Scrabble Cookies
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
For cookies
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85 g/3ozs butter, softened
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140g/5ozs/3/4 cup white caster superfine sugar
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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180g/6ozs/1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling
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Royal icing mixture (see below)
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Kopykake edible writing pens (from Little Betsy Baker)
For Royal Icing
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1 egg white (30grams/1 oz)
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1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
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150grams sifted icing sugar
DIRECTIONS
Step 1 - Make cookies. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into small rectangles with a ruler and knife-they spread a little so make them small-a scrabble tile is 18mm wide by 20mm tall. Place cookies 1 cm apart on parchment paper. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Step 3 - Make Royal Icing by beating egg white with lemon juice until foamy on low speed increasing to medium speed and add sifted icing sugar. OR I make this in a little food processor which skips the step of sifting the icing sugar. I whizz the icing sugar to get rid of lumps and then add the egg white and lemon juice until I get a dippable consistency. It make a few air holes so I usually make it a few hours ahead of time and let it rest. Always cover your Royal Icing with cling wrap as it dries out easily. Dip the cookies in making sure to allow the drips to fall off completely-you have to be patient. Place aside to set for several hours (or overnight) until completely set. I always find it easier to run a knife or a clean finger along the side of the cookies to catch any inevitable errant drips while it is setting.
Step 4 - Once the icing is set completely hard, using the edible ink pens draw on the letters. Wikipedia has a list of the actual tile values and the number of tiles in each set if you want to be accurate (you know I had to be right? ;) ).