Dr Oetker and Angel Cookies

The people from Dr Oetker recently sent me some lovely decorations to use in my Christmas Baking, along with a few other goodies. Today I decided to test out the Shimmer Sugar, Soft Shimmer Pearls and Sugar Strands.

Dr. Oetker is a family owned business which has been creating high quality foods for over 100 years. They produce everything from frozen pizzas and baking mixes to quality Icings, Chocolate, baking aids and decorations.



I often use their baking decorations and have always been really pleased with the results. I especially love their little wafer daisies, which look so pretty on cupcakes etc.



So, today I decided to bake some Angel Cookies. It all sounded so pretty in my mind. I would use a basic sugar cookie type of dough and then make shapes with it . . . triangles for the bodies and flat circles for the heads.



The wings would be made from pretzels. (It's the sweet/salty thing that is moreishly scrummy.)
I used some of the shimmer balls for angel eyes. They did look very nice prior to baking.



After baking the shimmer balls had kind of melted a bit, making them look a bit like their mascara had run . . . so I have to say don't bake with them . . . reserve them for decorations after baking.



I planned on dipping the edges of the wings and bottoms of the dresses into melted white chocolate and then into the sugar crystals and sugar strands.



This worked perfectly and looked very pretty.



Only thing . . . however scrummy they tasted . . . my angels came out looking decidedly alien-like.

ET . . . phone home.



*Angel Cookies*
Makes about 2 dozen
Printable Recipe

These are supposed to look like angels! Ideally they should. Mine looked like ET, but they tasted good so no harm done!

280g plain flour (2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 ounces butter, softened (3/4 cup)
75g golden caster sugar (2/3 cup)
1 large free range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
48 heart shaped pretzels (the smaller ones)
100g bar of white chocolate (4 ounces)
a variety of sprinkles and jimmies

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Line a couple of baking sheets with baking paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the flour and baking powder. Beat this into the creamed mixture.

Lay out the pretzels on the baking sheets, placing the curved ends together like wings and keeping space between them for the cookies to spread.

Shape 24 walnut sized balls with the dough. Shape 24 balls about 1/4 the size of the others. Roll the large balls into a cigar shape. Pinch one end narrower than the bottom, and then flatten into a triangular shape. Press each of these onto one set of the wings, covering the joining. Take the smaller balls and flatten them into a circle and place at the top end of the triangles, covering the top and wing joinings. Repeat until all are done. You can then place two small balls for eyes onto the heads of each.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Break the chocolate into bits and then carefully melt. Place your decorations into small bowls. I used sugar crystals for the wings and sugar strands for the bottoms of the dresses. Dip each of the pretzel edges in white chocolate and then into the sugar crystals. Likewise dip the edge of the dresses into white chocolate and dip them into the sugar strands. Set aside on a wire rack to set.



Many thanks to Dr Oetker for sending me these lovely little decorations to help me get on with my holiday baking. Dr Oetker products are available in grocery stores nation wide.

Feel free to like their facebook page, where you'll find lots of recipes, contests and other fun things!



Over in the Cottage today, Jam Surprise Muffins!