Cookies for the “big” day
My friendship with Nick has has been a pleasant surprise. Our short conversations are sometimes profound and sometimes light and humorous. I’ve come to treasure this remarkable man.
“Friends are relatives you make for yourself.” Eustache Deschamps
A true friend is someone you can laugh with, pray with and sit in silence with. I know that’s a lot of dangling participles but that’s how I see it. In current parlance, you could say that he has become “my brother from another mother.” So, of course, I made cookies for his birthday. That’s just me. What would you do?
Cookie specifics
Brown-Butter Birthday Cookies. I started with my “Brown Butter Cookies” recipe; the brown butter gives these cookies a deep, rich caramelized flavor. Then I covered them with embossed white and dark chocolate and decorated them with royal icing embellishments. The result? A cookie that is both yummy and pretty.
Shapes
small and large cupcake cookie cutters, plus balloons, and fancy plaques for the monograms
Sizes
Sizes range from 2½ inches for the small cupcake and plaque shapes and 4 inches for the large cupcake shape.
Cookie Recipe from This Talented Cookie Artist
Brown-Butter Cookies. Original recipe from Sugar Hero.
Cookies
Brown-Butter: flour, brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Sprinkles: White, gold and pink sparkling sugar and nonpareils
White Chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla
Chocolate Dough: corn syrup plus either delicate white, creamy milk, rich semi-sweet, or deep bittersweet chocolate
Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring (optional)
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags! I wrapped the cookies individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This made them stackable without causing damage to the decorations. I then put them into a white paper bag, punched two holes in the top of the bag and tied it shut with a piece to twine. The simple tag let Nick know that this was something for his birthday.
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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