperature, between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. (Alternatively, wrap in a nonsealing plastic sandwich bag or cellophane bag and close with a twist tie or a ribbon.)

Real Simple magazine, the passer-on of this recipe, has a raftful of easy Christmas cookies -- look here for the slideshow and recipes.