Dem Bones Sugar Cookies

Two years ago when I saw these cookies on the Sprinkle Bakes blog I knew I wanted to make them. So, I ran out and got the pan, put it away, and never gave it another thought until a couple of weeks ago when number one son came over to help me excavate the pantry, and there it was.

Thank goodness I got them made in time for Day of the Dead, even if I did come right down to the wire. Sadly, the bone pan is no longer available (Local readers are welcome to borrow mine.), but I had to post about these delicious cookies because this recipe from the back of the pan packaging is so good and such a dream to work with that doubtless you can use it for cut-out cookies or to fill another Wilton molded cookie pan. This dough and the glaze (and perhaps a sprinkling of sanding sugar for some sparkle) would work perfectly with the Wilton snowflake cookie pan, for example.

Dem Bones Sugar Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons white food color
1 tablespoon almond extract
Milk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray pan cavities with baking spray.

Cream butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts; mix well. Combine flour and salt; add to butter mixture. Beat just until combined. Press dough into cavities, filling each 2/3 full. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn pan over, lightly tap pan on counter and cookies will pop right out. Cool completely on a wire rack. Allow pan to cool before refilling it.

For glaze: Combine confectioner’s sugar, Icing Color, and almond flavoring in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of milk and stir slowly with a wire whisk.  Gradually add more milk, a little at a time, until the mixture loosens and the glaze falls in a thick ribbon from a spoon. The mixture should not be so thick that it sits on top of the cookie and doesn’t run off the edges. Allow the cookies to dry (about 2 to 3 hours) before transferring them to an air-tight container for storage.

This post is linked to: Inspire Me Tuesday, Tuesdays At Our Home, Two Cup Tuesday, Celebrate Your Story

"Be Mine" Valentine's Day Cookies

Last December, when my dad gave me all of my mother's Christmas decorations, I found this heart-shaped cookie mold in amongst them. To my knowledge, my mother never used it. This comes as no surprise because I still have the pristine Santa cookie mold that I got around the same time (1985). I've been thinking a lot about my mother lately, for obvious reasons, so thought it was time to finally put it to use. I think it was largely fear of the unknown (read: fear of failure and a colossal kitchen mess) that kept me from attempting this with my own cookie mold years ago.

The mold is a product of Brown Bag Cookie Art, but no recipes or instructions were attached, so I went onto the Internet and found all of the information that I needed. How cute are these?!

Not only are they cute, but they are tasty as well, and surprisingly easy to do (I see Santa cookies in my distant future.) The key thing, I think, is to thoroughly spray the mold with PAM before each use, flour it, knock out the excess flour, and then press the dough in firmly. Once this has been done, and leveled off with a sharp knife, if necessary, press the dough back from the edges with your thumb around all sides. Then, turn cookie and mold on the side, and rap it firmly on the countertop or cutting board, turning the mold slowly as you do and, gradually, the imprinted dough will release.

With the re-rolled scraps of dough, I used my new set of bee cookie stamps to make the bee cookies that I found most appropriate coupled with the hearts.

Have any of you ever used cookie molds? If so, I'd love to know of your experiences. Here's the recipe that I used if you want to try it. 

Sugar Cookies

From Brown Bag Cookie Art

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, milk or cream, and vanilla. Whisk together flour and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Child dough for 30 minutes. Roll or press into mold.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.

PRINT RECIPE

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

 This post is linked to:

Celebrate It Sunday

Silver Pennies Sunday
Merry Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

What’s for Dinner?

Inspiration Monday

Metamorphosis Monday 

Cooking & Crafting Monday

Make It Pretty Monday

Melt In Your Mouth 

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.

PRINT RECIPE

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