Monday, December 06, 2010

Of Handmade Molded and Stamped Cookies



Cookie molds and presses make unique and beautiful cookies.  Each is truly a work of art and can be considered hand-made from start to finish.  Cookies molds from "Brown Bag" or "Pampered Chef" come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  My collection has been used to bake cookies as well as for craft-making.  You might remember my tutorial about making beeswax ornaments and seeing my molds here.  Friends and family have been recipients of lovingly created beeswax ornaments over the years.  Just thinking about the molds brings back memories of a summer day when my mother and I spent hours, carefully creating molded shortbread cookies in preparation for the piano recital of one of the children.  Each cookie was carefully wrapped and placed in the freezer in anticipation of the event.  When recital day came upon us and we were packing up punch, cookies, and table decor, I went to the freezer to get the cookies.  Not a single cookie could be found!  A quick inquiry of the recital honoree  revealed that he had eaten them, one by one, until none remained.  It was a good thing it was his recital and not his brothers!  Although mother-me was not pleased, the show went on and the recital guests had store-bought cookies.  Lessons were learned that day and life went on.  The experience has now become family legend and I am the one who enjoys relating it to others most.  For some reason, the recital-guy would rather forget the entire experience!  

In addition to cookie molds, cookie presses create beautiful shortbread cookies as well.  They are easiest to find in small sizes, but occasionally they can be purchased in sizes that are similar to those of cookie molds.  The afternoon tea themed cookie press shown in the photo above was one that was given to me by my mother as a treasured Christmas gift one year.  It is timeless in its appeal and has become a part of Christmas tradition for me.  

Everyone seems to have their own special shortbread cookie recipe, but if you would like one that is vegan (dairy free, egg free), mine is posted below.  If you are looking for a vegan and gluten-free version, simply replace the all-purpose flour with your favorite gluten-free flour blend.  One made with tapioca and potato starches would work especially well.

Vegan Shortbread for Cookie Molds

1/2 cup Spectrum shortening, organic, vegan
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup Florida Crystals powdered sugar, organic
1 cup cornstarch
2 cups all-purpose flour

Place the shortening, coconut oil, and powdered sugar together in a mixing bowl.  Cream until light and fluffy.  

In another bowl, mix corn starch and all-purpose flour together.  Combine well.  Then slowly add to the creamed mixture.  When dough gets too stiff to mix, knead by hand.

Roll cookies into small balls and place on a baking stone or a prepared cookie sheet.  Using a cookie press, squash the balls flat to about 1 cm. thickness.

Bake at 300 degrees F. for 25 - 30 minutes.  Bake only until golden, not browned.  Remove from heat and allow to cool on the pan before removing.

7 comments:

  1. Hello La Tea Dah...Nice post. Funny about the eat shortbread story!

    Lorrane at the blog titled A Grateful Prayer and a Thankful Heart (http://gratefulprayerthankfulheart.blogspot.com also had a post on shortbread today. Maybe you would like to check it out. Take care. Susan

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  2. I love the story of the piano guy and the cookies. Smiling! I have several molds, but just have gotten to hang of using them. At one time I used them to hang on the wall. I have Santas, snowmen, angels, and tea pots.

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  3. Just one cookie press...a gingerbread boy...in the entire house here. What a fun story about the missing cookies! Funny thing that I can so identify with the cookie thief and I'm sure that I'd prefer to forget, too.

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  4. I do not have as large a collection as you do but I do have some special molds. Most are small. One year I used food coloring and painted the image. They looked nice but way too much work :)

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  5. I have some molds but rarely use them - you have inspired me again!
    I think I have one from l976- bicentianial. I will look and print out your recipe here too!

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  6. You inspired me to use some of the molds - I have never used. The one I thought was l976 turns out to me from Williamsburg dated 1980! YOU HAVE INSPIRED AGAIN!

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  7. Anonymous9:23 PM

    Sooo funny about the cookie story! I'm going to try this recipe! Thanks!!

    yolanda

    for some reason I can't post from my account. :(

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Thank you for commenting on my blog post. I am always happy to hear from blog readers. Your words encourage and inspire me. I am glad you stopped by to share conversation, recipes, ideas, and thoughts on creating a welcoming home.