Pen Pal Letter Cookies Recipe

———————EDIBLE DECORATOR PAINT
1 Egg yolk
1/2 ts Water
Assorted colors of paste
Food coloring
sm — soft paintbrush
Powdered sugar icing

Preheat oven at 350. In a mixing bowl, combine margarine and sugar.
Add 1 tablespoon water and almond extract; mix well. Stir in flour
until well combined. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours. On a floured
surface, roll dough to a 1/4″ thickness. Using envelope as a
pattern, cut shapes in dough with a sharp knife. Reroll dough
scraps. Cut out 1″ squares of dough to resemble stamps. Transfer
letters and stamps to unprepared baking sheet with a spatula. Using
a paintbrush, paint, addresses, postmarks, and stamps with Edible
Decorator Paint. Allow each color of paint to dry thoroughly before
painting with additional colors. Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes,
removing stamps if they start to brown. Cool slightly and remove from
baking sheet. Cook completely. Prepare powdered sugar icing and
attach stamps to letters. To make Edible Decorator Paint, mix egg
yolk with 1/2 teaspoon water. Divide mixture into several small
cups. Add paste food coloring as desired. If needed, add additional
water, 1 drop at a time, to make paint the consistency of ink. Use
thin coats of the paint. Allow each color to dry before proceeding
with next color. In recipes using opaque or pastel paint, add white,
paste or liquid, food coloring. This improves opaqueness and removes
much of the yellow color of the egg yolk. Food painted with paint
should be returned to the oven for a few minutes to set the paint and
cook the egg yolk.