Baking up a storm for M's princess party
Just found some awesome recipes from
http://thedecoratedcookie.com/
(use this for cookie cutter cookies)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
(can add 1 1/2 tsp almond extract here. Yummy. I
do that.)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and blend well. Add extracts and
blend. Mix flour and salt and gradually add. Cover dough with plastic wrap (I
usually put mine in a gallon size Ziploc bag) and chill dough for about 2
hours. Don’t skip this. You must chill the dough. Working with about 1/3 of the
batch at a time, briefly knead the chilled dough and roll about 1/8 inch to 1/4
inch thick. Cookies on a stick may need to be rolled out 3/8 inch thick. Cut
out shapes. Insert a lollipop stick about half way into the cookie, if using.
Bake cookies on parchment paper-lined baking trays at 375 for 12-14 minutes.
Thicker cookies may need up to 20 minutes. Just watch for edges that are nicely
golden.
Note: You can also freeze dough. After mixing, put dough in a gallon size
Freezer ziploc bag (or wrap well) and freeze. Thaw overnight or for at least a
few hours in the refrigerator in the ziploc bag. If too chilled to handle, let
sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour until it’s workable.
Chilled is good, though, don’t let it get too mushy.
Royal Icing (sort of):
(use this for cookie decorating)
Note:This frosting is similar to traditional royal icing, but I add
shortening and flavoring to make it taste delicious. Thus, it dries hard enough
to handle and pack when left overnight, but not rock hard, like traditional
royal icing. The consistency is NOT the runny kind used for flooding. It’s
stiffer. Take a spoonful, turn it over the bowl. The frosting should cling to
the spoon and slowly fall into the bowl. That’s the right consistency. You may
thin this icing with water to make it the right consistency for flooding. Use
royal icing (sort of) for cookie decorating.
4 tblsp meringue powder (available at many
supermarkets and in most craft stores)
1/2 cup water
7-8 cups confectioner’s sugar (may need more or
less, see the consistency advice above)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tblsp Crisco
2 Tblsp light corn syrup
Whip the meringue powder and water on high speed for a looooong
time, several minutes, until it’s fluffy and peaks form (use an electric hand
beater or the wire whisk of your standing mixer). Gradually add the rest of the
ingredients to desired consistency. Store at room temperature in a sealed container
for up to a month.
Chocolate Rolled Cookies
(use this for cookie cutter cookies)
1 cup (2 sticks) slightly softened, unsalted
butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and blend. Mix
together the dry ingredients and gradually add to the wet. Cover and
refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. When chilled, roll out on a floured surface, cut out
shapes, and bake on a parchment paper-lined baking tray in a preheated 375
degree oven. Bake 8 to 10 minutes for small cookies, 10 to 12 minutes for
larger cookies, or until edges are crisp. Thick cookies may need a few extra
minutes. TIP: In lieu of flour, which may show up on the surface, you can roll
cookies between two pieces of wax paper.
Buttercream Frosting
(Use this for cakes and cupcakes, or for sandwich cookies.)
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2
tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 cups confectioner’s
sugar
3 to 6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Cream the butter with a mixer. Add 3 cups confectioner’s sugar,
1 cup at a time, blending well with each addition (mixture may be dry and
crumbly). Add 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla and blend. Blend in remaining
confectioner’s sugar. Add more milk (about 3 tablespoons) until desired
consistency is reached. Add more milk to thin and more sugar to thicken.
marshmallow fondant
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
Crisco or vegetable shortening
Grease a microwave safe bowl
with Crisco. Pour 1 cup marshmallows in bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon water and 1
teaspoon extract over marshmallows. Heat in microwave until marshmallows puff a
bit, about 20 to 30 seconds. Stir well until fully melted and smooth and runny.
Put confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer with the flat beater
(I greased the beater with Crisco. I’m sure a handheld electric mixer will
work, too). Pour marshmallow mixture into the sugar and blend on low speed.
Clean marshmallow bowl and repeat with another cup of marshmallows, 1
tablespoon water, and 1 teaspoon extract, melted and stirred. Pour into sugar
and continue blending until dough forms. Knead briefly on a surface dusted with
confectioner’s sugar. Wrap in plastic and let sit about half an hour.
to make
colors:
Simply
take about an egg size wad of fondant, add a few drops of coloring (start with
one or two and add more as desired), and knead very well. A warning if you have
an event to attend where non-stained hands are important: your hands will get
stained. You can use the concentrated pastes from the craft store, though I
prefer Americolor soft gel pastes
