Life's a Beach Cookies

• 1 package(s) (18-oz.) sugar-cookie dough
• 2/3 cup(s) flour
• 3 large egg whites, may substitute powdered egg whites, like Just Whites, or pasteurized liquid egg whites; follow package directions
• .5 teaspoon(s) cream of tartar
• 1 pound(s) confectioners' sugar
• (assorted food colorings) we used McCormick food colorings in regular and neon shades to give our icings their bright hue
• Red Hots, candy corn and other favorite candies, as well as pretzel sticks, for decorating, optional

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Remove sugar-cookie dough from package and place on clean counter. Using your hands, knead in 2/3 cup flour until incorporated. On lightly floured counter, roll out dough to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out various shapes. Combine dough scraps, reroll dough and cut more cookies.
2. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Let cool on cookie sheets on wire rack for 5 minutes. Using wide spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
3. In large bowl, make icing by beating egg whites and cream of tartar with electric mixer until frothy. Add confectioners’ sugar, and beat until very thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Divide icing into as many portions as needed to make desired colors. Place icing portions in separate heavy-duty zip-top freezer bags. Add food coloring to each and knead in coloring until evenly ­distributed. (Wrap any unused icing tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.) Add ­water if needed to make icing spreadable.
4. Use scissors to snip off a small corner of each icing bag and pipe icing onto cooled cookies as desired. Lightly press candy decorations onto cookies before icing hardens.

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