Having just returned from the most amazing few days in Dubai, I've not even got around to catching up on unpacking and washing (I have at least 7 loads of washing to do!!!) and yet my priority seems to lie with getting up to date with GBBO. I have recorded it but not yet watched week 2 and obviously haven't had a chance to bake something specifically for it. So I am re-blogging some iced cow biscuits from earlier this year to link up with #GBBObloggers2016 at Mummy Mishaps.
Here's the original blogpost from May 2016 below:
I have the Biscuiteers book of iced biscuits and I used the Plain Biscuit recipe in there which is identical to this one on the Biscuiteers blog but doesn't have vanilla in. I only needed to cook mine for around 12-15 minutes and they were done. Technically I guess they are biscuits but I am using the terms cookies and biscuits interchangeably here.
I happen to have a cow shaped cookie cutter at home but you can always make your own template using baking paper and then cut around with a knife onto the cookie dough.
Once they were totally cool, it was a case of tackling the consistency issue of the icing. My nemesis - it is what I always struggled with everytime on previous attempts.
The recipe for the icing was once again from the Biscuiteers book which is also available on their blog here. I made a far smaller quantity than the recipe. I think only around a tenth.
As these Cows are quite simple to make, I only needed very few colours which I think helped as I didn't get overwhelmed as on previous occassions. I took my time and really tried to get the consistency right for the line icing.
This was a pale pink (although it looks rather white on these photos) line icing I made. There are some great tips on the Sweet Sugarbelle blog on icing consistency - reading up on exactly what consistency you need to aim for really helps.
1. First use pink line icing to ice ear and muzzle outlines.
I use these squeezy bottles instead of piping bags as I find them easier.
2. Next I used pink flood icing to flood the ears and muzzle area. I had aimed for a darker pink outline and a paler pink flood icing but they ended up pretty similar. Never mind.
3. Using slightly runnier than 'line consistency' white icing, pipe on eyes for the cows.
4. Next using line icing in black, ice on any cow markings onto your biscuits.
5. By the time I had finished piping the black outlines, the first one was dry enough to pipe the black flood icing onto it. Little black dots can also be piped onto the eyes as pupils at the same time.
6. The final finishing touch is to use a darker shade of pink slightly runnier than line icing to pipe on the nostrils.
Just as I was about to take photos of the finished cookies, the skies turned grey and the heavens opened with a huge downpour of rain, making it really dark indoors too and trickier to take photos.
I made some 'grass' cookies with the leftover dough and some green ready-to-roll icing I had. The little white flowers are cut out of white ready-to-roll icing.
Linking up with #GBBObloggers2016 at Mummy Mishaps:
These are fabulous and I definitely sense a kindred spirit... I'd much rather bake than unpack... or make dinner for that matter!
ReplyDeletethanks Gina. Yes baking is my favourite activity to procrastinate with! x
Deletethese are just adorable - i have such envy of people who can bake and decorate such professional looking biscuits :)
ReplyDeletethank you for linking up x x
thanks jenny - i think it is luck for me rather than skill as it has taken lots of failed attempts to get to this point and there's no guarantee they would turn out well in future. x
DeleteOH WOW! theses are awesome... I made very similar in cupcake toppers before from fondant and I loved the whole thing!! There's something very sweet about cutesy cows! Hazel x
ReplyDeletethanks Hazel. x
DeleteThese are stunning!! Very clever you icing is lovely!
ReplyDeletethank you leanne. x
DeleteOooh these are super cute Rebecca - a really professional finish to the whole bake and decoration. Hope you all had a fab time in Dubai,
ReplyDeleteAngela x
thanks Angela. Yes Dubai was wonderful. Blogposts to follow soon! x
DeleteCan't believe I haven't already commented on this - must have been your instagram. Love them!
ReplyDeleteyes i think i did instagram them at the time. x
DeleteBrilliant decorating Rebecca, you must have such a steady hand and a lot of patience. The cows are so cute!
ReplyDeletethanks Lucy x
DeleteThese are adorable! I hope you had a wonderful holiday, I haven't really caught up with baking with Bake Off yet and I've not been away!
ReplyDeletethanks Anne, yes we have had a great summer. You've had a lot on your plate lately and the great thing about baking is that it is supposed to be fun and enjoyable so no hurry to do it - just when you feel like it. x
DeleteThese are so cute almost wish my kids were little again so I could go make them right now.
ReplyDeletethanks so much jacqueline x
DeleteThese are lovely. the girls would love to find these in their lunchboxes!
ReplyDeleteThe kids love them and I love them too! thanks for your comment x
DeleteAhhhh these are so so cute! Love the little flower on the cow's ear :)
ReplyDelete