New Year’s Eve Cookies

With one more day left in 2010 I finished my last batch of cookies, and I can assure you I will remember these cookies. It took 3 batches to get them right. I made delicious chocolate cookies, and as usual I was feeling extra generous so instead of all purpose flour I used pastry flour and extra 1/4 tsp baking soda, thinking I’m doing something exceptionally great…WRONG! First batch of cookies spread, though they tasted like brownies…they spread. So I thought..hm, extra baking soda was a wrong adjustment…so I kept going with another batch of cookies, used pastry flour, regular amount of baking soda, verdict? They spread again. That was enough for me. I went to bed ; actually I slept pretty well last night, no cookie nightmares or anything of that sort. So at 5 am I’m up and I baked another batch  of chocolate cookies, this time I ( finally) followed the recipe with the use of all purpose flour..and cookies turned out fine. I still can’t figure out why do I have to torture myself like this?!

Nevertheless, lesson learned; cookies are delicious.

~

 

Design for these cookies came to life just like  all the others…it just hit me, but seriously  I made Santa Cookies for a friend of mine for Christmas Day, and she asked me to make her the same Santa Cookies for New Year’s. She will be having pizza at her party and so the idea of having cookies presented on a plate in the round – pizza shape appealed to her. Anyway, I said, I’d think about something else, not Santa Cookie, I wanted to use the same shape cookie as I used for Santa…and voila I came up with this design.
I love how it serves 2 purposes,when presented on the plate it looks like pizza as well as a clock, perfect for New Year’s Eve. Originally I wanted to make the Clock using  all the hours/numbers, but then I realized only one cookie would have 12 and clock’s hands..so I scaled it down a little, just like you see below

 

My friend decided on colors  Pearl, Gold and Silver so I put those together.

I used Gold, Silver and Pearl  Luster Dust, painted all the details.

Usually I use McCormick Pure Lemon Extract, 2-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)

but since this was a chocolate cookie I decide to use combination of chocolate and orange*

McCormick/Schilling Orange Pure Extract, 1 fl oz
McCormick Lemon has 83% alcohol

McCormick Orange has 79% alcohol

Both work equally well.

 

*When using flavored extract to paint with luster dust, trace of extract’s flavor will be left on the painted icing.