Conversation Heart Cereal Cookies

Ingredients:

Cereal Cut-Out Cookies

• 3/4 cup Western Family unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Western Family large egg, room temperature
• 2 tsps Western Family pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups Western Family all-purpose flour, and more for dusting work surface
• 1/2 tsp Western Family baking powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 ½ cup Western Family Fruity Whirls Cereal

Royal Icing

• 3 egg whites
• 3 ¾ cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp Western Family pure vanilla extract
• Assorted food colouring

Directions:

Cereal Cut-Out Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with Western Family parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Add large egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and combine the ingredients on low speed until no more dry spots remain, about 1 minute.
5. Pour 1 ½ cups of cereal into a large ziploc bag. Using rolling pin, crush the cereal into finer pieces. Some larger pieces are okay. Using a rubber spatula, fold into in crushed cereal to cookie dough.
6. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out cookie dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters of choice, stamp out cookies and transfer cut outs to a lined baking sheet. Chill cut outs in freezer for 15 minutes before baking, this will help the cookies retain their shape.
7. Bake cookies for 11 - 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
8. Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add icing sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
2. Divide icing among small bowls, and dye with gel food coloring if desired. Keep any icing that isn’t being immediately used covered with plastic wrap, Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.