Cookie Farm Project

Cookie Farm Project

This is what I call an English project.... I think I'm a bit nuts, how about you?

The cookie dough (I used 3 batches of it).  Cream the butter in a mixer and then add the sugar.

Add the eggs and the vanilla extract.

Combine the flour (I used a scale; it's more accurate) and baking powder in a large bowl.  Add to the dough in parts.

Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.  If want, dye the dough to the preferred hue, then roll out.

Once every piece you want is rolled out, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  Then, cut out shapes using a cookie cutter, by eye, or with a ruler.

Bake the pieces on pans lined with parchment paper in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes.

Round #2.

For the decorating icing, combine confectionery's sugar with a *little bit* of water.  Dye to preferred hue.

Time for the board-- I used an old, square piece of wood and covered it with heavy foil and tape.

The icing for the bottom of the board:  Cream the butter, then add the confectionery's sugar.  Whip up.

Add the vanilla extract and mix for about 6 more minutes.

Spread all over the top of the board.

The royal icing: Add the egg whites and the lemon juice to a mixer and mix until frothy.

Add the sifted confectionery's sugar.

Pipe from a bag and attach any decorations to you project.

I dyed dried coconut flakes to make green grass.

I used cinnamon sugar to create gravel.

Beautiful!

Cookie Farm Project

This is not a normal post.  I used 3 recipes worth of sugar cookie dough, a recipe of royal icing, and loads of food dye.


The sugar cookie dough (one recipe)-- I used a total of 3 recipes:
Ingredients:
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder


Directions:
1.  Cream the butter in the mixer with the sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract.
2.  Combine the flour and baking powder in bowl and add to batter in parts.
3.  Dye and roll out dough to your heart's desire.  Once rolled out (to 1/4" thickness***** (no thinner)), chill for at least 30 minutes, then cut out desired shapes and bake at 350 degrees, anywhere from 8 to 16 minutes, until cookies are almost golden brown.  Done! :)


For decorating icing:
Combine confectionery's sugar with a **little bit* of water.  (about 1 1/2 cups confectionery's sugar to 1 teaspoon water).  Dye to desired hue and spread with a butter knife onto cookies.


For royal icing (icing "glue"):
Whip 2 egg whites with 2 teaspoons lemon juice until frothy.  Then, add 3 cups of sifted confectionery's sugar.  Pipe for "glue".




Sugar cookie dough adapted from Cake Central's No Fail Sugar Cookies recipe:  http://cakecentral.com/a/no-fail-sugar-cookies

Decorating icing adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook's Writing Icing recipe


Royal icing recipe adapted from Joy of Baking's Royal Icing Using Egg Whites recipe


Tips:
Use dyed dried flaked coconut flakes for grass.
Use cinnamon sugar for gravel.
Experiment with dyes in a glass of water or a small sample of dough or icing before dying the entire mixture of dough or icing.
When dying the cookie dough, it will already hold a yellow tint.  When dying icing, it does not contain a natural yellow tint.  Keep that in mind when dying (especially for brown).
Gray is almost impossible to accomplish with red, blue, green, and yellow dye (what I have), but if you keep trying, it might happen.



I don't even want to begin to calculate or explain or explore how many calories this project added up to be... I'd really hope one person wouldn't eat this entire project....


Now, let's see if I can get it into school...... Oh geez......