Ingredients
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. (2 stick) butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk
3 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. milk, plus more for thinning
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Brown food coloring
Brown sanding sugar
Preparation
Step 1In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined, then add flour mixture gradually until totally combined.Step 2Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour.Step 3When ready to roll, preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out dough until 1/8” thick. Cut out shapes with a football shape cookie cutter and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Freeze 10 minutes (so your shapes hold while baking!).Step 4Bake cookies until edges are lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Step 5Meanwhile, make icing: In a medium bowl stir together powdered sugar, corn syrup, milk, and vanilla. Measure out 1/2 cup of icing and set aside. Step 6To remaining icing, add food coloring and stir until desired color is reached. Place about 1/3 of brown icing in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip and outline cookies with icing. Step 7To remaining brown icing, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until icing is a good consistency to flood. Add icing to another piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Fill in cookies with thinner icing. Sprinkle cookies with sanding sugar while still wet. Step 8Transfer white icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and pipe laces onto footballs. If cookies are still to wet to pipe laces on you can place cookies in freezer for 15 to minutes to help harden, then pipe laces.
