Cuuuuuuute overload! I think these are some of the cutest cookies I’ve made. Much like Valentine conversation hearts, I have a love/hate relationship with Peeps. They are adorable and a staple of Easter, but they also taste like stale cane sugar with a hint of marshmallow. Not my favorite! What’s a girl to do?! Make cookies out of them! I dug out one of my bunny cookie cutters and got to work.
Peep Cookies
Recipe source: Annie’s Eats [1]
Almond Flavored Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups sifted flour
Directions:
Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm. Roll to ¼â€ thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with bunny-shaped cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min. Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool. Yield will depend on size of the cutter you use. I got about 20-24 bunnies.
White Royal Icing
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons meringue powder
5 Tablespoons water
Pink, yellow, purple, blue gel dyes [plus black or chocolate icing for the eyes/nose]
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance (about 7-10 minutes). Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. This will be the stiffest consistency of the icing, and at this point it is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and stir by hand until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping.
I divided the royal icing into 4 batches; dyeing one pink, one yellow, one purple, and one blue. I used Wilton’s gel colorings. After flooding the bunnies, I dipped each cookie into a matching color of sanding sugar. If you are unfamiliar with working with royal icing (outlining, flooding, etc), please read this tutorial [2] from Annie’s Eats.
After the cookies set, pipe small dots of black or chocolate icing onto each cookie for the eyes and nose.