Celebrating Africa and a Baby!

Africa has a special place in my heart, so naturally I was excited when asked to contribute to a church baby shower by bringing Africa-shaped cookies. Didi and James will welcome baby Moses in just a few weeks, and sometime next year they'll be sent out from our church to be full-time missionaries in Tanzania. The cookies were a huge hit, and we're continually praying God's blessings over their growing family and ministry.

I actually looked into purchasing the cookies from one of my favorite local bakeries, but figured I'd save a little money by making them myself. So glad that I did -- this sugar cookie and royal icing recipe will be one I use for years to come!

"The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies" recipe {via allrecipes.com}
Glossy Royal Icing recipe {via allrecipes.com}
Africa cookie cutter {via Sole Hope or OneStarfishAtATime}

NOTES:

• I made these on the Friday afternoon before the baby shower the next day, so I didn't have time to chill the dough as the recipe suggests. Turned out just fine! 
• Allow your cookies to cool completely before icing, several hours if possible. Mine definitely weren't warm when I iced them, but had they had a few more hours to harden up, two or three broken cookies would have been spared being moved for decorating!
• The royal icing tastes great and was very simple to make. Other royal icing recipes I've seen use egg whites or meringue powder, but this one just calls for water, corn syrup, almond extract and powdered sugar.