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| Not a great photo - but I was taking it quickly on my phone while also playing 'superheroes' with a busy 2 year old toddler! Ha ha. I don't think it shows how detailed and realistic they really are! |
It took some trial and error, some thinking, some patience. In the end, I figured out what worked for me, and although these photos are from my 'first' trial run, this is a cookie that will now be made in triple batch so it can be an addition to our cookie trays and boxes this year.
NOTES: Use your favorite gingerbread or chocolate cookie recipe. I opted for a chocolate sugar cookie dough because no one in our family likes gingerbread. (I make our 'gingerbread men' out of chocolate sugar cookie dough as well!) A dry, non-sticky dough works best and using one with little or no baking powder or baking soda will help keep the details and edges on these cookies sharp. You can also keep them nice and detailed by placing the baking sheet and cut-out cookies into the freezer for 10+ minutes before baking. I did not do that for the cookies in these photos as this was my trial and error afternoon - first run.
Pinecone Cookies
1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 1/2 t vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
2/3 c cocoa
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
powdered sugar optional
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix a nice dough similar to playdoh, not too sticky. If it's too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. If it's too dry and crumbles, add a teaspoon or two of milk or water until it comes together. Form 2 disks, place in refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare your pinecone mold with cooking spray oil like Pam. Dusting the mold with cocoa, flour, etc. does not help it come out easier and the best thing I found was to re-spray the mold every 2 or 3 cookies. Press a piece of dough into your mold. You can keep it thick or use a knife to cut/scrape the excess dough off the back. Thunk it on a counter top a few times to get it to start to come loose from the mold, help it a bit with your finger or tip of a butter knife, but the best way to get it out is to thunk it a few more times on the counter as it makes its way out on its own.
Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat to fill the sheet. Place in the freezer 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350. Bake about 12 minutes until done. Remove to wire to cool completely.
To decorate with 'snow' hold the cookie up, vertically and use a sieve with powdered sugar in it to lightly shake back and forth over the cookie so it falls on it as if it were snow. The edges of the pinecone sticking out is where the powdered sugar will gather - giving it a snow dusted look.
Serve or freeze until needed. You can freeze them without the powdered sugar, and add that just before serving at a future date.
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| This is the pinecone mold |
