Thanksgiving Cornucopia Cookies
Total: 1 hr 10 min (includes cooling time)
Active: 30 min
Yield: 22 to 24 cookies
Ingredients:
Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1 to 2 teaspoons milk or heavy cream
Decorations:
24 horn-shaped corn snacks, such as Bugles
Mix of semisweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips, and white chocolate chips
Fall-themed sprinkles or confetti sprinkles
Directions:
For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined; set aside. Beat the butter, sugar, and nutmeg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the whole egg plus yolk and vanilla extract; mix until completely incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Using a 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop, drop level scoops of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (about 12 cookies per sheet). Gently roll each scoop of dough into a ball and flatten it into a round about 1/3 inch thick.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until lightly golden brown on the bottom, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Let the oven to come back up to temperature before baking the second sheet of cookies.
For the frosting: Meanwhile, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer). Beat on low speed to mix the ingredients together, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in as much milk as needed if the frosting is too stiff to spread easily.
Spread about 2 teaspoons of frosting on top of each cookie. Top each with a corn snack off-center, with the pointy end facing out; add the chips and sprinkles so they appear to be spilling out of the cornucopia.
Any leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes:
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
Recipe courtesy of Food Network.com
