INGREDIENTS
- Cooking Time: 10 min./batch + cooling
- Servings: 36 servings
- Preparation Time: 1.5 hours + chilling
- 1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- FROSTING:
- 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 4 teaspoons meringue powder
- Orange, black and red and/or green paste food coloring
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in sour cream. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into three balls; cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.
- Remove one portion of dough from the refrigerator at a time. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. penguin cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
- For frosting, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4 minutes or until soft peaks form. Cover frosting with damp paper towels or plastic wrap between uses.
- Set aside half of frosting. Tint half of the remaining frosting black. Divide remaining frosting in half; tint one orange and the other red and/or green.
- Working quickly with the black frosting, pipe outlines of the penguins' bodies; fill in with thinned black frosting. Let dry at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Fill in centers of penguins with thinned white frosting; let dry until firm.
- Add eyes with the black and white frostings, orange noses and feet and red and/or green scarves. Let stand until set. Add white polka dots on the scarves. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.
