Beach Cookies
Summer means time at the beach...playing in the ocean, combing the shore for sea shells, burying your feet in the warm sand...ah-h-h. For me, baking and decorating “beach cookies” brings all that to mind. I wish you all a wonderful summer...even if it’s still December and there’s snow on the ground! A plate of beach cookies always brings summer into someone’s day.
“One who was born by the ocean or has associated with it cannot ever be quite content away from it for very long.” John Steinbeck
All my cookies are taste-tested and family-approved. Some comments include:
- “The most delicious cookies I’ve ever eaten!”
- “Your cookies are works of art.”
- “It’s a shame to eat them; they’re so beautiful!”
Beach Cookie specifics
These 3-to-4-inch fancy Shortbread beach cookies are full of buttery flavor that melts in your mouth. They are decorated with a mixture of homemade marshmallow fondant and white sculpting chocolate with royal icing accents. The glazed beach cookies are my Classic Sugar Cookie recipe, frosted with vanilla-bean glaze and embellished with sweet accents.
“Beachy” objects & critters
Scallop sea shells, starfish, seahorse, sand dollar, tropical fish, lobster, palm tree
Sizes
Sizes range from mini (1-2 inches) to large (4-5 inches). 2½ to 3 inches is our favorite size for decorating and eating!
“Greetings” & Messages
square, circle, rectangle, triangle, free-form...numerous plaque shapes, plus straight, fluted, and zig-zag edges
Old (and New) Family Recipes
This Shortbread recipe was developed over several months in my quest to duplicate the taste and texture of a shortbread cookie from a now-closed bakery in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Classic Sugar Cookie. A recipe based on one from Mrs. Gregor, a neighbor of my mom’s when she was a newlywed.
Cookies
Shortbread: flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Classic Sugar Cookies: flour, butter, granulated sugar, egg, pure vanilla extract, baking powder, salt
Icing & Decorations
White Chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla
Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring
Royal Icing: confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Plate, Box or Bag?
I love making these cookies so much that I make several batches during the summer and give them to everyone!
Box. My favorite way to transport my cookies locally is to package them in a cardboard bakery box with a clear window on top that makes the contents visible to anyone who wants to peek. Depending on the size of the cookies (2½-to-3 inches is my favorite size to make), the boxes I use can hold about 12 to 18 cookies.
I like these 6x6x3" bakery boxes from amazon.com.
Bags. I also used these cookies as gifts, so I wrapped them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with a twist tie. This made them stackable without causing damage to the decorations.
I like these 4x6" treat bags from amazon.com.
Mailing. I mailed the beach cookies to my family and friends throughout the U.S. (and sent quite a few overseas, too). I always send them Priority Mail through the U.S. Post Office. I use the boxes provided by the Post Office and lots of bubble wrap! In almost all cases, the cookies arrive undamaged. I know the packages are appreciated when they arrive because of the texts I get with all those smiling faces.
What I’ve learned...
These cookies were made with the best ingredients I could find and baked in a small batch of two dozen. I’ve experimented with less expensive ingredients, but have come to the conclusion that flavor is best when I use the best. Why spend all this time baking and decorating if taste and texture are just so-so? Decorating the cookies takes time, but it’s an enjoyable process for me and I know that those who receive them appreciate that. Life is just better when you can share something you love with someone you love. Don’t you agree?
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