Easter was always one of my favorite holidays growing up. It was the trumpet horn that officially announced spring is here! Plus there were always lovely pastel tulips, chocolate bunnies, and the dyeing of the easter eggs to look forward to. This year was my first Easter away from home, so to keep spirits up I made these festive and delightfully buttery cookies. A super simple, one bowl recipe, they were fun to make and to decorate. I pulled the recipe from Mary Berry's "Iced Easter Biscuits," and adapted it a little to fit the imperial system. These cookies would be great for any occasion, or cut into pretty circles and devoured any old week.
Ingredients Bake Time: 10-15 minutes
For the cookies: Total Time: 45 mintues
8 oz softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs yolks
1 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2-4 tbsp milk
For the icing:
1-2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tbsp water (may not need it all)
food coloring
 |
| Icing the night away. |
To Make the Cookies:
1) Preheat oven to 350 F.
2) Beat sugar and butter vigorously in a large bowl until light and creamy.
3) Beat in the egg yolks, then sift the flour and cinnamon in till it forms a soft dough.
4) With your hands, gather the dough into a large ball and knead for a minute or two. You don't want to overwork the dough, but you do want to form some gluten so that the cookies will hold their fun shapes.
5) On a floured surface, roll out 1/2 the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out whatever shapes you like and place on a cookie sheet. Continue with the other half of the dough, until all used up.
6) Sprinkle with a little extra sugar and bake 10-15 minutes. Remove from rack and let cool, while you make the:
Icing:
7) Whisk confectioner's sugar and strained lemon juice (no seeds or pulp!), then add just enough water to form a smooth paste. SLOWLY NOW! You need a very small amount of water, it's way better to add a little water than to keep adding cups and cups of sugar to thicken it.
8) Separate the icing into separate bowls and color to your heart's desire. The icing color will lighten as it dries, so don't worry if it looks super bright immediately (or pump up the color if that's what you're going for).
9) Once the cookies are cool, either pipe the icing or spread with a palate or butter knife onto the cookies. The icing will set quickly, and cookies can be easily stored in a tupperware container or ziplock bags.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
1. Heat the olive oil, onion, garlic clove, carrots, and celery that have been finely chopped in a large sauce pan. Allow to cook 7-10 minutes on medium-high heat, till soft but not browned.
Bonjour! Feeling very French lately with the spring weather rolling in. There is just something about spring that makes me want to eat all my meals outside, picnic style. So, I've been looking for some delicious French picnic foods to celebrate the season. This is actually a savory cake from Rachel Koo's My Little Paris Kitchen, but don't let that weird you out. It's a delicious quick bread that has a beautiful cheesy aroma, with pops of nuttiness and sweetness throughout. The pistachios and prunes also give it an amazing color. If you're not a fan of goat cheese, any soft, aromatic cheese will do the trick.
1 tbsp baking powder
