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We live on a steep (haunted?) hill, therefore trick-or-treaters tend to stay away, but we’re suckers for Halloween. With a small group of friends and fiends coming to our home for a pre-Halloween gathering of chilling cocktails and terrifying treats, it’s easy to get caught up in the spirit and thrust into a web of ghoulish ecstasy…did I mention that I make a great martini? Our pre-Halloween party is a safe place to gather with friends and family to enjoy some refreshments and put on our costumes and makeup for a haunting night out on the town. So while it’s not near as big as our other Holiday parties, we still put out a spread of treats. While I will still be baking cupcakes and freezing brains for the punch, I can’t help but get excited over decorating sugar cookies. I went to Wal-Mart for a demonstration of #SpookySnack featuring Fanta Orange soda, Oreo cookies, Dasani and more. It was a sweet beginning to my shopping trip and in the end I stocked up on my Dasani bottle water and Fanta Orange soda. Which led me to alter my tried-and-true orange sugar cookie recipe.
This is the recipe that I have used for every holiday in the last three years. The fresh citrus is what makes this recipe work so well. I used it again for these Pumpkin Face cookies, still with orange zest but with fizzy Fanta Orange soda. Big deal right? Well this cookie tastes more like an orange creamsicle. If that appeals to your inner child then add this recipe to your arsenal. Plus, the Fanta Orange and Dasani water are the perfect non-alcoholic party drinks. If you’re planning a candy run, take a few of the new smaller sizes. They are perfect for little hands and treat bags.
Fanta Orange Sugar Cookies with Orange Zest
Yield about 3 dozen medium-sized cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange zest, packed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Up to ½ cup Fanta Orange
Procedure for Sugar Cookies:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar.
2. Add egg yolks one at a time and mix to fully incorporate. Add vanilla and orange zest.
3. Sift together all the dry ingredients and slowly add to the mixing bowl.
4. The Fanta Orange soda will then be added a few ounces at a time. Mix until your dough comes together. It shouldn’t be overly sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly spray with a non-stick cooking spray.
6. On a floured surface roll out your dough to 1/8 – 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your cookies with cookie cutter and place on the prepared cookie sheets. Reroll your dough scraps and cut out more cookies. Allow to chill in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes. You want a very slight golden brown color on the bottom. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled before you start decorating.
Ingredients for icing:
4 tablespoons Fanta Orange soda
2 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
Optional: different colored sprinkles and piping gel for decorating
Procedure for icing:
1. Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer on low, slowly add the Fanta Orange to the sugar. Mix and scrape down the sides. The icing should be thick but still fluid.
If you have patience and a slightly steady hand, you can use pastry bags to pipe your cookie designs by portioning the icing into different bowls and mixing in a few drops of food coloring or simply buy premade cookie icing. For piping, make sure your icing is a little thicker by adding a little more powdered sugar. For those of you with less patience, simply dip the top side of the cookies into the mixing bowl of icing. Shake off the excess icing. Place the cookies on a paper plate and pour the sprinkles on top, making sure to use a different plate for each color. Let the excess sprinkles fall back on the plate and reuse the sprinkles. When all the cookies are decorated, simply pour the unused sprinkles back into their container using a funnel. Let the icing dry completely before you package or store the cookies.
For more #SpookySnacks visit Fanta on Facebook or Twitter, and don’t forget to swing by Dasani on Facebook and Twitter too!
Adding Fanta to your sugar cookies is brilliant! I just wish mine would turn out as awesome as yours! #client