Hiya!
A while back on Instagram I shared a unicorn cookie cutter with you. I was very excited as I very seldom buy a cookie cutter, I usually cut cookies by hand. This was also very special as it was for my daughter’s birthday, which was 3 days after we got back from our vacation. So planning ahead I used some advice I read about in Sweet Ambs blog. She makes her cookie mix ahead of time for a big order, cuts the cookies out and then freezes the cut cookies. When you’re ready to go just grab them out the freezer, lay them on the cookie tray while the oven heats up and you’re good to go!
When I was baking to order I used to ice cookies every week and I’ve really missed this, I’m also really out of practice! But my biggest challenge with the icing was making my own royal icing from scratch! In the UK you can buy royal icing powdered sugar where you just add the required amount of water & beat. I got used to the consistency that worked for me and could whip up a batch in no time. After much research I chose to use Sweet Sugar Belle’s recipe. I follow her on Instagram and her cookies always look amazing!!!
My inspiration for these cookies, other than my daughter’s love of unicorns, was Miss Doughmestic. Her cookies always look too good to eat and it was here that I first saw this cutter and knew I needed it!
I used my Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Recipe for these cookies and I do not think the taste or texture was compromised by freezing the raw cookies, I would definitely do it again.
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies Recipes
225g butter (softened)
225g caster sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
425g plain flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Cream the butter and sugar until incorporated, don’t over do it as you want the cookies to hold their shape and not expand too much during baking. Scrape down the sides and mix again.
Add the egg, combine, scrape down the sides and mix again.
Add the vanilla extract and combine.
Sift the flour, cinnamon and salt into the mixing bowl. Mix on a low speed for 30 sec, when it clumps together it’s ready.
Roll out a sheet of parchment paper the size of your fridge shelf, cut two. Place the cookie dough on one sheet and flatten with your hand. Place the second sheet on top and roll out your cookie dough to around 5mm thick.
Place the dough flat on a shelf in the fridge for at least an hour and it will harden up making cookies much easier to cut and move to a baking tray ready for the freezer.
Once frozen, stack the cookies and either seal in a ziplock bag or cling film.
To bake, preheat the oven to 170°C and place frozen cookies on a baking tray for a few minutes to defrost. Depending on the size of your cookies, bake for 8-12 mins.
Once cooled you can begin to decorate your cookies. Royal icing skills definitely improve with practice, this is the first time I’ve used textured tips and I always hope to get better. Some of the works of art out there are just amazing! I hope you enjoy my friendly little unicorns!
Cxx
