Ello Ello Lovies I haven’t made a post for while so I decided Hey let me
make some cookies. I've been looking at cookie videos and decorating on YouTube
for a while now ( yes I think I may have an addiction lol )and they just look
so pretty so I thought I would try it out. Makes a change from the usual cakes
and cupcakes.
Anywhoo I found a great recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com (link
will be at the end) for soft cookies which I loveeee after all no one wants a
cookie that breaks their teeth when they bite into it lol.
And so I began
Making the cookie wasn't too hard the usual butter sugar, flour,
vanilla, essence, baking powder and egg. For my recipe I used vanilla bean
extract I use this in everything I bake mainly because I like the fact it
leaves vanilla seeds, but also because its soooo much nicer and doesn't have an
alcholy after taste which I find most vanilla extracts do. My dough came out
great next was to chill it for an hour or more so the shape it into will stay
After an hour and the 8 minutes well almost 11 with
my dodgy university oven Maras cookies were bornnnnnnnn (I dont know why I had
the image of my cookies coming out the oven the Frankenstein loool )
This is when the real work started. Royal icing oh Royal icing why art
thou so tricky. Ok so batch 1 of royal icing was awesome I got the fill
consistency everything was going well >>
Just look at that icing so smooth and beautiful I lined the cookies
again beautiful.... and then I tried to get flood consistency (wipes tears ).
OH MY GOSH in all the time I have been baking I think this is the thing I
struggled with the most . The icing was running out the piping tube then it was
too thick then too thin, royal icing is definitely something u have to get used
to.
Any way after much toil and suffering lool the cookies were finished and
they weren’t to shabby if I say so myself ... however me being a perfectionist
still wasn't happy but for my first try not too bad.
I marbled a couple and used the wet on wet technique for the majority of
them all in all A* for effort lool. (Pats self on the back)
Recipe
Equipment
Cookie Cutter
2 mixing bowls
Spatula
Sieve
Electric mixer
Measuring Spoons
Greaseproof paper
Piping bags and nozzles (number 1 wilton tip essential)
Ingredients
Plain Flour - 281g
Caster Sugar - 150g
Unsalted Butter - 170g (room temp)
Eggs - 1 large egg
Baking Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Vanilla Essence 2 Tsp ( I use vanilla bean paste)
Method
Turn oven on at 180c
Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until a smooth fluffy consistency (I prefer to do this by hand for a while before I use and electric mixer )
Add the Vanilla Essence and Egg mix again until combined
In a Separate bowl sieve and mix together the Flour and Baking powder
Add half this Flour mixture to the Butter mixture and mix until barely combined
Add the rest of the flour and mix until combined
The dough should resemble play-dough, it should be thick but not wet but stick and crumbly.
Roll the dough out on grease proof paper to your desired thickness
Place the dough in the Fridge for about 1 hour ( maybe an hour more if you chose to roll your dough a bit thicker)- this step is essential so the cookies stay in the desired shape when placed in the oven
After 1 hour take the chilled dough out of the fridge and using a cookie cutter or even a round glass if you want round cookies cut the dough.
(I re- rolled some of my left over pieces of dough and cut them again until the dough started to get too warm)
Place the cookies on the grease proof paper and place on a wire rack in the oven
Cook for about 8 minutes until the edges of the cookies start to just become brown ( They will begin to harden once they start to cool)
Leave about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
In a Separate bowl sieve and mix together the Flour and Baking powder
Add half this Flour mixture to the Butter mixture and mix until barely combined
Add the rest of the flour and mix until combined
The dough should resemble play-dough, it should be thick but not wet but stick and crumbly.
Roll the dough out on grease proof paper to your desired thickness
Place the dough in the Fridge for about 1 hour ( maybe an hour more if you chose to roll your dough a bit thicker)- this step is essential so the cookies stay in the desired shape when placed in the oven
After 1 hour take the chilled dough out of the fridge and using a cookie cutter or even a round glass if you want round cookies cut the dough.
(I re- rolled some of my left over pieces of dough and cut them again until the dough started to get too warm)
Place the cookies on the grease proof paper and place on a wire rack in the oven
Cook for about 8 minutes until the edges of the cookies start to just become brown ( They will begin to harden once they start to cool)
Leave about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Royal Icing and Decoration
Ingredients total
1 Large Egg White
Icing sugar - 125g
water as thinner ( to make flood consistency)
Wilton Gel Icing colours - liquid colourings can change the taste and consistency
Icing sugar - 125g
water as thinner ( to make flood consistency)
Wilton Gel Icing colours - liquid colourings can change the taste and consistency
Method
Add Egg White and Icing Sugar to mixing bowl and leave for about 10 minutes gradually increasing the speed until the mixture comes together to form a very glossy thick icing.
(I did not use vanilla essence in this icing as it will change the colour from a bright white, clear food extracts such as almond could be added)
Separate this mixture into different small bowls adding small amount of food colouring ( i dipped the tip of the spoon into the colouring and this was enough to change the colour of the icing to the desired colour.
For fill icing you can choose to keep this icing at the same consistency
For flood icing I ran the tap and placed my hand under it and flicked water into the bowl so I don't add too much water. flood icing should have a run of about 5-8 seconds ( when you drop icing from a spoon into the icing it should fill back in about 8 seconds ) it all depends on your preference some people prefer a thicker icing.
Then decorate till you hearts content.
Hope You Enjoy the Recipe
Andddd remember everyone is different and royal icing isn't the simplest thing to get to grips with using so don't be disheartened if it doesn't come out perfect the first time :)
Just a girl who loves to bake x
(I did not use vanilla essence in this icing as it will change the colour from a bright white, clear food extracts such as almond could be added)
Separate this mixture into different small bowls adding small amount of food colouring ( i dipped the tip of the spoon into the colouring and this was enough to change the colour of the icing to the desired colour.
For fill icing you can choose to keep this icing at the same consistency
For flood icing I ran the tap and placed my hand under it and flicked water into the bowl so I don't add too much water. flood icing should have a run of about 5-8 seconds ( when you drop icing from a spoon into the icing it should fill back in about 8 seconds ) it all depends on your preference some people prefer a thicker icing.
Then decorate till you hearts content.
Tips
- TOOTHPICKS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND , they will clean up messy edges. you can use it as a marbling tool (so glad I decided to pick them up)
- If you want a clean look don't line the cookie first I did and it wasn't really for me, I preferred to use a thicker flood icing so I could line and flood the cookie with the same icing instead of having to use two consistencies.
Hope You Enjoy the Recipe
Andddd remember everyone is different and royal icing isn't the simplest thing to get to grips with using so don't be disheartened if it doesn't come out perfect the first time :)
Just a girl who loves to bake x
Links
Royal icing tutorials and cookie ideas - Sweet Ambs website Sweet
Ambs youtube
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