MIS-EN-PLACE FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• Weigh and measure butter and sugar into a mixing bowl of either a stand or handheld mixer.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the vanilla.
• Measure and combine the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment.
• Gather the rolling pin , a small offset spatula , and (1) 3½ inch round cutter, (1) 2 inch round cutter . , (#9) round piping tip
• Lay a sheet of plastic wrap or a sheet of parchment on the counter top.

MISE EN PLACE THE PIPING GEL AND SPRINKLES

• In a small bowl add the piping gel and red food colouring. Stir well. The exact shade of red is less important, only that the gel shows red through the sprinkles.
• Fill a small pastry bag with red gel fitted with a #1 or #2 piping tip, and stand in a drinking glass.
• Pour the sprinkles in a wide mouth bowl.

ASSEMBLE THE COOKIE DOUGH

• Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Click here to read The Finer Cookie’s article on how to cream butter and sugar.
• Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated and very smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

• Gather the dough and divide in half and wrap one half in plastic and refrigerate.

ROLLING THE COOKIE DOUGH

• Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. The dough will be soft but hardly sticky. Dust with the smallest amount of flour, just to relieve the stickiness if necessary.
• Cut an equal number of cookies with each cutter. If you’re using the pastry tip to cut cookies, use both ends of the pastry tip.

• Place the cut cookies on the prepared tray.

BAKE THE COOKIES

• Bake the cookie in a 350ºF oven for about 7-10 minutes. If you’re baking two trays at a time, watch the top tray carefully and rotate them to avoid browning. Try not to over-bake the cookies because the sombreros won’t be as pretty if they are too brown.

ADDING THE SPRINKLES

• Starting with the largest cookie (will be the brim), pipe the gel around the outside edge.

• Press the wet gel into the sprinkles.

• Set on the rack and pipe a small dab of gel in the centre of the large cookie.
• Take one smaller cookie (will be the hat), and repeat, piping red gel around the edge and dip the wet gel in the sprinkles. If you have a pair of tweezers, this helps handle the tiny cookies.
• Lay the smaller cookie over the dab of gel and let set.

NOTE: Mexican sombreros have very large brims, so choose two different sized cookies that make the prettiest hat. Work out the proportions that look the best to you.