Easter Rainbow Funfetti Cookies

Easter Rainbow Funfetti Cookies

Easter Rainbow Funfetti Cookies

Chocolate Easter Bunnies and Eggs

This weekend, I baked Rainbow Funfetti Easter cookies using a recipe from Sweet Sugarbelle (see link below). It is my go to vanilla sugar cookie recipe I always make with the added sprinkles. I made Peeps, several different Bunnies, Bunny Tails, Bunny Paws, Chicks, Eggs, Carrots, and Lambs. I doubled this recipe and saved half of the Coconut dough I used for the Bird's Nest Cookies. I also saved some of the Chocolate dough from my Panda Cookies, so I ended up with a whole lot of cookies. I made a lot of Royal Icing as well and worked on these cookies for two days.

Peeps

Peeps

Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies (Depending on cutter size)

Ingredients
1 cup, 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into cubes

1 1/2 cups Confectioner's/Powdered Sugar

1 Large Egg

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

2 3/4 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1/2 cup Rainbow Jimmies

Bunny Tails and Paws

Bunny Tails and Paws close-up

Directions
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a hand held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed; 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix for a 10 seconds.

Add eggs, and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix.

Bunny Tails

Bunny Tails

Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 5 seconds.

With mixer on low speed, slowly add flour mixture and incorporate.

Add rainbow sprinkles and mix until incorporated.

The dough is ready when it begins to clump around paddle attachment.

Bunny Tails

Carrots

Cut in half and roll dough into 2 balls, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight or for 30-45 minutes in the freezer if pressed for time.

Take half of the dough leaving unused dough covered with plastic wrap in fridge until ready to use.

Heat oven to 400°F.

Use two sheets of parchment paper with dough in between and roll with rolling pin until desired thickness is reached.

Bunnies

Bunnies

Dip cutters in flour, shake off excess, and make shapes with cutters.

Place onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Place cookie sheets in freezer for 10-15 minutes. The cookies hold their shape when you do this.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until the edges have slightly browned. My cookies baked in 9 minutes.

Wait 5 minutes before transferring cookies on cooling racks to complete cooling.

Decorate once cookies have cooled completely.

Bunny Paws

Large Batch Royal Icing
Ingredients
8 Egg Whites

8 teaspoons Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

12 cups Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla Extract

Chicks

Directions

In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, set aside.

In a bowl, add egg whites.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg whites and lemon juice.

Transfer to stand or hand held mixer with paddle attachment and mix on high for 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and mix for 5-10 seconds.

With mixer speed on low, slowly add sifted sugar and beat on low until smooth.

Easter Eggs

If needed, you may add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency. Watch the Joy of Baking (link at the end) video for both Flooding Consistency and Piping Consistency Royal Icing. If you prefer a recipe using Meringue Powder, it is also available at this link.

I separated the white icing I needed, and transferred to squeeze bottles.

For the rest of the icing, I separated them in plastic containers with lids according to how many different colors I needed.

I used AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in Turquoise, Teal, Fuschia, Pink, Yellow, Orange, Green, and Chocolate Brown. Use 1-2 drops at a time until you reach the color desired.

Keep the containers covered until you are ready to color.

I transferred the icing immediately into squeeze bottles.

If the royal icing hardens due to exposure to air, use a spray bottle and spray a little bit of water and shake bottle well holding the tip with your finger. Test the icing consistency on a paper towel before decorating the cookie.

Lambs

Lambs close-up

I outlined the cookies first, waited 1/2 hour and then filled them.

Use a paintbrush or cookie stick to reach edges, and use tip of cookie stick or a toothpick to pop any air bubbles.

If you are using sprinkles, confetti, nonpareils, sugar pearls, dragees, etc... add them over wet icing.

I also use edible markers to draw over some of the cookies to make more precise lines with the border icing.

Let cookies dry overnight. This is essential so the icing does not stick together when you stack them or place in cookie tins or gift bags.

If you are baking and it is humid, allow more time for the cookies to dry.

For the Rainbow Funfetti Cut-out Recipe, visit:
http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2015/07/rainbow-funfetti-cutout-cookie-recipe/

For the Royal Icing Recipe and Video Tutorial, visit:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Bunny Tails Cupcakes

Bunny Tails Cupcakes

Bunny Tails Cupcakes

The cutest Bunny Tails Cupcakes

I found a kit from Wilton (see pic below) at Target to make Bunny Tails Cupcakes and bought extra Wilton White Pearlized Jimmies to make sure I had enough. I made a dozen splitting the cupcake recipe from my previous post, Bunny Ears Cupcakes. Go to the link for the cupcake recipe and vanilla frosting. I used a vanilla cupcake recipe from Life, Love and Sugar and it was a recipe I will use it again. The cupcake was tender and moist and full of vanilla yumminess.

Close-up of Bunny Tails Cupcakes

Another close-up of Bunny Tails Cupcakes

I suggest using hot pink liners for your cupcakes.

Start by making the cupcakes and frosting.

Bunny Tails Cupcakes all done!

In a medium size bowl, add sprinkles.

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost all the cupcakes making sure to cover the tops to the edges.

Wilton Bunny Tails Kit

Wilton White Pearlized Jimmies, they sparkle

After you have frosted all the cupcakes, take each one and dip into the jimmies. 

Pour sprinkles over the sides to cover completely.

Then take a bunny tail and dab a little frosting on the bottom, and press onto cupcake.

Repeat these steps until you have done them all.

Press cupcake into sprinkles

Then do the same for the bunny paws and place them as seen in the photos.

That's it! Super easy and they are adorable. This is a great recipe to do with your family. 

-Enjoy

-Sophia/Two Frys

Bunny Ears Cupcakes

Bunny Ears Cupcakes

Bunny Ears Cupcakes

Bunny Ears Cupcakes

I have been saving pins on Pinterest of different variations of Bunny Ears Cupcakes for several months, and was excited to make them for Easter. I was inspired particularly by the Bunny Ears Cupcakes from the blog, One Little Project (see link below). I baked so much this week and thought I would not have enough time to make them, but I managed to make 2 different kinds of cupcakes in addition to over 225 Easter Cookies since I woke up real early every morning to bake. I bought all the ingredients a week prior to making the cupcakes, and had a lot of fun baking and putting them together. These Bunny Ears Cupcakes are really adorable and this recipe tastes amazing. The cupcake is moist and has a great vanilla flavor. Bunny Ears Cupcakes are a really fun project to do if you have kids, and it is easy. I highly recommend this Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Life, Love and Sugar. See recipe and directions below.

Cute Bunny Ears Cupcakes

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 cups Granulated Sugar

3 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup Whole Milk

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs

1 cup Hot Tap Water

Bunny Ears going in cupcake carrier 

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F and prepare cupcake pans with hot pink liners.

In a large bowl combine with a whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a medium sized bowl combine with a whisk the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs; set aside.

Add flour mixture to stand mixer with paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer), and add the milk mixture and combine on medium speed until incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and mix again for 5 seconds.

Slowly add the hot water, and mix on low speed until incorporated.

The batter is not thick so do not be surprised.

Fill the cupcake liners half way and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. My cupcakes baked in 17 minutes.

Remove from oven and after 2 minutes, place cupcakes onto wire rack to completely cool.

What you need to make the Bunny Cupcake ears, nose and eyes

Vanilla Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup, 1 stick Salted Butter, softened

1/2 cup Shortening (Crisco)

4 cups Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

2-3 tablespoons Whole Milk

All the ingredients separated in bowls for the Bunny Ears, nose and eyes

Directions:
Using stand or hand held mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed, combine the butter and shortening and incorporate until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of whole milk and mix until incorporated.

Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until incorporated.

Add remaining whole milk as needed (I used 3 tablespoons) and mix until combined.

Cut the marshmallow diagonally to make the ears

Bunny Ears Ingredients:
Light Pink Sprinkles

Marshmallows

Mini Chocolate Chip Morsels

Pink Jelly Beans

1 bag Sweetened Coconut Flakes

All the Bunny Ears done!

Directions:
Place in separate bowls the mini chocolate chip morsels, pink jelly beans, pink sprinkles and coconut flakes you need according to how many cupcakes you baked.

Take each marshmallow and using a scissor cut it diagonally, and then press the cut/sticky side into the sprinkles. Repeat until you have all the bunny ears you need and arrange in pairs.

Take vanilla frosting and cover each cupcake completely with a spatula or knife.

Carefully take a cupcake and press it down into a bowl of coconut flakes.

Use the frosting as “glue” for the marshmallow ears and add enough to cover the bottom of the ear.

Press two ears in place on the top of the cupcake.

Then press a pink jelly bean into the cupcake to make the nose.

Lastly, press in two mini chocolate chip morsels to make the eyes.

For the Vanilla Cupcakes recipe visit Life, Love and Sugar:
http://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2017/01/16/moist-vanilla-cupcakes/

I was inspired by One Little Project to make these Bunny Ears Cupcakes:
http://onelittleproject.com/easter-bunny-cupcakes/

-Enjoy

-Sophia/Two Frys

Easter Eggs Using Cool Whip

Easter Eggs Using Cool Whip

Easter Eggs Using Cool Whip

Pretty Easter Eggs

About a month ago, I came across the site Passion for Savings and loved the way the Easter Eggs came out using Cool Whip. I watched the video and had to try it. Last week, Allen and I made our Easter Eggs with Cool Whip and they came out so pretty. Every year we like to color eggs together and we had fun doing them. I will use this technique again next year and do many more colors. You only need a few ingredients. See directions below.

Close-up of Easter Eggs, so pretty!

Ingredients
1- 24 oz. Cool Whip

Americolor Gel Food Colors

1 Dozen Eggs, Hard Boiled

3 Cups Distilled White Vinegar

Close-up of Easter Eggs

Directions
Thaw Cool Whip and place it in 2 9x13 baking dishes.

Put 3-4 drops of Gel Colors of your choice into Cool Whip, and combine using a knife and swirl around to mix the different colors. I did two colors in each dish.

Once hard boiled eggs are cooled, place in a large bowl in vinegar and soak for 10 minutes. This step will help the eggs absorb the color.

Using AmeriColor Turquoise-left and Sky Blue-right

Gently pat dry each egg with a paper towel.

Place eggs in the Cool Whip color mixture and cover completely, and let them absorb the color for 20 minutes.

One by one, put egg in a bowl of water to remove Cool Whip. Only do this for a few seconds.

AmeriColor Purple-left and Fuschia-right

Gently pat dry with paper towel and repeat until you do all the eggs.

I placed in a dish, covered with plastic wrap, and placed in the fridge overnight for the colors to develop.

Note: Do not place eggs in running water or the color will wash off.

Covering eggs completely and letting them set to absorb the color

For instructions and video, visit Passion For Savings:
http://www.passionforsavings.com/how-to-dye-easter-eggs-with-cool-whip/

-Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Bird's Nest Cookies

Bird's Nest Cookies

Bird's Nest Cookies

This Coconut Cookie recipe from Glorious Treats is really yummy. I used this recipe last year for Valentine's Coconut Heart Cookies using toasted coconut in the dough and they were a hit. This year, I opted for plain coconut flakes and chopped them in small pieces. I doubled the recipe and saved half of the dough for Easter Cookies. I adjusted the recipe and added 1 teaspoon of coconut milk (Silk), and 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt. I suggest buying unsweetened coconut flakes to control the sugar content of the cookie. The texture of this coconut cookie is chewy and full of coconut flavor in every bite. If you love coconut, this is a great cookie for you to try. See recipe below.

Yield: 18-20 3 inch cookies

Bird's Nest Cookies

Ingredients
1 cups (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened and each stick cut into 8 cubes

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Large Egg

1 teaspoon Coconut  Milk (Silk)

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

½ teaspoon Coconut Extract

2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/8 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup finely chopped Unsweetened Coconut (I use Let's Do Organic 100% Organic Unsweetened Coconut Flakes)

Bird's Nest Cookies

Directions
Chop coconut into small pieces; set aside.

Cut each stick of butter into 8 pieces.

Using a whisk, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and chopped coconut in large bowl; set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment on low to medium speed. Mix until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds more.

Add egg one at a time. Scrape down bowl with spatula and mix again for another 10 seconds.

Add coconut milk, coconut and vanilla extracts, and mix for 1 minute.

Slowly add coconut flour mixture to bowl, and mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes. When dough clumps around paddle attachment, it is ready.

Form dough into a ball, cut in half, and cover with plastic wrap, and cool in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cadbury Mini Eggs, Coconut Grass

Take 1/2 of the dough, use rolling pin and roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper until desired thickness is reached.

Press a lightly floured round cutter into the dough to make shapes.

Repeat rolling the dough and cutting shapes until you have used it all.

Place cookie shapes on parchment lined baking sheets and space 2 inches apart.

Place cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking. They hold their shape when you do this.

Bake cookies for 9-13 minutes, or until center of cookie no longer looks wet. My cookies baked in 13 minutes.

Let cookies cool in baking sheets for 5 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Let cookie sheets cool completely before you bake again. I put the cookie sheets in the freezer for 5 minutes. Repeat until you have baked all the cookies.

To make Royal Icing, go to Joy of Baking for the recipe and video tutorial:
http://www.joyofbaking.com/RoyalIcing.html

Green Royal Icing, Coconut Grass, Cadbury Mini Eggs

Coconut Grass
Directions
1 bag Cadbury Mini Eggs

2 cups Sweetened Coconut Flakes

5-6 drops AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste in Green

1 tablespoon Water

1 Resealable Bag

Close-up of one Bird's Nest Cookie

Directions
Add coconut flakes in a resealable bag.

Add drops of Green color and water.

Seal bag and shake vigorously until coconut flakes turn green.

Add coconut grass over wet green royal icing.

Immediately press 3 Cadbury Mini Eggs in different colors over the coconut grass.

Let the cookies set for 2-3 hours or overnight.

For the Coconut Cookies recipe, visit Glorious Treats:
http://www.glorioustreats.com/2015/04/coconut-cut-out-cookies.html

For the Coconut Cookies using Toasted Coconut, please visit my Coconut Heart Cookies post:
https://twofrys.blogspot.com/2016/02/coconut-heart-cookies.html

-Enjoy!

Sophia/Two Frys

Panda Cookies

Panda Cookies

Panda Cookies

I ordered a Panda Cookie Cutter Set from Hong Kong on Amazon about two months ago and they arrived in three weeks. The wait was worth it, and the cutters and panda set is adorable. I wanted to make panda cookies as the last of my winter cookie series before spring baking commences this weekend. This is one recipe that turns into two doughs: vanilla orange and chocolate. If you need more than two dozen cookies just double the recipe. The vanilla and orange zest make this an aromatic cookie and while baking, the smell of orange, vanilla and chocolate permeated the kitchen in the best way possible. Since you need to bake this cookie just until slightly browned so the tops do not turn brown, the cookie is chewy and tender. The trick to using the cutters especially the faces (see pics below), is making sure the dough is cold. Room temperature dough will stick to the panda face imprints. See the recipe and instructions below.

Panda Cookies, so cute!

Panda faces, adorbs.

Yield: 2 Dozen Panda Cookies

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 1/2 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour

1/8 teaspoon Coarse Salt

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

Zest of 1 Orange (I used a Navel Orange)

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened and cut into cubes

1 Large Egg

1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Panda Cookies, close-up

Panda Cookies - you can see the orange zest 

Directions
Cream butter in a hand held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy; 1-2 minutes. Do not over mix.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix for 5 seconds.

Add egg, vanilla extract, orange zest and mix until incorporated. Do not over mix.

Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 5 seconds.

With mixer on low speed, add salt and slowly add the flour until incorporated. The dough is ready when it begins to clump around the paddle attachment.

Cut dough in half.

Pandas

On wire racks cooling

Take one half of the dough and add the cocoa powder and knead with your hands. I also added 2 drops of AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Color in Super Black. Knead until the dough is dark and roll dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and chill both dough balls in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight, or for 30-45 minutes in the freezer if pressed for time.

Take the chocolate dough leaving the vanilla orange dough in the fridge until ready to use.

Heat oven to 350°F.

Use two sheets of parchment paper and place chocolate dough in between, and roll with rolling pin until desired thickness is reached.

Dip panda cutters in flour, shake off excess, and make several shapes with the 3 different body cutters, and then use the panda face cutter. Place onto cookies sheets lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you use up the dough.

Panda Cookie Cutter Set

Take the vanilla orange dough and roll out as described above until desired thickness is reached. Use the 3 panda body cutters on the side with the belly shapes, and make several, and place them over each of the chocolate dough panda body shapes.

Take the panda face cutter and the 4 face imprints and dip them in flour, shake off excess, and make the face imprints pressing gently into the dough. Then use the face cutter over the imprints, centering it over the face imprint, and then pressing firmly into the dough to make the face shapes. Place the vanilla orange faces over the chocolate dough. Use a brush to gently remove any flour on the dough. Repeat until you have used up all the dough.

If the dough begins to stick, place the rolled out dough in between the parchment paper in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. I had to do this a few times since this is labor intensive cookie project. The face imprints will stick if the dough is at room temperature so keep the dough cold.

Panda Cutter Set, close up

Close-up of Panda Faces, 2 of the Panda Body Cutters

Place cookie sheets in freezer for 10-15 minutes. The cookies hold their shape when you do this.

Bake 8-13 minutes or until the edges have barely browned. My cookies baked in 13 minutes. Keep an eye so they do not over bake and brown. You want the vanilla orange cookies to be as light in color as possible. In my cookies, you can see the orange zest. I like the way that looks, but you can omit this and just add 1 teaspoon of orange extract and reduce the vanilla extract to 1/2 teaspoon.

Wait 5 minutes before transferring cookies on wire racks to complete cooling.

For the Vanilla and Chocolate Cookie Recipe, visit FoodNService:
http://foodnservice.com/panda-cookies-recipe/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys