German Carnival Clown Pastries with Icing
Ingredients
Dough
- 120 g softened butter
- 80 g sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- a pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 ml milk
Decoration
- 150 g powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- colored icing, for decorating
- sugar eyes (optional)
- chocolate caramel drops (optional)
- colorful chocolate lentils (optional)
- colorful puffed rice (optional)
- chocolate writing (optional)
Preparation
Beat softened butter, sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt with a hand mixer on high speed until foamy
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition
Mix flour and baking powder, then alternately stir into the butter mixture with the milk
Preheat oven to 180°C conventional (160°C fan)
Line baking sheets with parchment paper
Form dough into 1-tablespoon portions, shaping as round mounds on the prepared sheet, leaving space between; alternatively, pipe the dough using a piping bag or freezer bag with a corner cut off
Bake for about 13 minutes until lightly golden brown at the edges
Let cool completely
Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with lemon juice to form a thick glaze
Add more powdered sugar if the glaze is too runny
Spread 1-2 teaspoons of the glaze on the flat side of each cooled pastry to the edges
Decorate as desired with colored icing and candies to form clown faces
Let the glaze set completely
Tips
Store airtight for up to 3 days
