Eat your own name?

When I was planning for my son’s birthday I was clear that I wanna bake something special for the kids to take home. I debated on giving them brownies, muffins but somehow I was not getting very convinced on all those. I waned to give them something which is more personal and that is when I thought why not their cookies with their own name?

I have alphabet cookie cutters at home which were begging to be used anyways And next began the search for what cookies to make, in my mind I was oscillating between sugar cookies, butter cookies and shortbread… and I finally choose the shortbread because I love the shortbread cookies melt in mouth and also that one can easily shape them using cookie cutters

So I turned to my favorite site Joy of Baking for a shortbread recipe and off started the process….

 

The A's ready to be goobled

What I used

 

• 6 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp of salt
• 3 cups of butter
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 3 tsps of vanilla
• 2 tsp of lemon zest
• 1/2 -1 cup of sugar candies for the cookie toppings

How I made it

• Cream the butter till soft and creamy, if u have a standing mixer this can be done using the creaming blade for a minute or if u are using your hands (I love to cream by hands… its so nice) put the butter on the shelf and move your hands in a round motion on the butter till about 2 minutes
• Add sugar to it and continue the same process till creamy and fluffy (u can use the normal mixture too but I think the result would wary a little)
• Put in the vanilla and the flour and mix untill just about incorporated to form a soft dough. Please note that the dough will be very soft.
• Make a ball, wrap it in a parchment/butter paper and refrigerate it for atleast an hour. I chilled it for about 2 hour and it worked well. This is a very important step here, if u skip this you will not be able to handle the dough at all… it will be too soft to roll or shape.
• Take out a little amount of the dough, flatten it using a rolling pin or hand on a dusted surface.
• Sprinkle some sugar candies on top of the rolled out dough and cut using the cookie cutter and place it on a lined cookie sheet, also remember to keep the dough back in the fridge. And try to minimize the reuse… it will be difficult to handle the second time round.

 

cut and ready to go in the oven

 

• Keep the cookies for chilling for about 15 minutes so that they retain the shape while baking
• In the meanwhile heat the oven at about 175C
• Bake the cookies in the center rack for about 8 minutes, allow them to cool and pack it off

 

The final return favours, along with the aprons

The above quantities gave me about 100 alphabet cookies and look at the original recipe which I made three times or simply reduce mine if you to want lesser number of cookies. Also this batter freezes well so you can make and freeze it and just pop it out when u need

I thoroughly enjoyed making this. One baking for kids is so satisfying, a small thing makes them happy and the joy on their face makes up for every hardship that one might have gone through

and two because my little one helped me through and through with this one right from mixing using the machine… to sprinkle the sugar candies and also cutting the alphabets and the observation he made was mumma this is just like clay but softer

 

 

mummas little helper

 

The cookies that came out were also very satisfying, very soft… rightly sweetened for kids and that slight crunch that came in mouth with those sugar candies was lovely too… my mil actually told me these are the best cookies she has ever had and such a compliment coming from mother in law ofcourse I am in seventh heaven

Also they were a big big hit with the kids…

And I think everyone knows by now that I am sending them to Artsy Craftsy Edible crafts

And I am also sending this to Bake-Off

 

Advertisement