Umbrella Cookies

It's raining SWEETS!! Keeping with today's theme we decided to whip of a batch of these umbrella cookies. They are as delicious as they are adorable!!

Umbrella Cookies
Source: FamilyFun and Martha Stewart Baking Handbook

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Icing

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups icing sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Food coloring
  

Finishing Touches

• Baking sticks
• Bendable Straws
• Tube of white decorative icing
• Toothpick
  

Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla extract and salt and stir until combined. Add flour in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.

2. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface. Divide into 2 rounded, slightly flattened discs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out circles with a round cookie cutter or by using the mouth of a drinking glass. Using a knife cut each circle in half and then scallop the straight edge.

4. Place cookies on top of baking sticks on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

5. To make frosting mix all ingredients but food coloring together until light and creamy. Separate frosting into 4 small, separate bowls and add 2 drops of food coloring to each. Combine until a smooth even color is achieved.

6. Frost colored icing onto cookies. Pipe 2 lines across umbrella with the white icing tube and drag vertical lines with a toothpick to create a decorative flourish. Add a colorful handle by trimming a bendable straw and sliding it over the baking stick.