Congratulations!
One of our deacons celebrated his Silver Anniversary as a deacon this year and that called for cookies, of course. Why doves? Well, doves bring to mind peace and inspiration and are a common symbol of the Holy Spirit. And silver, of course, is traditionally associated with a 25TH anniversary. So those two elements naturally inspired these dove-shaped cookies decorated with silver embellishments. Thank you for your service, Deacon! May you continue to be filled with God’s grace.
“Here am I, Lord, here I am. I come to do your will.” Rory Cooney, Responsorial Psalm 40
While planning out this project, I knew I wouldn’t be able to avoid the look of a wedding anniversary, so I embraced it! I used both a small and a large dove cookie cutters. The small doves were given as gifts to all those attending the reception and the large doves highlighted the Silver Anniversary theme.
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. I covered the small doves with Vanilla Glaze for Piping (recipe info below) and embellished it with royal icing and silver sparkling sugar. I covered the large dove with a mixture of white chocolate and homemade marshmallow fondant. The number “25” on the fluted, round, white-chocolate medallion was piped with gray royal icing and painted with edible silver.
Shapes
small dove facing right and large dove facing left
Sizes
The small dove measures 2½ to 3 inches and the large dove (photo below) measures about 4½ inches.
Medallion
1¾" fluted round cookie cutter
I couldn’t stop myself from making a postage stamp out of the 25TH anniversary medallion. This would make a cute gift tag for the individual cookies!
My Family Cookie Recipe
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. There are hundreds of recipes for making royal icing on the web. Find one that works best for you! (See Q4 on my FAQs page for sites that have helped me.)
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
Glaze for Piping: sugar, water, corn syrup, food coloring (optional), various extracts for flavoring (vanilla, almond, lemon, raspberry, etc.)
Sprinkles: sparkling silver sugar and edible silver luster dust
White Chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla
White Chocolate Dough: corn syrup plus delicate white chocolate
Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring (optional)
Plate, Box or Bag?
Bags. All of these cookies were made for the reception that followed the Silver Anniversary Mass. I wrapped them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a silver twist tie. This made the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. Guests were able to eat the cookie at the event or take it home to share with family and friends.
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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