Sugar-Cookie Easter Bunny House - flour

Method

• Special equipment: parchment paper, ruler, scissors, rolling pin, pizza cutter, cookie cutters, disposable pastry bags, small and medium decorating tips
• For the dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Mix the eggs and vanilla with a fork in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until the butter has picked up the sugars, about 30 seconds.
• (If using a hand mixer, beat about 2 minutes.)
• Increase the speed to medium, and beat until slightly creamy, about 1 minute (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer), stopping halfway through to scrape the bowl.
• Reduce the speed to low, slowly add in the egg mixture and beat until combined.
• Add the flour mixture a heaping cup at a time, in 3 additions, stopping a few times to scrape the bowl and beaters (if using a hand mixer, increase the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning).
• Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed to medium (higher with a hand mixer), and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 2 minutes (about 5 minutes with a hand mixer).
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together.
• Divide the dough into 3 even pieces, each about 13 ounces.
• Shape each piece into a 6-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• While the dough chills, cut templates for the house from paper:
• 1 base, 8 by 8 inches
• 1 roof, 5 3/4 by 6 1/2 inches
• 2 slanted side walls, both 5 inches wide, one 4 inches high on the left and
• 3 inches high on the right, the other 3 inches high on the left and 4 inches high on the right, with optional windows cut out
• 1 front wall, 5 inches wide by 4 inches high, with a door cut out
• 1 back wall, 5 by 3 inches
• To roll, cut and bake the cookies and house: Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (have extra parchment on hand).
• Take 2 of the dough pieces out of the refrigerator, and let them soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes.
• Dust a piece of parchment with flour.
• Dust one square of dough with flour, and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick (no thicker) and 9 to 10 inches square.
• Lift the dough occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment.
• Cut out cookies with cutters; transfer to a prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
• Freeze while you cut the rest of the dough.
• Reserve the scraps for the house pieces.
• Take the last piece of dough from the refrigerator to soften.
• Dust the parchment and the second piece of dough with flour.
• Roll the dough about 1/4-inch thick and 9 to 10 inches square.
• Lay the base template on top, and use a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife to cut out the base.
• Peel off the scraps from the sides and reserve.
• Pick up the parchment with the base on it, put it on an unlined baking sheet and freeze while you finish cutting the other house pieces.
• Dust a third piece of parchment and the third piece of softened dough with flour.
• Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick and 11 by 7 inches.
• Put the roof and the front wall templates on top, and use the pizza cutter to cut the pieces.
• Transfer the pieces to the last prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
• Cut out a door from the front wall.
• Combine the scrap pieces with the reserved scraps, and gently knead together on the parchment; flour, roll to 1/4 inch thick and about 8 by 9 inches and cut out the remaining walls.
• Transfer the pieces to the baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between them.
• Cut out windows from the walls.
• Freeze for 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake the house pieces until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes.
• Rotate the pans front to back and bottom to top halfway through the baking time.
• Let cool completely on the baking sheets on a cooling rack, about 30 minutes.
• While the house pieces cool, dust the cookies with sanding sugar if using, and bake until very light golden brown, about 16 minutes.
• Let cool 15 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack to completely, about 30 minutes.
• To assemble the house: Put 1/3 cup royal icing in a pastry bag fitted with the larger pastry tip.
• Place the roof browned-side up on a work surface with one of the short sides facing you.
• Pipe a thick 5-inch line of frosting along the short side 1 inch in from the edge.
• Let the icing harden while you build the rest of the house.
• (This will prevent the roof of the house from sliding off.)
• Put the base on a large platter or board on which it will be displayed.
• Next, assemble the house using the royal icing as glue and making sure to turn the walls lighter-sides out: Hold up one of the side walls and pipe a line of icing along the bottom and up both sides.
• Set it down while you hold up the back wall and pipe a line of icing along its bottom edge.
• Stick these two pieces together on the base with the icing, pressing them gently together so they adhere.
• Hold the pieces for a few seconds, until they can stand on their own.
• Repeat with the other side wall and the front wall, pressing all four walls together.
• Reserve the royal icing in the pastry bag.
• Whisk water about 1 teaspoon at a time into the rest of the icing to thin it slightly to the consistency of molasses.
• Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with the smaller pastry tip.
• To decorate the house: Decorate the walls as desired: Use the thin icing for piping lines and decorations and for decorating the cookies.
• Use the thick icing to glue heavy pieces of candy to the sides and roof of the house.
• To make a grassy yard, spread a thin layer of icing with a butter knife around the base of the house.
• Press some of the coconut grass into the icing.
• Put some coconut grass inside the house (you don't need to ice inside).
• Decorate the yard as desired.
• Fill the house with candy and cookies (make sure the icing has set).
• Set the roof on top, lighter-side up (don't attach it), and decorate as desired.
• Combine 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and the meringue powder with a fork in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• (Alternatively, use a hand mixer and medium bowl.)
• Add 3 tablespoons of water, and mix on low speed until smooth and thick, with a consistency like caulk.
• (If using a hand mixer, beat about 3 minutes.)
• If the icing seems a bit loose, mix in a tablespoon of confectioners' sugar at a time until thickened.
• Transfer to a clean bowl, and lay a damp piece of paper towel on top.
• Cover tightly until ready to use.
• Toss half the coconut and 3 drops food coloring with a fork in a medium bowl until the coconut is uniformly green.
• Add the remaining coconut, and toss gently to combine.
• Cover tightly and set aside.