Christmas at the Zoo
Several years ago I bought some old-fashioned tin animal cookie cutters in a local antique store with no real idea in mind of how I’d use them. They were larger than I normally use, but I liked their shapes and the variety of animals. I finally brought them out for my “Christmas Comes to the Zoo” project and they became some of my favorite shapes ever.
“Pure white Christmas animals with holly and puffs of sparkling sugar...that’s Christmas at the Zoo.”
I dipped the animals in white-white vanilla glaze and added royal icing accents to suggest their fur or main physical characteristic. Then I “dressed” each one in a green ribbon, accented with red berries. This simple holiday accent complemented the elegant shapes and added to the peaceful scene. I mailed them to my grandchildren because they love animals as much as I do.
I don’t know if there were any animals at the first Christmas, but traditional manger scenes include cows, donkeys and a sheep or two. (My younger sister has added a buffalo to hers!) So it seems fitting to include zoo animal cookies, don’t you agree?
Cookie specifics
Classic Sugar Cookie. This classic sugar cookie brings back memories of the Christmas cookies my mother made during the holidays...with a bold vanilla flavor and slightly soft texture, they make me smile every time I eat one.
Shapes
deer, lion, fish, monkey, giraffe, zebra, dove, cat, bear, rhino, hippo
Some of the animal shapes I used:
Sizes
Cookie cutters are 4-5 inches, so the cookies were larger than I normally make. 2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating. But these won my heart.
Old (and New) Family Recipe
Classic Sugar Cookie. A recipe based on one from Mrs. Gregor, a neighbor of my mom’s when she was a newlywed.
Cookies
Classic Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Glaze: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring (red and green), vanilla extract for flavoring
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags. I placed each cookie in a large clear, food-safe bag, secured with a twist tie. This made them easy to enclose in bubble wrap to keep them from breaking in the mail.
Mailing. I mailed all the animal cookies to my grandchildren. I always send cookies Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! The cookies arrive mostly undamaged and were a hit.
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?
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