Easter speckled eggs cookies
I'm so pleased with how they turned out! I'm not a big fan of cookie decorating as it usually bores me, but it was a lot of fun making these cookies. I'm going to gift them to my family and friends this Easter. If you'd rather make a small batch just halve the ingredients for the cookies and royal icing. I used melted chocolate to create the speckled effect but brown food colouring could be used as an alternative - I think it wold be even easier as it's more liquid, the chocolate was drying up on the brush and I had to use water to dillute it a bit.
ingredients
(makes around 50 cookies)
for the cookies:
396g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teasoon salt
226g unsalted butter
1 egg
200g granulated sugar
for the royal icing:
800g icing sugar
2 egg whites
blue food colouring
150g chocolate to decorate
a pastry brush ( I used a natural hair one, available here)
egg shaped cookie cutter (available here)
plastic piping bags (available here)
large baking tray, lined with baking parchment
instructions
for the cookies:
1. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In another bowl, beat the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the egg to the butter and sugar mixture and beat.
4. Add to the flour and knead until combined.
5. Wrap the cookie dough in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for around 15 minutes.
6. Roll out on a slightly floured surface to 2-3mm thickness and cut out the cookies.
7. Arrange on a baking tray and freeze for 15 minutes.
8. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 175C.
9. Bake for 12 minutes and let them cool down slightly before removing from the pan.
for the royal icing:
1. Sift 500g of icing sugar into a medium bowl.
2. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites just until they become foamy.
3. Add the icing sugar to the egg whites and mix untill combined.
4. Add 118ml of water and beat with electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
5. Add a few drops of food colouring and mix.
for the outline icing:
1. Sift the remaining 300g of icing sugar into a separate bowl.
2. Add a few tablespoons of water (one at a time) and mix until a thick paste forms.
3. Add a few drops of food colouring.
4. Transfer the two icings into two separate piping bags.
5. Cut off the ends, making the opening as small as possible.
- pipe an outline with the thick icing on each cookie, making sure it's not to thin as it needs to hold in the royal icing when flooded.
- when dry, pipe the royal icing in the middle of each cookie and spread with a toothpick to fill the outline
- repeat on each cookie
- melt the chocolate in a microwave (2 minutes on high power) or over simmering water
- dip the pastry brush in chocolate and stroke with your finger over each cookie to create the speckled effect
- you might want to keep a cup of hot water on a side to clean the brush from the dried chocolate
- leave the cookies to dry overnight before storing them in airtight container
enjoy :)
