You’ll need a specialty candy mold to make the Lego men and bricks that I used to decorate these cookies. I purchased a “Building Brick and Multi-size Figurine Mold”. You’ll also need a new or unused Lego building plate (10x10) to make the green background on which the yellow Lego men figurines are adhered, and green ready-made fondant.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix at this stage, or the cookies may spread while baking.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as needed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. The dough will often clump around the paddle attachment while being mixed. This is normal and a good sign that your dough is the right consistency. If your mixture does not come together and is crumbly, add ice cold water 1 tbsp. at a time until the dough clumps.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and top with a second sheet. Roll dough into an oblong disc between the papers with a rolling pin. Transfer dough - wax paper and all - to a large cookie sheet. Wrap the dough tightly onto the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove top sheet of wax paper and roll dough a little thinner. It should not be sticky. You may dust the surface lightly with flour if it is sticky, but not too much! You don’t want streaks of white flour baked onto your pretty sugar cookies.
Roll dough to slightly thicker than ¼-inch, and less than ½ -inch thickness.
Cut out 3-inch square shapes from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to stretch the cutout shapes or they will be distorted after baking.
Refrigerate the cutouts for 30 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain a crisp shape during baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.
Make the Lego shapes: Place the Lego molds on a large baking sheet. Melt each color of candy discs and place each in a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped (or a zip top bag with the corner snipped). Pipe yellow candy into the Lego men molds, and make sure to get candy into the smallest cavities, especially the hands and feet areas. Fill the molds about halfway full and then rap the pan on the table several times to release air bubbles. Fill molds to the top and refrigerate. Repeat the process with the red candy, piping candy into the small round connector shapes of the blocks first; rap the pan as before and fill to the top. Refrigerate the candy until firm and then push the set pieces out from the bottom of the silicone mold up. Let the pieces come to room temperature before using as a decoration.
Decorate: Knead the green fondant well. It is important that the fondant is not the least bit sticky, so knead in confectioners’ sugar if it sticks to your hands. Flatten the fondant slightly and then place it over the 10x10 Lego building plate. Use a rolling pin to roll the fondant over the surface to a thickness that is a little thicker than 1/4-inch. Flip the plate over and gently peel the fondant away from the plate. Be careful not to stretch the fondant or it will distort the pattern. Use the same cookie cutter you used for the cookies to cut square shapes from the fondant. Use an artists’ brush to coat the backside of the fondant squares with honey or corn syrup. Place the squares on the cookies and press them down gently with your open palm. Brush the backs of the small and medium Lego men figurines and place them in the centers of the cookies. Allow the cookies to stand for about 1 hour, or until the figurines are well set and will not fall off the cookies when you stand them upright.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for longevity.
Notes
Sugar cookie recipe from the Sprinkle Bakes Book.
Keyword black vanilla fondant, butter cookie dough, candy melting wafers