How to Make Football Sugar Cookies

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract and egg and mix until combined.
4. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Mix until combined.
5. Gradually mix in the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined.
6. Lightly flour a cutting board and begin to knead the dough until the dough is smooth.
7. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
8. Using the cookie cutter, cut out the shapes and place onto the cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
9. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
10. Using an electric mixer, combine the powder sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla and mix on medium speed.
11. If the royal icing is too runny (soup like texture), add in 1/2 C powder sugar.
12. Continue to mix until you stiff peaks form.
13. Divide the icing between the two bowls.
14. Add several drops of the brown gel coloring into one bowl and mix until combined.
15. Leave the second bowl white.
16. Scoop a little bit of the brown icing into one piping bag and set aside.
17. Scoop a little bit of the white icing into the second piping bag and set aside.
18. Mix in 2 tsp of water into the white and brown icing and mix until combined.
19. Pour the brown icing into a squeeze bottle. Pour the white icing into a squeeze bottle.

Decorating Directions:

1. Using the edible marker, outline where your white lines on the football will go.
2. With the white icing bag, pipe the outline for the white lines.
3. Using the white icing in the squeeze bottle, fill in the white outlines.
4. Use the brown icing and pipe an outline around edge of the football and white lines.
5. Fill in with the thinned brown icing.
6. Allow to completely dry for 4 hours before doing the final detail.
7. Once dried, pipe a brown line across the middle and pipe small dots into the middle lower section of the football.
8. Use the white icing to pipe the white lines on the top of the football.
9. Allow to dry for 30 minutes.
10. Use the brown cake spray and spray around the edges of the cookie to give it an old and dirty look.
11. Allow to dry for 10 minutes before enjoying!