Sunday, January 22, 2012

Koi Fish Shortbread Cookies

Happy Chinese New Year!  While 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, I hope you won’t mind if I make use of my Chinese Fish Moon Cookie Mold to celebrate the day. Yes, it’s more cookie fun at the O-P abode, and again, with great results.
There is nothing easier than working with these wonderful little wooden cookie molds.  They are amazingly inexpensive, and if you spritz each one with cooking spray before filling, press the dough evenly into the mold, trim off the top, and give it a few good raps on a hard surface, a beautifully detailed, molded cookie will pop right out.  I used a favorite shortbread recipe from the Barefoot Contessa to make these cookies and, for the sake of convenience, have reprinted the recipe below.  I did not, however, find that I needed quite as much time to bake these as the recipe indicates.  Watch these cookies carefully.  They need to set rather than brown.  If you let them go too long you have cute little buttery-tasting fish rocks!
Ina Garten’s Shortbread Cookies

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges barely begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
This post contains affiliate links.

12 comments:

Michele M./ Finch Rest said...

Oh they are wonderful!!!! Perfect for the new year celebrations.

They recipe sounds wonderful too.

I just loved your post, thanks so much for sharing such delights.

Anonymous said...

Awesome little fish, Pattie. I've never seen one of those molds. Cute!

Kathleen said...

Beautiful! My friend showed me these a few years ago, and I still haven't found them locally. I never remember to order on line.
They look delicious!

The Tablescaper said...

These look amazing! what a great mold and such excellent execution.

Great to have you be a part of Seasonal Sundays.

- The Tablescaper

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

More beautiful cookies, Pattie! You are really on a roll :) Love the Koi mold. I can see I need more gadgets in my kitchen!

Snap said...

These shortbread cookies are adorable. I'm a big fan of koi. Thanks for the recipe too.

My Little Home and Garden said...

And to think my Christmas shortbread cookies were rectangular! Very cute.

cathy@my1929charmer said...

I've never seen this wooden cookie molds. I love shortbread cookies, and Ina, so I will be trying this recipe. The Koi cookies are so cute, and professional looking. Your homemade cookies look great too. Thanks for sharing you creative inspiration at Sunday's Best party!

Mary Howell Cromer said...

These look so good and oh so pretty. My husby and I adore shortbread cookies and while I usually do not make them homemade, this looks like a great way. I had no idea that there was such a thing as this kind of cookie maker~

Janet Rudolph said...

Fabulous. I love molds. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

www.thewhitefarmhouse2.blogspot.com said...

Love the cookie mold! I want some of those now. Where did you get them? Now I have to google them! They sure do make the cookies look great. the recipe sounds delicious!

Erin said...

These are absolutely wonderful! Excellent mold!!!