Inspiration to the Baking Season - Christmas Cookies that Everyone Will Llove

Merry Christmas & a Very Happy New Year!
Christmas Cookies Recipe

Gingerbread men say... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gingerbread man say... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Gingerbread Cookie Recipe

3D Bunny & Lamb Cookies 3D版小兔小羊曲奇

Rezept auf Deutsch - 3D Kaninchen und Lamm Plätzchen
中文食譜 - 3D版小兔小羊曲奇


3D Bunny & Lamb cookies
Ingredients for ~40 cookies

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoon (125g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups (384g) all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Decorations: red color food dye, sugar toppings, chocolate pen

Preparation

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter till light, beat in sugar until fluffy and pale yellow.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
• Mix the salt and flour together, add the mixture into the batter by 3 additions. After all the ingredients are well blended, it will form a breadcrumb like dough.
• Take out the dough and knead into a ball shape, wrap with cling film and chill for one hour.
• Pinch about size of tablespoon of the chilled dough, drip a tiny droplet of red food dye and knead until pink. 
• Preheat the oven to 165°C / 350 °F / Gas mark 3, Line two baking papers on the baking tray. 

3D Bunnies

• To make the bunny body, take about size of a tablespoon dough, roll into a one side fuller, one side thinner oval shape, then lie on the baking tray.
• Now make the bunny ears, pinch very tiny bit of pink dough and roll into strip, then press it lightly on the rabbit body.

3D Lambs

• To make the lamb body, take about size of ¾ tablespoon dough, roll into one side fuller, one size side thinner oval shape, then lie on the baking tray.
• Pinch super tiny bit of the dough and roll into several balls, press them one by one on the lamb body except the face.
• Now make the lamb ears, pinch very tiny bit of pink dough, roll into a teardrop shape, then press it lightly on the lamb body.

Decorations

• Bake the cookies for 15~18 minutes until pale golden then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to leave cool.
• Melt the chocolate pen in hot water, paint two small dots on the faces to make the eyes, drop another dot on the bottom and stick the sugar topping to make the tail.
• After the eyes and tails appear. Look! Your super adorable little bunnies and lambs. These little fine works are truly irresistible to anyone.

Ingredients checklist: Butter, sugar, flour, salt, egg, vanilla extract, food dye, sugar topping and chocolate pen.

Utensils checklist: A scale, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a mixing bowl, a hand mixer or electric mixer, a spatula, a baking tray and parchment paper.

Cream the butter and beat in sugar until fluffy.

After the egg and vanilla extract are added, the batter become moister and creamier.

Now add the flour,  the dough become breadcrumb like texture.

Hong Kong's summer is very hot, it is better chill the dough for a while first.

Just a very small amount of food dye already good enough to turn the dough pink. I'm sure you don't want leave any dye on your worktop, prepare it on a piece of cling film.

 Rolling the dough gently to shape the body, a sharper nose, a fuller hip, make it fun by your hand.

After the pink ears are given, the bunny shape is starting to appear : )

So much work to make the lambs!!! I am so exhausted to make just less than 10.

The cookies are cooled. Let's make the eyes and tails.

A close up... how cute they are! All my efforts are really worth it.

 Are you cruel enough to put us into your mouth >_<

Special thanks to tofu girl for her lovely recipe from "Open Mouth Insert Cookies".

Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 煙韌朱古力燕麥曲奇

Rezept auf Deutsch - Weiche Schokolade Haferflocken Plätzchen
中文食譜 - 煙韌朱古力燕麥曲奇


Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients for ~30 cookies

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
• ½ cup (110g) light muscovado sugar
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• one large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup + 2 teaspoon (80g) all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate soda 
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cup (128g) quick cooking oat
• ½ cup (90g) chocolate chips

Preparation

• Preheat oven 165°C / 350 °F / Gas Mark 3. Line 2 layers of parchment papers on the baking tray. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside.
• Beat the butter until light and fluffy, then add the muscovado sugar. Mix well the ingredients in medium speed, then follow with the granulated sugar.
• After sugar and butter are well combined, then beat in the egg and drip in the vanilla extract.
• Put the flour mixture into a sifter, and sift into the batter by 3~4 additions. After all the ingredients are well blended, then you can stop beating the mixture.
• Add in the oatmeal into the batter by 3~4 additions. Mix the ingredients with a spatula to form a soft dough, then add in the chocolate chips and mix well.
• Prepare the baking tray and one tablespoon. Fill the dough into the spoon and pour it over on the baking tray, so now just finished the first cookie. Repeat this step and line the cookies on the baking tray, leave around 1.5 inch spaces between the cookies.
• Put the baking tray into the oven and bake for 12~15 minutes until the cookie's edge turn golden brown. The freshly baked cookies are very soft, wait for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and leave cool. These cookies will remain semi-soft after totally cooled,  and this is the unique texture of the chewy chocolate oatmeal cookies.

Bitchee Bitchee Ya Ya Ya - Fuck Friend (CSS Remix)

Ingredients checklist: butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract,  flour, baking soda, salt, oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Utensils checklist: A scale, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a hand mixer or electric mixer, a spatula, a sifter, a baking tray and parchment papers.

First, cream the butter until soft, then add in the brown sugar.

After the brown sugar and butter are well combined, then add in the white sugar.

Beat in the egg and follow with the vanilla extract. Blend the mixture in medium speed all the time.

Sift in the flour mixture into the batter several times, after one does is well absorbed, then you can sift in more flour. Turn off the mixer after the batter is well blended.

The basic batter is done, it should be beautifully smooth and able to hold it's shape.

Now can pour in the oatmeal, and replace with a spatula for the mixing.

Time for chocolate chips, it's always the best for last.

The cookie dough is completed. Chill it in a refrigerator for 15~30 minutes if it is too soft, this can prevent the cookies spread out too much when baking.

Now can start making the cookies one by one. First, fill the dough into the tablespoon.

Then place the rounded dough the baking tray with parchment papers.

So you can have even sized cookies. Remember to leave some space between, because the cookies will spread out after baked.

After 12~15 minutes baking, the sweet smelling and piping hot fresh cookies are straight from the oven. Do not move the cookies now coz they are too soft.

Can serve immediately after the cookies are cooled. The taste of chocolate is sweet but not greasy, the baked oatmeal is full of flavor and chewy, another good time to enjoy the afternoon tea.

Mini Tips:

• You may use semi-sweet chocolate, milk chocolate or dark chocolate for the sweetness you like.
• If you don't have chocolate chips, replace with a chocolate bar and break into small pieces.
• Hand mixer and electric mixer are both good, the results will be just the same.
• Use medium speed to blend the ingredients all the time. When one ingredient is well absorbed, follow with another ingredient or pause the beating, because over-beat the ingredients will make the cookies spread out too much when baking.

Reference recipe : All Recipe by Panthera

Butter Cupcakes with Lemon Flavor 檸香牛油杯蛋糕

Rezept auf Deutsch - Butter Cupcake mit Zitronenaroma
中文食譜 - 檸香牛油杯蛋糕

Butter Cupcakes with Lemon Flavor 
Ingredients for ~ 12 cupcakes

• ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 lemon
• 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (60 ml) milk
• Icing sugar for decoration

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4). Prepare a drawing paper, and draw your favorite shapes and cut out with a cutter.
• In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Grate the lemon zest and set aside.
• In another mixing bowl and using a egg whisk, beat the butter and sugar until light and pale yellow. Then beat in the eggs, one each time, combine well the ingredients for each addition, and follow with the vanilla extract and lemon zest. 
• Start with adding little bit of the flour into the mixture. Mix gently, then alternately add the flour mixture and milk in three additions. Ending with the remaining flour, mix well all the ingredients to form a smooth batter.
• Line the cake molds on the baking tray. With a tablespoon, fill the batter evenly into the molds, or about 70% full. Bake about 18~20 minutes until light golden.
• Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for a while. Place the drawing paper on the top of the cake and sift a layer of icing sugar. After remove the paper. Look! Your lovely self designed cupcake! This is a pure pleasure : )

Metronomy - This could be Beautiful

Ingredients checklist: Butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon, flour, baking powder, salt, milk and icing sugar. 

Utensils checklist: a measuring cup, a teaspoon, bowls, cake molds, a egg whisk, a spatula, a grater, a sifter and a baking tray.

Design your favorite patterns. If you are lazy, then just make it simple.

Using a grater, peel the lemon's yellow zest.

After the butter and sugar become light and pale yellow, add the eggs one by one.

Alternately, add the flour mixture and milk.

Fill the cake molds evenly, then bake in the oven.

If you are not sure are the cakes well baked. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cakes, if there are no batter stick on the toothpick, then the cakes are done.

Place your designed paper on the cake.

Put the icing sugar into a sift, and sprinkle a layer on the top.

Look! Your custom made cupcake is done!

A smell of lemon flavor, a soft cupcake. It is double enjoyment of taste and sight.

Mini Tips:

When I made this cupcakes, I tried the vanilla beans, vanilla extract and also skipped both. But the results did not make a very big difference. Comparing to the lemon zest, it gave me a nice surprise because it truly gave a  refreshing fragrance to the cakes. Especially when they are fresh from the oven, just tear open the cakes and apparently, the smell of lemon would fill into your nose.  

If you only have salted butter, please take off the ¼ teaspoon of salt. As too much sodium would affect the result of the baking powder.  

If your hometown is humid like Hong Kong, the icing sugar patterns only can last about one day. So... better prepare the topping just before inviting your friends. 

Reference recipe: 

Joy of baking

Easter Bunnies Butter Cookies 復活節兔子牛油曲奇餅

Osterhasen Buttergebäck - Rezept auf Deutsch
復活節兔子牛油曲奇餅 - 中文食譜

Easter Bunnies Butter Cookies
Ingredients for ~ 40 cookies

• 280g all purpose flour
• 175g unsalted butter
• 130g caster sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• Decoration: pink and brown colour chocolate pens

Preparation

• Dice the butter into small cubes, set in room temperature until soft.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until the mixture appears like breadcrumbs. Follow by sugar and egg yolk until the mixture start  to form a dough.
• Put the dough on to a floured surface and knead until smooth and the crumbs go away. Shape into a ball, Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for half hour.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (Gas 4). Line two baking papers on the baking tray.
• Take the firmed dough out from the fridge and roll into 5mm thick, use a cookie cutter to shape your favorite cookies and line on the baking tray. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes until pale golden.
• Transfer the freshly baked cookies to a wire rack and leave cool. Melt the chocolate pens in boiling water. Now is the time to create and decorate your favorite cookies : )

Stereolab - Miss Modular

Ingredients checklist: Flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk, chocolate pens
Utensils checklist: Scale, a large bowl, egg whisk, rolling pin, cookie cutter, spatula, wire rack, baking sheets and tray

Beat the flour and sugar into breadcrumb texture

After adding sugar and egg yolk it start forming into a dough

Knead the dough till smooth and no crumbs, then chill in the fridge

Roll the dough into a flat piece, and shape by a cookie cutter

Use a spatula to take out the cookies gently

Leave some spaces in between the cookies

Woo!!! Start drawing my cookies!!!

Mini Tips:

• If you don't have a rolling pin and cookie cutter, use your hands to shape a tiny piece of dough, or use a knife to cut into different shapes.
• If you think colouring the cookies is too trouble, try decorate the cookies with chocolate beans.
• No electric egg whisk? No problem. I also used to whisk by hand, the result was no difference at all.