Friday 12 February 2010

A Box of Roses

I have been extra slow in baking cookies for this festive season. Partly because I  didn't have any intention to make any cookies, and partly I guess age is really catching up on me. I had to rest my stiff neck and shoulders for 2 days after spending one whole morning making pineapple tarts.  My eye-sight is also failing, my presbyopia is getting worst...it is getting  difficult and tiring to focus on objects up close. So I stopped baking and did some spring cleaning instead.


Early this morning, after spending 9 minutes on a 1-km jog around the estate (I know, I am extremely slow!), I felt all charged up and I found myself spending the rest of the morning baking two batches of butter cookies...rolled and piped ones.

I worked on the piped cookies first as I was feeling excited at the thought of piping cookies...this is something I have not done before. The recipe is straight forward and down right simple...requires minimum ingredients and the dough was done in no time. The only difficult part was piping them! I thought I could use my Wilton 2D decorating tip as it gives very impressive rosettes just like this one I did. To my dismay, the tip is not suitable for piping the cookies, the dough which pass through the gaps on the tip was just too thin. Fortunately I have another huge star tip, a Wilton 1C, this one worked quite well. Although I was able to pipe decent looking rosettes they are nothing close to what I had in mind. I can only blame my lack of skill. I am quite hopeless at piping...I do not know the  right technique to position the tip and I am totally clueless how to create a nice swirl?! I though it would be easier to pipe pretty swirls with a cookie dough since it is firm, but I was wrong :'(


These piped cookies are also commonly known as Melting Moments. As the name implies, they literally melts in your mouth. The dough is made by the creaming method, that is, creaming butter with icing sugar to give a soft and crumbly texture. Icing sugar is used instead of caster sugar to prevent the cookies from spreading. Although the finer the sugar granules, the more spreading they cause, icing sugar which contains cornstarch will actually help the cookies to hold their shape better. Corn flour is also used alongside plain flour  to create the tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

These delicate butter cookies are a great treat! I like the simple flavour...butter and vanilla. I am glad I did the right thing of stocking up blocks of Lurpark unsalted butter when it was on sale ;) The Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon pure vanilla extract lends the cookies a full and rich vanilla flavour. My only regrets, I should have added vanilla paste instead ^_^'




Melting Moments

Ingredients
175g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
40g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
175g plain flour
40g cornflour (cornstarch)

Method:
  1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat for a few seconds.
  2. Sift the flour and cornflour together over the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
  3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star-shaped piping nozzle. Pipe into the required shapes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Space the shapes well apart.
  4. Bake the cookies in preheated oven at 180degC for 12 minutes or until they are a pale golden colour. Leave for a few minutes on the baking tray to firm up slightly before transferring to wire rack to cool.
Recipe Source: The Cookie and Biscuit Bible

Note: To prevent the cookies from spreading and hold the shape better, after piping, chill the tray of unbaked cookies in the fridge for about 30mins before baking.

96 comments:

Rachelle S said...

Those are so pretty! I bet I have all the Ing. to make these too!

Tia said...

My mom has been wanting me to make these but I han't found a recipe yet, so this post is just PERFECT! Thanks!

Pei-Lin said...

Wow!! The cookies look so beautiful and yummy! I've tried making Viennese Swirls before ... But, the pattern didn't hold up well ... It sorta faded ... Yours are just amazing!

Happy Lunar New Year! 在此恭祝您和家人虎年行大運!恭喜發財!!

PY said...

Beautiful roses! You are an artist!
These roses remind me of Valentine's Day. Valentine is near. Happy Valentine's Day !

martina said...

Your roses look amazing! That's perfect for Valentine's Day. Do you celebrate it in Singapore?
Hope your husband will be with you and the children
lovely hug
Martina

Bergamot said...

wow the cookies looks just wonderful

tracieMoo said...

Gosh.. I hope my butter cookies still could make it in time.. I just finished my test.. so much preparation not done yet :(
I love your cookies. They all look so precise. I never could pipe the same patterns consistently.. Must have taken lots of experience.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy and Prosperous Chinese New Year, HHB!

Small Small Baker said...

I did melting moments last year and it was great. But I created a big mess without a coupler and with my horrible piping skills. Yours look like roses really. Happy Tiger Year and enjoy the holidays! :)

Passionate About Baking said...

Hi HHB,
Your roses look very pretty indeed! For someone like you who did not attend any workshops or courses, you're truly very talented! I seriously don't think I dare to pipe at all without any courses! I did try this butter cookies, it's very good. I like the melt in the mouth feeling too!
Happy lunar new year to you and your family, and happy valentine's day!

Anonymous said...

Hi
may i know where do you buy the empty tins that you used for holding the cookies in the photo? cos i want to bake the cookies n put them in pretty tins to give as gifts. Happy CNY, HHB :)

Missy said...

They look so perfect and pretty! bet they melt in your mouth!

I believe we should just live life to the max and enjoy what we can do now! at least we are doing things we love to do :) so dont be too bothered about all other things.

Aimei said...

The edges of the cookies looks sharp and crisp. Crisp at the edges and melt in yur mouth. Yummy! Happy Lunar New Year HHB!

Blog da Nô said...

Gorgeus!!!
:o)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Pei Lin, you can chill the dough before piping, or after piping you can also chill it before baking. This way the cookies will hold the shape better.

Dear Martina, yes we do celebrate Valentine's Day here, and this year, Valentine's Day happens to coincide with the 1st day of Chinese New Year! I have wanted to bake these cookies for Chinese New Year, but I think they are more suitable for Valentine's Day ;) and yes, my husband is back home for the occasion :D

Hi tracieMoo, this is the first time I piped cookies. I actually do not know how to go about piping, I simply 'draw' a の with the tip ;p

SSB, I don't have a coupler either, I used a disposable piping bag instead.

Thanks Jane, I am simply too lazy to attend courses ;)

Hi Anonymous, I didn't buy the tins...my brother gave me boxes of chocolates and cookies from Japan and I kept the tins.

Dear Missy, thanks for the encouraging words. I always have to constantly remind myself that life is short and I shouldn't bother myself with other things.

Aimei, these really melt in the mouth, very buttery and 'phang'!

Hi ...Noêmia!, thanks for visiting :)

Kitchen Corner said...

You've piped out very nice cookies! Very lovely! Wishing you have a good time!

Irene's Footprints said...

Hi HHB
Lovely roses...and the color is uniform too. The box of treats will certainly delight the recipient.

Happy New Year and Valentine's Day!

: )

Happy Flour said...

Hi HHB,

Wish and your family A Happy and Prosperous Tiger Year. :)

Angie's Recipes said...

These rose cookies look so perfectly baked!

Anonymous said...

Hi

Do u pipe the rose inside then move outwards or the other way? Hope u can post some pictures next time. Happy New Year.

kium

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Kium, I piped the rose starting from the centre and move outwards. I am sorry I am not always able to take photos of the baking process, as I won't be able to take photos and do the preparation at the same time, hope you understand my constraints.

Anonymous said...

Hi

I understand. I think you have been very generous in sharing your excellence recipes with us. You are my idol, ha ha!!

Regards,
Kium

Rita said...

Oh, these are so pretty!
Gong xi fa cai and Happy Valentine's Day!

Lisa said...

I just came upon your blog, saw these and thought..'Now that's something I really want to try..they're beautiful!'. Granted, my piping skills leave a lot to be desired, but hey..if they melt in your mouth..that's all that matters! Thank you for posting these and you have a lovely blog here!

Lirio Medel said...

This looks good! I will be trying these. I just got a new piping instrument for christmas! It's gonna work great with this recipe!

MaryMoh said...

Wow...these look so gorgeous like roses. Perfect name! I can imagine the lovely feel as it melts in the mouth....mmmm

applemint_jackie said...

YUMMY! I looooove this.

Anonymous said...

hi i was just wondering if u can convert the ingredients into american forms...like in Cups, Tablespoons etc. LOL

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I am sorry I am not able to convert the ingredients from weight to cups measurement, however, you can visit this site (http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/cooking-conversions/cooking-conversions-calculator.aspx) to do the conversion. Hope this helps :)

Sweet P said...

omg this is fantastic :) I'm so excited to try making them! you always make everything look so pretty. I always have so much fun readying your blog.

Bakericious said...

looks so delicious & melt in mouth :)

This Chatty Mom said...

firstly, i must say, WOW!!! your bakes are really yummy..hope I can bake as well as you do too...if not, half also can..haha

I just got my conventional oven over from my parents place so now back to baking mode..but i am still a novice..

anyway, just want to ask if this can be make into cookie? coz I think it will be more fun for my son to participate by cutting shapes from the dough. plus, i still haven't try out piping so probably will not do a good job too.

my son always very curious when i mixing the ingredients but since he's only 3yo, it's hard for me to help out without making a mess. LOL

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi This Chatty Mom, this is meant for piping as the dough is quite soft, so you can't use it as cut-out cookies. You may have to try other recipes. My son likes to help me with baking, and most of the time he creates a mess too!

Dina said...

Hi, your cookies looks great!!! Can I ask if I don't have the piping equipment, can I just use cookie cutter? Would the shape stay?

Happy Homebaker said...

Dina, you can't use cookie cutter for these cookies as the dough is too soft for cutting out.

Dina said...

Hi HHB, thanks for your reply! You were saying on your blogpost that cookies are not so healthy for kids, any idea how to make it more healthy? Cos my son loves my butter cookies! (& I thot its healthier than thoise Jacob biscuits cos less sugar & no preservatives) Would wholemeal flour helps?

Also want to ask u as I am a novice in baking! Your bakes looks lovely! Am trying to do a mashmallow cake for my son's party. The staff told me that the whipped cream once open can only be kept for 3-7days. So in this case I can only try to make the cake next tues when the party is on Fri. Am afraid the cake will fail me.. :(

Happy Homebaker said...

Dina, it is very difficult to strike a balance when it comes to baked goods such as cookies and cakes. I am trying to make cookies 'healthier' by using wholemeal flour, oats and nuts (in place of chocolate chips). I also use recipes that calls for less fat (butter) and sugar. I am sure there are many healthier recipes out there, you just need to spend some time searching for ones that suit you best. So far I have made wholemeal cookies and oatmeal cookies which I have posted in this blog, if you are interested you can take a look.

Yes, whipping cream needs to be used up asap. However, if you are using non-dairy cream, what you can do is, store it in clean glass bottles, eg jam jars (I measure out 1 cup per bottle) and keep them in the freezer compartment. Thaw it before use in the fridge. However, this doesn't work for Dairy cream. Hope this helps.

Dina said...

Hi HHB, thks for your reply! I am using diary whipping cream,I will try on Mon if it fails then will get a cake form the store! hee.. Want to ask you for mashmallow cake if I don't have a cake ring, can I use a cake pan? Will it be difficult to unmould? Will the cake be disfigure?

Happy Homebaker said...

Dina, it will be very difficult to unmold using a normal cake pan. What you can do is improvise it, refer to baking tips no. 3 from this site: (http://www.kraft.com.au/CookingSchool/CookingBasics/Baking+Know+How/BakingSecrets.htm). That is, line your cake pan with foil before using, then you can use it to lift up the cake when it is done.

Dina said...

HHb, wow, thanks for the tip & your fast reply! Hope I can bake like you someday! hee

Dina said...

Hi HBB, sorry to trouble u again. I did the strawberry mashmallow cake & it was quite horrid looking, taste nice though...

I think I didn't freeze the mashmallow well enough & the jello seeped thru it. I also use your tip of using the aluminium foil inside the cake pan to lift up the cake, however as I m using a round cake pan, the crease of the foil created a "mo peng" texture on the side of the mashmallow, any idea to beautify it?

And also the mashmallow feels very wobbly like a jelly, is the texture like that? Am not sure what I did wrong... thanks so much!

Happy Homebaker said...

Dina, I think your marshmallow layer was not well set. The cake should be soft and yet firm, not wobbly at all. You can leave it to chill longer before serving.

As for the alum foil, I used this method (using a round normal pan too) before I got a pan with removable base. See my earlier post under "Strawberry Jellyhearts" and "Oreo Cheesecake". From the photos, you will notice that the sides are a little 'crumbled', but I thought it was still acceptable. If you want neater sides, you can run a palette knife (place in hot water so that it can melt the marshmallow layer a bit) around the sides to smooth out the surface, then let the cake chill again before serving. Otherwise get a pan with removable base, it is much cheaper than a springform, I got mine from Phoon Huat, 18cm for around $5 plus, you can use it for baking, just like a normal pan.
Hope this helps :)

Anonymous said...

Hi there. I just tried these and OMG!!!! they are awesome. I could not get such pretty swirls so I just made flattened balls out of them. They literally melt in the mouth.

Preethi

JESLEY said...

Hi, Happy new year to u. I am so glad when I found this cookies recipes. U really have all the answers to my problem. I tried making the cookies before & I simply dont know how to keep the shape of the cookies. Though the taste is nice but the looks are really bad. Thanks for sharing. I am going to try out your recipe later.

Jesley

Denisexu said...

Hey HHB :D
i simply love the look of your cookies! i tried the recipe, i dont have a star tip, (and i dont know how to use piping bags anyway) so i settled for a flat rectangular shaped cookie. however, mine crumbled very very easily. i tried leaving the 2nd batch in the oven slightly longer after it baked, but it didnt help. so i thought it might be something to do with the batter? could you help?
Thank you! :D
Denise

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Denise, this recipe will yield crumbly, melt in the mouth cookies...the batter is soft to allow piping. Maybe you can look for other recipes if you are looking for more crunchy cookies?

Anonymous said...

Hmm.. but they dont stay in shape, they crumble upon pick up. It that correct?
Denise..

Happy Homebaker said...

hi Denise, no it shouldnt crumble upon picking up...should crumble in the mouth instead. not sure whether it is the creaming of the butter? Are you a local? Could it be the butter was soften too much (under our hot weather) until upon beating, the batter looks greasy, mayonnaise-like? The butter and sugar mixture should appear pale (very light yellow) and fluffy, not dense and mayonnaise-like, hope u know what I mean?

Ashley DeMazza said...

These look and sound truly amazing!!!

Ashley DeMazza
Falls Village, CT

Siyun said...

Hi hhb

Loves Ur blog! Am going to make this next Wk. Can u take a pic of Ur piping bag nozzle? Will go and buy as this is my first time trying piping :) send to my email if u r ok . Siyuntan@hotmail.com

Thks Alot!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Siyun, I used Wilton 1C, u can ask the baking supply shop staff, they should know. You can refer to a pic of it here:
http://www.cater4you.co.uk/acatalog/piping-tip-flower-1C-l.jpg

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB

Thank you for sharing your recipe!! Love visiting your blog!!

Can I use cake flour instead of plain flour for this recipe (melting moments)?

Rgds
JLB

Happy Homebaker said...

JLB, yes, u can use cake flour, happy baking!

Sabrina said...

I just did these cookies! My son, who is very picky, loved them. Easy to do, especially if you have the right tools. I have tons of tips for icing, but none could be used for this dough. I found a large one but the syringe that I had to use for the tip was too flimsy, and I could not push the piston. Luckily I remembered my cookie press. I was reluctant using it as it is quite quirky, but it worked! I could not do roses, but I ended up with some daisies that were not as beautiful, but still looked good. Thank you for the recipe!
Greetings from Toronto!

Sabrina said...

I forgot to mention that I respected the recipe, using an electronic scale. My batter was not so soft. I did not use the refrigerator at all.
On the contrary, it was dense enough I could not use any of my larger tips...As I said it only worked with a cookie press.
What I did special was that apart from the Vanilla extract, I scraped 2" of vanilla bean into the butter, for a better flavor...
My oven is on the hot side, so I took them out after 8 min. It is true that my flowers were less high than the beautiful roses.
I love your blog!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sabrina, glad to hear that your cookies turn out well, I am sure your daisies are pretty :):) and thanks for reading my blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, i tried this recipe twice and for both times, the cookies turn out really nice and buttery. However, the thing was i wasn't able to pipe out like urs as my mixture was very 'doughy'. Both times I had to resort to using the 'drop' method (using a spoon to take the mixture and drop it on the baking tray). Any idea why my mixture turned out that way?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, was the batter too dry? Not sure what happened...did you beat the butter and sugar until it turns pale and fluffy? and after adding the flour mixture, did you mix till the batter is smooth? or did the batter became a lump like those cut-out cookie doughs? actually the batter is almost like drop cookies, soft and spoonable. could it be the piping tip? sorry for all the questions, hope I didnt confuse you...

rainbowzstarz said...

sorry im just wondering any one here using convection oven ? cos my things the bottom always burnt when top not even cooked/ brown

Holistic Healer said...

First time visiting your blog and I am loving it. Thank you for the beautiful photos and great recipes. I intend to try a few of them and so I've "bookmarked" your blog.
Today I am making your almond cake which is baking deliciously in the oven right now. I found it easy to make. Thanks for the tip about the aluminium foil.
Christine

val said...

Hi mine crumble upon scooping up too>< and i am trying to find out the prob :(

Anonymous said...

hi HHB
Mine was mayonise-like when i mixed the butter and sugar together and when i mix in the flour i oculdnt get a smooth mixture. Any idea how to remedy this problem? it ended up crumbly but surprisingly good still!! :D

-val

Happy Homebaker said...

hi val, not sure what went wrong, the finished batter should be smooth...the butter could have melted too much if it became mayo like.

Ana said...

can i add some jam in the middle before baking? to add a bit more flavor?
P.S.
Love the texture of the cookies!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ana, I am sure you can add jam on top, but I am not sure whether you should add it before or after baking though...

rainbowzstarz said...

hi how abt adding those cherry? its should be before baking too?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi rainbowzstarz, I am not sure what kind of cherry you are referring to?

Anonymous said...

hi,
I tried to bake this.
the biscuits melt in my mouth!
though I have a hard time squeezing the piping. so the shape turned out to be awful
but taste is there!

Anonymous said...

Hi!

I've made these cookies three times, changed the sugars and how I cream everything together... and they all still melt together looking like a giant blob. They look great when I pipe them! They just turn into a blob if i cook it longer than 3 minutes. I'm not sure what I did wrong :( I am determined to get these right! Any help provided would be amazing! My dough was more like sticky clay, held shape well and smelled amazing! The blobs tasted wonderful! I just don't know how to keep them in the rose shape!

-Sam

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sam, there are a few possible causes for your cookies to melt and spread upon baking.:
1) your oven is too hot, do use an oven thermometer to check that the temp is accurate;
2) are you using those dark, non stick baking tray? if yes, these conduct heat much faster and could melt the dough too quickly
3) the butter should be room temperature but not left to soften until it melts. when creaming the butter and sugar, the mixture should turn pale and fluffy. the mixture should not appear greasy, glossy like mayonnaise.
If you have done the above correctly, then one possible way to get around is, after piping the cookie doughs onto the baking tray, you can leave it (together with the baking tray) to chill in the fridge for about 15-30mins before baking so that the dough will not melt and spread too fast during baking. Do monitor the baking time as it may take slightly longer to bake after the dough is chilled. Hope this helps and wish you success in your next attempt :)

Anonymous said...

Hi,
I'm thinking about making it in Red Velvet version because red roses look even better hehehe
Can you give me some suggestions about how to create a red velvet version of melting moments?
Every recipe in you blog is so good they won't be overly sweet! Love your recipes so much!

-wen

Happy Homebaker said...

May be you can try add some food colouring?

Aly said...

When I went to cooking school they made an 'icing of vegetable shortening and congectionary sugar. It does not need to be refrigerated and makes a good 'practice' icing. THis I kept in a quart container and practiced making icing decorations and rosettes. just an idea for you

Unknown said...

Hi Sam, Where I live, the butter has to much fat content in comparison to other countries, so I always have to reduce the butter in every recipe almost to half, It can be what is happening to you; and it always happens to me baking recipes of cookies that require butter, they turn in to a blob in less than 2 minutes! Try reducing the butter in the recipe, but you'll have to do a run test to see what suits u best! Hope this helps!

Unknown said...

Hi HHB,
I will like to know the yield for this recipe! I will love to try it!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, the original recipe states 12 cookies, but I was able to made about 18 cookies. Hope you will like this recipe :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for the recipe. Tried them and they are just too perfect even as i used margarine instead of butter.

Anonymous said...

I'm baking these cookies right now. It's looking good in the oven:-)

Angela said...

I baked this yesterday and it turned out lovely. My husband loves it too. I need a little practice with piping it out as the dough is quite stiff. Very yummy. Thanks for sharing.

rachel yee said...

Yummy

Danae said...

These are my favourite holiday cookies! Do you know if they freeze well?

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Danae, I am not sure as I have not tried freezing these cookies.

cherylgreen said...

I would love to make these but need the measurements in cups and teaspoons etc. I wonder how I could do that?

Anonymous said...

can you please list the ingredients in cups instead of grams, I have no way of measuring grams, thank you kindly

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I have added in the ingredients measurements in cups and tablespoons. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

First I want to say these are wonderful cookies. I made this last weekend using the cups and tablespoons measurements. They were not good. Made them again this weekend using weights. It was delicious!!! I highly recommend not using cup measure. They were beautiful but the icing sugar measurement didn't work. They were not sweet at all and tasted like dough. I am however very pleased with the original recipe!!!!! The whole family loved it!! Thank you for the recipe!!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, thanks for your feedback! The cup measurements were taken from the original recipe from the book. I was reluctant to ppst it at first. I will remove it. Thanks!

Unknown said...

I've tried converting your recipe to US measurements and I'm getting something wrong. I've tried these twice and they didn't turn out at all. Do you have the measurements for US by any chance? Thanks!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Tamara, I have previously posted the US measurements taken from the original recipe from the book but a reader tried it and it didn't work well (see previous comments above), so I have since removed it. You may want to consider getting a weighing scale as it is more accurate. I am not able to weigh and convert the ingredients as I get different readings each time.

Beth Tendall said...

Is it possible to freeze these in their piped state?
thank you.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Beth, I am sorry I am not able to comment as I have not tried freezing them.

Sally June said...

Hello and thank you for the recipe. I apologize if this has been addressed already, but how many cookies does this recipe yeild?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sally, the original recipe states 12 cookies, but I was able to made about 18 cookies.

Beth B said...

Could you post the original recipe with cup measurements as I am in the US and trying to figure the conversions is not easy! I know you said they didn't turn out as well, but would still like to see the measurements. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

hi,

May I know which brand of butter you used? I have actually done this same recipe twice,,,first one i used Golden Churn block butter turned out as good, the rose held up nicely. But when I did it the second time, i only have Anchor butter in my fridge and the cookies melted FLAT in the oven =((
Just want to know if the butter has something to do with the melting or holding up beautifully of the cookies...
Thank you!
Chefmom

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Chefmon, I usually use Lurpak brand. However, I think it could be the dough could have started to melt even before you put in the oven. You could have left the butter out for too long before you cream/beat it. When you beat the butter with sugar, was the mixture light and fluffy? Or was it very soft like mayonnaise? The other possible cause could be, did you use a tray which you just used to bake cookies and it was still hot? Did you use a different type of tray from your first attempt?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Beth B, here's the measurements in cups:

175g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
40g (3 tablespoons) icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
175g (1 & 1/2 cups) plain flour
40g (3 tablespoons) cornflour (cornstarch)

Happy baking!