Ingredients
1
1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
2
tsp pure vanilla extract
3
cups plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Red and blue paste food colorings
Directions
1.
* Cut a 3-by-5-inch template out of lightweight cardboard, or create a template by stacking several index cards together, then wrapping them in plastic wrap, leaving one side smooth; set aside.
2.
* Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper, and set aside.
3.
* Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar for 1 minute.
4.
* Add vanilla, flour, and salt, and mix until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes more.
5.
* On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Place the smooth side of the template onto the dough, and cut out a rectangle using a paring knife; repeat to make a total of 16 rectangles, re-rolling dough as needed.
6.
* Transfer rectangles to prepared baking sheets using a wide spatula. Chill for at least 1 hour.
7.
* Bake cookies until they are just beginning to color and are lightly firm to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes.
8.
* Remove to cooling rack, and let cool completely.
9.
* Divide the royal icing evenly among 4 bowls, and cover each tightly with plastic wrap. Set one bowl aside for outlining the cookies.
10.
* Add red food coloring to one of the bowls, and mix thoroughly, adding more food coloring if necessary to obtain desired color. Add 2 or 3 teaspoons of water to icing so it is loose enough to flow easily off of a spatula when lifted and forms a ribbon that dissolves almost immediately.
11.
* Replace plastic wrap, and cover tightly. Repeat this process with another bowl of icing using blue food coloring.
12.
* To the third bowl of icing, add just the water, and mix thoroughly. Recover all bowls tightly with plastic wrap.
13.
* Transfer the reserved outlining icing to a small pastry bag fitted with a No. 5 tip. Pipe an even line on the outside edges of the cookie.
14.
* Divide the cookie in half with a horizontal line. To form the outline of the canton (the field of stars), pipe a vertical line 1/3 of the way from the left side of the cookie until it meets the first horizontal line.
15.
* To form the stripes, pipe two evenly spaced horizontal lines above the original horizontal line and to the right of the canton. Pipe 3 more evenly spaced horizontal lines from left to right under the canton.
16.
* Repeat this process on the remaining cookies. Reserve the icing in the pastry bag for the stars. Allow the icing to dry for at least 1 hour.
17.
* Place the remaining 3 icings into separate squeeze bottles. Flood the field of stars with enough blue icing to fill the space evenly without overflowing.
18.
* Use the tip of a small knife or a wooden skewer to push the icing completely into the corners. Using the same technique, flood every other stripe with the red icing.
19.
* Allow the icing to dry for at least 2 hours. Flood the remaining stripes with the white icing.
20.
* Change the tip of the pastry bag with the reserved white icing to a No. 16 tip.
21.
* Pipe out as many stars onto the blue icing as will fit. Allow the icing to dry.
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