Category Archives: Cookies

CUSTOM PORTRAIT COOKIES

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My daughter has an adorable little corgi named Izze.  Only one of her ears popped up, which we all think is hilarious, and with her sassy little attitude, she attracts attention wherever she goes.
For my daughter’s birthday, I surprised her with Izze cookies.  I purchased the 3D-printed cookie cutter from Baker’s Street Cutters (I ordered through Etsy here), who makes cutters of people, animals, Frida Kahlo (?), whatever.  The owner, Ivan, was great to work with, and tweaked the image until it was a good representation of Izze:

You can use any sugar cookie recipe you’d like, but unless it’s specifically a no-chill dough, you need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour in order for the cookie to retain its shape.  For best results, roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper, no more than 1/4″ thick.  Be sure to press down firmly and evenly on the cutter.

The recipe I used was a no-chill one, which I’ve posted below, and I found it easy to work with, although it wasn’t quite sweet enough for my tastes, and is really meant to be iced.  If I weren’t shipping the cookies, I might have dipped the backs in melted chocolate — now that would have been delicious!

I thought the cookies needed a little embellishment, so I used a small paintbrush to paint the eyes and nose with black food coloring.  For the tongue, I mixed some pink luster dust with a few drops of vodka and brushed it on.  These touches really brought the cookies to life.

These cookies were fun to make, and apparently even more fun to receive.

If you’ve got a favorite pet or someone special you want to celebrate, these cookie cutters are a fun way to do so.  Tell Ivan I sent you!  🙂

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NO-CHILL SUGAR COOKIES
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Ingredients
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups flour
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl, and using an electric mixer, beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Beat in baking powder and salt. Mix in flour until thoroughly combined.
  3. Roll dough to ¼" thick between sheets of parchment (about ¼th of dough at a time). Cut out cookies and transfer to baking sheet. Bake until just beginning to lightly brown on bottoms, approximately 11 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Decorate as desired.

 

 

LACE COOKIE CUPS

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I found this beaded tulip at an estate sale:

It was in a room filled with hundreds of beaded flowers.  The flowers were really pretty, especially massed together as they were, but I was drawn to the tulip.

Over the years, my husband has brought me lots of tulips:

They’re one of my favorite flowers — they’re colorful, inexpensive, cheery, and they signal spring.  They are a surefire way to brighten someone’s day.

Yesterday was my 25th wedding anniversary:

Were the world not turned upside down due to Covid-19, I might have expected my husband to surprise me with a huge bunch of tulips.  But no tulips this year.  We had a wonderful trip planned and reservations for dinner at a great restaurant, but that will have to wait until next year.  Instead, we celebrated at home with two bored spring-breakers (my son and his girlfriend).  I broke out the good china, lit candles, and cobbled together a sort-of Italian meal.

Dessert, however, was special.  Inspired by the lovely tulip and the fact that this was a milestone anniversary, I made lace cookie cups, a favorite dessert reserved for special occasions.  It wasn’t the quarter-century celebration I’d looked forward to, but pretty sure I’ll remember it forever.  If you’re looking to try something new during this time of isolation, these cookie cups aren’t hard, and they’re guaranteed to elicit a few appreciative wows (even if they are from at least 6 feet away).

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LACE COOKIE CUPS
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 5-ounces blanched slivered almonds
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, process almonds until coarsely ground. Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.
  3. Cut 6-inch squares out of parchment paper. Place 4 squares on a baking sheet, and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place 1 tablespoon of almond mixture on each square. With wet fingers, flatten each into a 3-inch round. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until just golden, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven and let sit for 45 seconds, or until just firm enough to hold their shape. Place a drinking glass in the center of the cookie and gently form the cookie around the base of the glass to form a cup. Turn glasses upside down, remove parchment, and allow cookie cups to cool completely. Repeat with remaining almond mixture, or freeze for later use.
  4. To serve, drizzle a little caramel sauce on dessert plates. Place a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream in each cookie cup. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce, and top with fresh raspberries or other fruit in season. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve immediately.

A tablespoon of batter on each parchment square

Flattened into 3-inch rounds

Nutty golden brown

Molding into cookie cups

Cookie cups!

Happy 25th Anniversary!