Matchstick Cookies

For the cookies:
1. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on low until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla extract and continue beating on low until well combined. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until the dough looks well incorporated.

3. Divide the dough into 2 portions and wrap them individually with plastic wrap. Flatten the dough into a disc shape and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

4. Remove 1 disc from the refrigerator and place on a lightly-floured surface. Roll the dough out to ¼ inch (1 cm) thickness, adding a little more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking.

5. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

6. Cut the dough into matchsticks around 5cm long and 1/2 cm wide and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving some room in between each matchstick as they spread a little when baking. Re-roll the leftover scraps of dough and cut out as many matchsticks as possible. Repeat with the second disc of dough. Once you have filled a baking sheet, place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to prevent the cookies from spreading too much when they are baked.

7. Bake the cookies for 6-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they can quickly burn. For cookies with a little crunch, try 8-10 minutes. They’re ready when the bottom and edges brown slightly. For cookies that are softer and chewier, check them at around 6-8 minutes and take them out as soon as there is any sign of browning at the bottom edges of the cookies. Leave them on the baking sheet to cool for 5 minutes before removing them onto a flat plate or cooling rack to cool completely.

For the icing:
1. Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add corn syrup and milk and stir until thoroughly combined. Add food coloring until you reach the colour you like. I think I had to use about 1-2 teaspoons of red in mine. Add more milk (1 teaspoon at a time) to loosen up the mixture and stir until you reach the consistency of thick but dip-able icing.

2. When the cookies are completely cooled, take each cookie and dip one end into the icing so they look like matchsticks. Place them on a sheet of parchment or wax paper and allow icing to set. After 15-20 minutes, when the icing is kind of set (you’ll see that some of the icing has spread out, that’s normal), take each cookie and loosen it up from the parchment or wax paper to remove the cookie from the excess icing. Place on a clean sheet of parchment or wax paper and refrigerate to set completely.

Note: 10 cookies/serving.

Recipe idea from I Feel Cook. Cookie recipe adapted from Joy of Baking, and icing recipe adapted from I am Baker.