Tag Archives: cookie

Royal Icing

2 May

Practice makes…well…better. When it comes to cookie decorating I don’t think I will ever reach perfect but I can try to get better with Royal Icing. Tried a new recipe today and added vodka for a little bit faster drying time.I think it was a success.

5 egg whites* (you can use pasteurized egg whites too)

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract* (you can substitute a different flavor here)

2 pounds powdered sugar

Gel food coloring

Vodka/ water for thinning

  • Mix powdered sugar and cream of tartar on the stir speed with a electric mixer
  • stir in egg whites on low speed
  • add flavoring * I used vanilla
  • add more sugar if needed
  • when you pull your beater

Use water and vodka to thin the icing to correct consistency for decorating as needed

animal parade

animal parade

Mother-In-Law’s Oatmeal Cookies

23 Apr

My mother-in-law makes amazing oatmeal cookies and serves them up warm at breakfast time. This is a recipe she had made for her boys when they were little. I love it because there’s not a lot of flour in them, they are mostly oats.

Mother-In-Law’s Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 butter, softened

1 egg

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

1 cup raisins

  • preheat oven 350 degrees
  • in a small pot boil 1 1/2 cups water, when it comes to a boil turn off the burner and dump in the raisins, let the raisins soak in hot water
  • in a bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set to the side
  • beat egg, butter, sugars until combined
  • mix in flour mixture
  • add oats and mix by hand
  • drain raisins and add to cookie dough, mixing by hand
  • drop spoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheets
  • bake for  approximately 12 minutes
  • cool on racks

Walnuts or chocolate chips also make good additions to this recipe.

Mother-In-Law's Oatmeal Cookies

Mother-In-Law's Oatmeal Cookies

How-to: Make cut-out cookies without a cookie cutter

20 Apr

Here is a really simple solution to cut-out cookies if you don’t have or can’t find the proper cutter. I made these for some Game of Thrones cookies. I wanted to put the different House’s sigils from the books by George R R Martin and show on to banners and shields, similar to what a knight might carry. Of course I didn’t have any cutters to fit what I wanted, I did a quick search for images on Google for shields and free handed the banner.

What you need:

  • Thin cardboard (I used soda box, it was thin and easy to cut)
  • Scissors
  • Marker
  • printed out images* (you can free hand your shape or print an image from your computer)
What you need

Supplies

Super Simple Steps

  1. Print your image and trace or freehand shape onto cardboard
  2. cut your shape from cardboard
  3. roll out your chilled cookie dough onto a floured surface
  4. place cardboard cut-out onto cookie dough and run a sharp knife through the dough
  5. place cookie on parchment covered cookie sheet and bake
trace your shape

Trace your shape

finished stencils

Finished stencils

cut the cookie

Cut your cookie with a sharp knife

finished cookies

Baked Cookies

Helpful Tips

  1. Cold Cookie dough:  You’ll be handling the dough more using this method if it becomes tacky throw it back in the fridge for a little while.
  2. A little extra flour: Use flour liberally since you’ll be holding the stencil on the cookie dough its more likely to stick to the surface

For more info on The Game of Thrones check out HBO for TV series info or Tower of the Hand for all sorts of info

Almond Decorated Cookies

11 Apr

Almond Decorated Cookies

This is my go to decorated cookie recipe. They have a light almond flavor and make the perfect back drop for royal icing since the cookie itself isn’t overly sweet.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

  1. In a large bowl beat softened butter and sugar until creamy
  2. Beat in eggs and both extracts
  3. In a separate bowl combine remaining dry ingredients
  4. Add dry ingredients gradually to sugar mixture until incorporated
  5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled

Preheat oven 350 degrees

On a floured surface, roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters

Place cookies at least 1 inch from one another on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet

Bake 6-8 minutes until edges start to slightly brown

Remove from sheets and cool on a wire rack immediately

Decorate as desired

  1. butterfly cookies by the green apron

    Butterfly Cookies by the Green Apron

     

Spiced Orange Gingerbread Cookies

19 Mar
Spiced Orange GingerBread Cookies

Spiced Orange Gingerbread Cookies drizzled with Hint of Orange Royal Icing

Original Recipe by The Green Apron

½ cup shortening

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

½ cup molasses

1 tablespoon Spiced Rum* (optional)

zest of fresh orange, juice from 1/3 fresh orange

1 tablespoon vinegar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

In large mixing bowl combine flour, spices, baking soda and baking powder. Set to the side.

In a separate bowl beat shortening and sugar on medium to high till combined. Beat in egg, molasses, Spiced Rum, orange zest/juice and vinegar. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as possible, stir in remaining by hand.

Divide dough in half, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for about 3 hours.

Preheat oven 375F, line cookie sheets with parchment paper

Roll out dough on a light floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness and cutout with desired cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets 1 inch apart

Bake for 6-8 minutes, until edges start to slightly darken.

Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.

 Royal Icing w/hint of Orange

1 egg white

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Orange Extract

3 cups Powdered Sugar

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