Want a lovely treat to surprise your family for the holiday season? These snow globe cookies are a perfect, yummy treat. You can make them different colors and designs for more diversity.  Follow these easy steps to archive your festive cookies.

1. For cookies – Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in water and extract until dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a round cookie cutter. Place on baking sheets. Chill for 30 minutes. Bake at 325° until lightly browned, 15-18 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

2. For icing:

1. Mix confectioners’ sugar, water, meringue powder, and cream of tartar in a bowl.
2. Beat until stiff peaks form (4-5 minutes).
3. Divide icing in half.
4. For stiff icing, add more sugar to achieve the desired consistency.
5. For flood-consistency icing: Add water slowly until desired consistency (line disappears in 15 seconds).
6. Optionally, add food coloring.
7. Pipe stiff icing around cookies, and fill with flood icing.
8. Decorate and let stand until set (several hours or overnight).

3. For dome:

   

1. Cover a bowl with two layers of tight plastic wrap.
2. Coat a round cookie cutter with cooking spray and place it on top.
3. Microwave isomalt nibs until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
4. Pour 1 teaspoon of melted isomalt into the cutter on the plastic wrap.
5. Gently press the edges to form a dome above the cutter. Hold until hardened (2-3 minutes).
6. Lift cutter with dome onto parchment paper.
7. Use a spatula to separate the cutter from the dome. Let the dome cool completely.
8. Repeat with fresh plastic wrap and clean tools for each dome.

4. For buttercream: In a large bowl, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth (frosting will be thick). Place buttercream in a piping bag fitted with a small star tip.
5. For assembly: Carefully pour 1-2 teaspoons of nonpareils or sprinkles into an inverted dome; gently place the decorated cookie over the dome. Flip so the cookie is now on the bottom; gently pipe buttercream around the edge of the cookie to secure the dome in place and seal in sprinkles/nonpareils. Repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand until the frosting is set. Store in airtight containers. Cookies are best enjoyed the day they are assembled.