Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and the alcohol-free vanilla extract, beating until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
Step 2: Bake the Cookies Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 12 even balls and place them on the prepared sheet, flattening them slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden, then remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 3: Create the Snowman Puddle Melt your white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spoon a dollop of the melted chocolate or white icing onto the center of each cooled cookie. Use the back of the spoon to spread the icing toward the edges in an irregular, wavy shape to mimic the look of a melting puddle of snow.
Step 4: Attach the Snowman Head While the white icing is still wet, place one large marshmallow near the edge of the “puddle” on each cookie. Press it down gently so it stays in place. This serves as the head of your melting snowman. If the icing has already set, you can use a tiny dot of extra melted chocolate to act as glue.
Step 5: Decorate the Faces and Arms Use the orange decorating gel to draw a small triangle on each marshmallow for a carrot nose. Use the black decorating gel to add dots for the eyes and a coal mouth on the marshmallow. Finally, draw two stick arms and three buttons on the “melted” body on top of the cookie base to finish the look.
