Button Cookies
We've started preparations for Saint Nicholas with these beautiful button biscuits. You can have fun with the children making them, then eat together. I assure you, the children will like this. Sofia was delighted and excited, both about the process and the result.
They may not be perfect at first, they require a lot of attention to detail, but they will be beautiful anyway. You can also adjust the colors. I added turmeric in one of the dough pieces and I got the yellow biscuits.
Separate the yolks from the egg whites and place in a deep bowl.
If you don't have soft butter, microwave for 20 seconds. It doesn't have to melt completely, just let soften.
Add sugar and vanilla to the the yolks. Beat well with a whisk or mixer.
Add softened butter, mix well.
Gradually add the flour, one tablespoon at a time. Mix to incorporate.
A soft and non-sticky dough, like the play-doh, will result.
Take about 1/3 and shape into a ball. This will be the simple, white buttons.
I divided the rest of the dough into 2 parts and added cocoa to one of them and turmeric to the other.
First take the turmeric dough, massage well so that it has the same color everywhere.
Then knead the cocoa dough.
I recommend this particular order so as not to stain the light-coloured doughs with cocoa.
Now we have 3 balls. Wrap them in cling film and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
The more you keep the dough in the fridge, the harder it will be to work it. It hardens.
While the dough is resting, prepare the button-shaped utensils - a small glass, with a mouth about 5 mm wider than a water bottle top. See the picture.
For the holes, use a slim drinking straw.
And now we actually start shaping.
Take the first piece of dough, the colourless one. Flatten out with your hands.
Spread out with the rolling pin into a 5 mm thick sheet.
Cut out circles with the glass.
Gather the leftovers, spread out again and cut out other circles, until you finish the dough.
Place a water bottle cap in the middle of the dough circle and press well, but not all the way. We don't want to cut everything, we just want to make a pattern.
Make holes with the straw.
This is how you shape the yellow and brown biscuits.
Transfer carefully with the knife to the baking sheet lined with parchment.
Here are the yellow and white cookies.
Bake in the preheated oven at 180-200 degrees C for 10 minutes.
Notice only the edges have browned slightly, don't tan too much.
Here are the cocoa biscuits.
I made them last and the dough was more crumbly and hard, so they weren't perfect, but absolutely delicious :)
This is the final result. Have fun with the children, then savour them together.
Enjoy!
