Football Cookies

Total Time Prep: 35 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min. + cooling
Yield 20 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
These football cookies are the ultimate game day dessert. Thick sugar cookies are baked just until set and then decorated with royal icing to look like a football—they're sweet, delicious and perfectly on-theme.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • FROSTING:
  • 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/4 cup whole milk, plus more if needed
  • 2 teaspoons meringue powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Brown food coloring

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Shape into a disk; wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a football-shaped cookie cutter. Place cutouts 1 in. apart on a parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
  3. For icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk, meringue powder and vanilla extract; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form; add additional milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Transfer 1/4 of the icing to a separate bowl. Tint the larger amount of icing with brown food coloring. Pipe or spread brown icing on cooled cookies. Place white icing in a piping bag fitted with a narrow tip. Pipe lines on cookies to resemble a football. Let icing dry.

Nutrition Facts

1 frosted cookie: 293 calories, 10g fat (6g saturated fat), 43mg cholesterol, 150mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

These football cookies would make a delicious and on-theme dessert at a get-together to watch the big game. They'd also serve as a special treat after kids' football games. —Sue Draheim, Waterford, Wisconsin
Recipe Creator

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