I’m dreaming of the sea...the sand...the waves...the gulls... the shells. I don't think I can stay away much longer. Even a drive-by encounter might be enough to restore my sense of belonging to a world where nothing is more important than a cool breeze and the endless blue sea. Oh for the joys of finding a sand dollar that the tide has tumbled and tossed at my feet. A beach cookie might be a nice substitute for the real thing until the beach is open for visitors.
“We dream in colors borrowed from the sea.” Anonymous
It’s July and I haven’t been to the beach yet. Oh my! Of all the many things I miss during this strange time, I think the sound of the ocean and the smell of the sea are at the top of my list. So since we can’t go to the beach, let’s make beach cookies instead and allow a sweet, buttery cookie with loads of over-the-top decorations bring the beach to us.
I made these at the request of a neighbor who wanted to give them to friends. It was so delightful to focus on the ocean and the critters that live there and forget about all the wacky things happening in our world right now. I’m a big believer in dwelling on happy times, especially when you have no power over circumstances that threaten to steal your joy.
Cookie specifics
Shortbread. The combination of European butter and vanilla bean makes this shortbread cookie one of the yummiest cookies I make. It’s buttery, crumbly and light. The best part is that it has only a few simple ingredients that I always have on hand so shortbread can be made at any hour of the day ... or night.
These beach cookies are decorated with a layer of half modeling chocolate and half homemade marshmallow fondant. The decorations are royal icing with piping glaze accents.
Shapes
starfish, sea horses, sea shells, palm trees, sand dollars, clown fish
Sizes
Sizes range from small (2 inches) to large (4 inches). 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating!
My Family Recipes
This Shortbread recipe was developed over several months in my quest to duplicate the taste and texture of a shortbread cookie from a now-closed bakery in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Icing & Frostings
Royal Icing: vanilla (for most everything) and chocolate (for the palm tree trunks)
Glaze for Piping: This glaze/icing dries hard enough that you can stack or package the cookies without damaging the embellishments. I often use it exclusively or in combination with Royal Icing.
Glaze for Piping Recipe
Cookies
Shortbread: flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioners’ sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Chocolate Royal Icing (for palm tree trunks): confectioners’ sugar, Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa Powder, meringue powder, corn syrup, vanilla extract
Glaze for Piping: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring, vanilla extract for flavoring
White Chocolate Dough: sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla
Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring (orange for the clown fish)
Plate, Box or Bag?
Box. My favorite way to package my cookies for gift giving is to pack them in a pretty bakery box with a clear window on top that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek. Depending on the size of the cookies (2½-to-3 inches is my favorite size to make), the boxes I use can hold about 12 to 18 cookies.
Bags. For these beach cookies, I wrapped them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This makes the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. I put them all into a white bag with a rope handle and added a Hey Cookie! sticker so the recipients would know where they came from.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
Illustrations Credit
Background illustrations of several images in the slideshow are based on Seabed Vectors by Vecteezy.
Add new comment