Today Only 10% off any Mary Kuilema Ornament
(Tuesday, December 13, 2016)
Birdhouse Sprinkle Cookies
Ingredients:
Cookies:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups full-flavor molasses
2/3 cup water
6 cups Gold Medal® all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions:
In large bowl, mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and cold water until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, salt, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. On lightly floured surface, roll dough 1/2 inch thick. Using knife or 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into squares or circles for bases of birdhouses, and into hearts for roofs.
Place heart shape upside down on top of square or circle, just overlapping. Using end of drinking straw, make hole in center of birdhouse base for door and at top of roof for hanging. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
Bake about 15 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. While warm, insert pretzel stick just below door hole for perch. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.
Drinking straws
8 pretzel sticks, cut into 1-inch lengths
Thin ribbon or gold string
Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-5 tablespoons half and half
Decorations:
Glitter gel for cookies and cakes
Sanding sugars
In medium bowl, mix 4 cups powdered sugar, the vanilla and enough half-and-half for desired spreading consistency. Tint with food color as desired.
Frost tops of cookies (roofs) with frosting; sprinkle with powdered sugar or sanding sugars.
Decorate with decorating icing and sprinkles.
Thread pieces of gold string through holes in tops of birdhouses;
tie in knots to make hangers.
Notes:
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First of all, bake these on parchment. I lightly greased my baking sheet, and they stuck. Must be the molasses.
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The string (top) hole I punched with a straw, the other slightly larger hole should be made with a bottle cap, or even the large end of a piping tip.
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Said holes will want to close up as the cookies bake. After about 10 minutes of baking time, take them out and re-punch holes. I know, it’s a pain – but look how they turned out! Put them back in 5-10 more minutes until done.
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A standard pretzel stick broken in half makes the perfect size perch.
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This gingerbread cookie has a strong spicy flavor, and the molasses gives it durability. It is a hard cookie, but delicious and very edible. Use only for one season, as ornaments. They are meant to be eaten, but are strong enough to endure a December on the tree.
