Butterfly Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie

• 1.5 cups granulated sugar
• 220 g (1 cup) + 5 tbsp salted butter, room temperature
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 4 cups premium flour + extra for work
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp. whole milk
• Special equipment: butterfly cookie cutters measuring 5cm and 7cm.

Glaze

• 0.9 kg powdered sugar, sifted + more as needed
• 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk + more as needed
• 2 large pasteurized egg whites
• Red and orange food coloring, as needed

Preparation:

1. CookieIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar, butter, and orange zest. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and eggs and beat until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
3. With the mixer speed reduced to low, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk; knead the dough.
4. Divide the dough in half and form each portion into a disk. Place each disk in a separate zip-lock bag. Refrigerate the dough to chill, about 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 175°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out both pieces of dough to a thickness of approximately 0.5 cm.
6. Using butterfly cookie cutters (5 cm and 7 cm), cut out as many shapes as possible from the dough. Use the small cutter on one sheet of dough, and the large cutter on the other. Be sure to coat the cutters in flour about every two cookies to prevent the dough from sticking.
7. Place the shapes on the prepared baking sheets and bake until just set but not browned, about 7 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Repeat with the remaining dough shapes.
8. GlazeIn the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the powdered sugar, milk, and egg whites and beat on medium speed until thick and glossy. Add more powdered sugar if the icing seems too runny, or add more milk if it's too thick. You may need to tweak it a bit until you get the right consistency. The icing should be thin enough to coat the cookies in an even layer, but not runny.
9. DecorationDivide the icing into 3-4 small bowls. Add 2-3 drops of red and orange food coloring to each bowl, splattering them over the surface of the icing. Run a toothpick through the drops several times to create swirls.
10. Dip the tops of each cookie in glaze and let any excess drip into a bowl. Transfer the glazed cookies to a wire rack and let them dry completely. When the colors in the first bowl of glaze become too mixed, move on to the next bowl, and so on, until all the cookies have been marbled. Let the glaze dry completely, about 1 hour.