ASK AND YOU MIGHT RECEIVE!

It’s a rainy Sunday, and since I have nothing better to do, I’m adding a special post today.  Two posts in one day … this could be the start of something!

In making a comment about the brownie recipe I posted, my sister mentioned how I was always the one who loved the brownies, while she preferred the smiley face cookies with the yellow face and black features which always turned her lips black.

How well I remember those cookies!  We always bought them at Buskin Bakery in Cincinnati.  They were a tradition.  Two cookies came in one cellophane bag for $1.50.  Cheap for a long-standing favorite!  Who could ever forget those cute little guys with the piped on smiles.  They could have been a flower, a sun , a basketball, a baseball, a lady bug or a pumpkin at Halloween.  But no, it was always the smiley face or it just wouldn’t have been the same!

Well, SURPRISE LINDA!  I have the recipe you were wishing for!!!  Get out the cookie sheets and start your oven!!!

SMILEY FACE COOKIES

For the cookies:

4 cups (16 oz.) cake flour
1/2  tsp. baking powder
1/2  tsp. salt
16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 375.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine, and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds.  Add in the sugar gradually, increasing the speed to medium-high and beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Blend in the eggs and vanilla at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  With the mixer on low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, alternately add the flour mixture in four additions and the milk in 3 additions just until combined.

Using a 1/4 -cup measuring cup and a spoon (or a 1/4 cup scoop), place six 1/4 -cup mounds of dough a generous 2 inches apart on each baking sheet.  (The “dough” will seem more like cake batter, and you will probably think you went wrong somewhere. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be thin but still scoopable – think the texture of sour cream.)

With moistened fingers, gently press each mound of dough into a disk 2-1/2 inches wide and 3/4  inch thick.  Bake until the centers of the cookies are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking pans halfway through the baking time or baking only one pan at a time if your oven heat is somewhat uneven – the batter will hold while you bake the batches.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes.  Use a wide spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough.  Let cookies cool completely before icing.

For the vanilla icing:

¼ cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
5 cups (20 oz.) confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Yellow Food Coloring

For the chocolate icing:

3 oz. chocolate chips
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Milk, as needed (about 1 tbsp.)
3/4 cup of the vanilla icing

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or on low heat in a microwave safe bowl.  Remove from the heat and set aside.  In a medium saucepan, combine the corn syrup and water and bring to a boil or alternatively bring to a boil in a large glass measuring cup in the microwave. Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until combined.  Remove 3/4 cup of the icing to use in the chocolate glaze, then whisk in enough of your food coloring of choice to get the color shade you want.

To make the chocolate icing, transfer 3/4  cup of the vanilla icing to the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to combine.  Whisk in the cocoa powder and milk as needed to make a lightly thin, but pipeable glaze. Set aside.

To glaze the cookies, place the cookies on wire racks set over waxed paper or foil.  Use a small offset spatula to spread about 2 tablespoons of the vanilla icing on half the flat side (bottom) of each cookie.  Tilt the cookie and run the spatula around the edge to scrape off excess icing.  Allow to harden slightly, only about 5 minutes, before piping the chocolate on.  To pipe the chocolate, stir the glaze to loosen it enough to place it in a quart size plastic zip top bag. Snip a small corner off the bag just small enough to pipe.  Pipe your designs on the cookie while the coloring glaze is just slightly set – this will let the chocolate set into the vanilla glaze but without letting it spread too much.  Notes:  If either of the icings begins to thicken, stir in milk 1 teaspoon at a time as needed. Allow the decorated cookies to set at least 1 hour before serving.  The cookies can be stored in an airtight container layered between sheets of parchment paper for up to 3 days.  Yield: about 2 dozen large cookies

Be creative when adding their smiles!

***** BONUS RECIPE*****

And while Linda is taking a stroll down Cookie Memory Lane, here’s another she’ll be sure to remember.  I always got her a boxed dozen of these from the Kroger’s Bakery over by Glenwood Gardens (our favorite place!).  Not as good as the Smiley guys, but good in their own unique way. 

Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies

Cookies:

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4  tsp. salt

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

5 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

4 Tbsp.  unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-3 Tbsp. milkFood coloring

Sprinkles

To make the cookies, in a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.

Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

For large cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  For smaller cookies, scoop a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 1-3 inches apart.

For large cookies, bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set.  For smaller cookies, bake 8 minutes or until just set.  (Do not overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.)

Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To frost the cookies, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the softened butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth.  Tint with food coloring if desired.

Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies.  (If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable.)

Top with sprinkles.  Store in an airtight container.