Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• White royal icing
• Gold sparkling sugar
• Mango sour belt candy (optional)

Instructions

In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and salt until creamy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and baking powder and beat until just combined.

Divide the dough in two equal portions (about 420g each).

Wrap the portions in plastic (separately) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Lightly flour your work surface (or use two sheets of parchment paper). Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick.

Cut into stars, using a 2.75-inch star cutter (I used the third biggest one in this set).

*Note: I’m usually able to get 24 stars from one 420g portion of dough

Transfer the stars to a parchment-lined sheet pan (placement doesn’t matter so go ahead and add them all, stacking and separating layers with parchment). Freeze for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 F.

Transfer 12 stars to another parchment-lined sheet pan (arranging in 4 rows of 3). Bake until just barely golden around the edges, about 12 minutes.

As soon as the cookies are done baking, press the same star cutter into each cookie. This will stamp out a perfect star. Let the cookies cool completely on the sheet pan.

Repeat with the remaining dough, using a fresh sheet pan.

Transfer the royal icing to a pastry bag with a small round piping tip (I used Wilton #5).

*Note: This should be a thicker consistency for outlining. You will add a little water later for flooding.

To add tails to your parols, cut a small strip of a mango sour belt candy. Cut each strip in half vertically. Then, cut each strip in half vertically again (but don’t cut all the way through to the top).

Pipe a dot of icing onto the bottom two points of a star and press a tail onto each.

Pipe an outline of a 5-pointed star and press it into the gold sanding sugar. If the empty spaces between the points looks too small, you can use a toothpick to manipulate and adjust the gold outline.

Pipe a dot of icing into the empty spaces and move it around with a toothpick to fill. Let dry completely.

*Note: Don’t forget this consistency should be a little bit thinner, so mix in a little water and add it back to the pastry bag.

Let the icing set completely.