Snow Globe Cookies. An Edible Winter Wonderland.
These are quite possibly my new favorite cookies to date. Food made to look like real life items make me happy. Enough to make an excited snorting noise. Or a squeal, if that is your thing.
My parents purchased a snow globe for me from the San Francisco Music Box Company when we lived in California. I would sit in bed, shaking it and winding it up, imagining myself in this special little world. I created fantastical scenarios in my head that included everything from the likes of a unicorn family to a medieval life in the country. In lieu of the recent tragedy, I can’t help but think of how lucky I was to be so safe and happy.
If you make these snow globes, share them with someone special. Change the colors or design if you like. My design is simply a guideline but you can make these however you please. They are meant to represent you and what is most special to you.
Snow Globe Cookies
You will need a cut-out cookie and royal icing recipe. I suggest using the recipe I posted for Star Wars cookies, here.
The ONLY difference I made was for the royal icing. I used about 1 cup of sifted confectioner’s sugar for every egg white to make it thick.\
You can obviously use a store cookie dough and meringue powder (just follow the directions on the package), if you like. It will not taste as good, however, this is a good shortcut if you need it.
–isomalt crystals, or isomalt sticks
In order to create the “glass” look you can use a clear lollipop recipe which is just boiling down sugar, water and cornstarch and pouring. I decided on using isomalt, which is sort of a sugar substitute. It is a bajilllioooooon times easier to work with, and doesn’t turn yellow like boiled sugar does. It can also be melted again after hardening unlike sugar. The crystals required water to be added and then boiled. I suggest using the sticks because they are ready to simply melt and pour. Easy!
Tools
As mentioned in the Star Wars cookie and icing recipe you need,
–piping tips (I used size 1 and 2, because mine had a lot of details. If you are going to for for something more simple then just buy one size at your craft or baking supply store)
-food coloring (I use super red Americolor, there are other brands available in art or baking supply stores, or even Sur La Table)
-toothpicks (helpful but not required)
ALSO:
–snow globe cookie cutter (or here
if the other is sold out), and a smaller circle cookie cutter
to cut out a window (OR a triangleand two circle cookie cutters
)
Make your cookie dough according to this recipe.
Place a piece of wax or parchment paper the size of your baking sheet onto a counter.
Rub a little flour onto a rolling pin and roll out your dough on the parchment paper.
Use a snow globe cookie cutter, and a smaller circle cookie cutter
to create snow globes.
If you want to use more practical shapes, you can combine a triangle cookie cutter and two circle cookie cutters
.
Refrigerate until totally firm.
Tip: If the cookie dough is super soft and not holding shapes, you can refrigerate first then cut out shapes.
Bake at 315-325 degrees or until firm but not browning.
Set up a pot and melt/boil isomalt according to instructions.
Holding the handle of the pot, pour the syrup into each snow globe window.
After trial and error, they work when the cookies are face up. As it hardens, make your royal icing.
Separate egg whites from yolks. Keep the whites.
Place egg whites in your mixing bowl. For every egg white you use, add 1/16 of a teaspoon of cream of tartar (along with the spices in your grocery store). Just fill up the 1/8 teaspoon halfway.
Turn your mixer on medium-low to incorporate the tartar.
Keep mixing. Scrape the side down if necessary.
Stop when frothy.
Now time to add the confectioner’s sugar. It has to be sifted, or else your icing will be a clumpy hot mess.
You can use a sifter, but I prefer a sieve, also referred to as a strainer.
I find sifters a chore to use and clean.
Pouring some (not all at once unless it is a LARGE sieve) of the sugar in, shake it side to side.
I actually just use my fingers to push the sugar through. I am able to prevent mess, and it sifts much more quickly.
Keep pushing it through.
Turn mixer on low and mix the sugar in. Scrape down sides. Turn mixer on medium-high and “whip†for 5-8 minutes. It will look almost like a whipped frosting.
Separate and add in colors.
Pour your filling (you should add a few drops of water to thin it out a touch) into the condiment bottles, and anything you want to outline into piping bags.
TO FILL PIPING BAGS WITH ICING
Place a few spoonfuls of icing onto a large piece of plastic wrap.
Fold one corner of the plastic wrap over to meet the opposite corner.
Roll it up like a burrito. Or something that needs to be rolled up. I don’t know.
Hold each end and twirl it until it winds up tightly. Like a towel. But don’t whip anyone’s tush with this. Black splotch on tush not good.
You need a piping bag, coupler (comes with a ring), and piping tip. A round tip of average size works. Just large enough to outline.
You can find these in arts and craft stores, or baking supply stores. I have even seen it at a party supply store.
Place a coupler in. Pull your plastic wrap through.
Cut the twisted end of the plastic wrap protruding from the piping bag. Place the piping tip on, and screw the ring to secure.
Use a rubber band to secure the other end. Nice trick, no? Keeps the bags clean and easy to transfer in new colors. My mom taught me this.
To decorate the cookies:
I drew out a couple of designs, then piped out the designs onto the “glass” with the drawing underneath as guidance.
If you would like to use those designs, feel free to print this out:
Yeah, I don’t really do print-outs. Just drew this with a pen in less than a minute so love it or leave it.
Also, you can either pipe out little dots for snowflakes or glue snowflake sprinkles onto the “glass” with icing.
You can leave it as is, or for an extra wow factor, top with another cookie to make it enclosed.
Take a new cookie, pipe a circle around each outlining edge. Pipe around the base outline. Fill it in with the condiment bottle and use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles. Pipe out any design you like on top of the white. I chose hearts and squiggles. Easy.
Note: If you are piping a dark, vivid color onto white make certain that frosting is thicker than the white or else it will blur.
Once dry, attach top cookie to bottom with a thin piping of icing.
This is where you oooh and ahhhh. Or just squeal and snort, if you’re anything like me.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Atheism, Holidays, Scientology, Mayan end of the world day, Harry Potter enthusiasts, whatever. Doesn’t matter what you believe or practice, just have a nice Holiday whatever it may be.
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Oh my word those are snort worthy;p I love the mushroom ones the best, so cute!
WOW…. These cookies are simply amazing! Too cute to eat! I am sure everyone will be surprised and happy to receive a cookie like this.
Your snowglobe cookies are beautiful! I noticed that the link to the snowglobe cutter shows that they are sold out/unavailable… You might want to link to the best copper cookie cutter supplier in the world, coppergifts.com since all the cookie cutters they produce are heirloom quality and priced VERY reasonable! CopperGifts.com even has a snowglobe cookie cutter set, which includes other supplies needed to turn out pretty snowglobe cookies.
I love to bake and decorate cookies too so your blog is one I’ll visit a lot for added inspiration. Thank you!
Merry Christmas!
oh my gosh, these are the cutest cookies i have ever seen! i think they would be too cute i wouldn’t want to eat them. but i love cookies so i couldn’t help it. yum!
I am seriously in love with these cookies. I LOVE snow globes. I LOVE snow globes. LOVE them. I have a very fond memory of being in our previous home, in the piano room, with corner windows (almost floor to ceiling). The snow was swirling around and I felt like I was IN a snow globe. I cherish that memory. I wish I could buy a few of those cookies! LOVE them!!!
they are so adorble and thankyou for a great tutorial : I have shared it on my FB.
Really cool!! These remind me of the stained glass cookies that my mom and I made when I was little. We would put crushed hard candies in the openings before baking or sometimes we would make lollipops and poor it in the openings after they were baked and mix in sprinkles. My favorite was when we made vinegar candy and used that in the openings.
I love the little drawings you put on them!
Brilliant! These and the eggnog marshmellows are going right into my permanent goodies file. Thank you for the recipes and excellent instructions.
Holy moly. These are so genius and fun and adorable! I love the precious little mushrooms. (And I’ve never even heard of isomalt, but it sounds awesome!)
@kelly, It will change your life!
These are brilliant!!! I love this idea!
Let me congratulate you before anything, i`ve never seen such a beautiful work,The bad thing about it is that you make it look so easy that i might try to make it.
Send you my greetings from Argentina.
These are phenomenal! So sweet! I could get lost in them too:)
@sur, thanks! I did get lost in them
For a while.
These are beautiful. Could they be made ahead and frozen or would it mess up the isomelt?
I have never heard of anyone placing isomalt in the freezer. I would either experiment with one cookie, or only freeze them as baked then decorate the week of.
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