These Cookies are Just Peachy {Recipe}

August is National Peach Month. Now, in Minnesota, this really means very little because, well, it's Minnesota. We don't get good peaches here. August, January, never.

However, my Dad lives in South Carolina where, apparently, the peach is king. So, he's hosting a peachy little party, and asked me to send along some peachy cookies for it. I wanted the cookies to look and taste peachy.

What You Need:
For the Cookies:
3 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large or extra large egg (at room temperature)
2 Tbsp. peach schnapps
1/8-1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the Icing:
Vinegar or lemon juice to wipe down equipment
1 lb. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. peach schnapps

Yield: About 3 dozen 2"-3" cookies.
Make the Cookies:

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. Add the egg and peach schnapps. Mix until well-combined.

Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, and mix until dough just comes together. Using the lowest speed helps keep the dough from getting over-mixed.

Lightly knead the dough just until it forms a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of 1/8"-1/4" thick. (Roughly the thickness of a pencil.) Refrigerate for an hour.

Cut out the peach shapes. (I used this peach cutter.)
Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Place in the freezer for 15 minutes, while the oven heats to 350-degrees (F).

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just barely golden on the edges.

Make the Icing:
While the cookies cool, make the icing.
*Note: Be sure everything you use for this icing is grease-free. Grease will make royal icing more difficult to dry. I usually wipe the bowl, beaters, and spatula down with vinegar before I start the recipe to be sure it's really clean. 

In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder.Add the water and schnapps, mix on medium-high for 3-5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

**For more information on working with, changing the consistency of, and coloring royal icing, Click Here.

Decorate the Cookies:

To decorate these cookies, you only need two colors of icing, peach and green.
I outlined both (using a tip #2), then filled in the peaches. Allow that to dry for a while before adding the green icing for the leaves.

It's the little details that make these cookies really awesome. Allow them to dry completely.
I used some red and some yellow color dust to add details. Using a food-safe paintbrush, I brushed yellow in the center and red on the sides. I then added some piping details, again with tip #2. You can see in the photo above how much better this makes the cookies look.
I'm sure that using an airbrush would work, too, but I don't have one of those, and don't plan to buy one.

They're tasty and beautiful!

Click the Links Below to See:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
How to Color Icing
How to Get the Right Icing Consistency

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