Star-Spangled Shoe
Patriotic shoes? Why not?! A dear friend was giving a talk about the history of shoes to her women’s group and asked me to make three dozen shoe cookies. The colors she wanted were red, white, and blue — to tie in with Independence Day. She even provided the shoe cookie cutter. I don’t know why, but I’d never done 4th-of-July cutout cookies, so I jumped at the opportunity to try something new.
“No one loves his country for its size or eminence, but because it is his own.” Seneca
In addition to the stripes, I decided to give the shoes a little elegance by embossing the white chocolate icing and adding a gold star. I used my favorite shortbread cookie recipe because it's buttery and not too sweet...the icing and embellishments provide enough sugar without any help from the cookie. The “Patriotic Shoes” were well-received and several of the ladies told me they hadn’t wanted to eat them...just admire them! I always encourage people to eat the cookies no matter how beautiful they are. I will most definitely make more.
Cookie specifics
Shortbread. The combination of European butter and vanilla bean makes this shortbread cookie one of the yummiest cookies I make. It’s buttery, crumbly and light. For the lemon lovers in my family, I make a lemon variation, full of subtle lemon flavor, and topped with a bright and tangy lemon glaze.
SHAPE
High-heel shoe
SHAPE
The shoe cutter was about 3 inches wide and 4 inches high, a larger size than I usually make, but a lot of fun to decorate. (2½ to 3 inches is my favorite size for decorating and eating!)
Perfection at Last!
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.
Cookies
Shortbread: flour, butter, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, salt
Icing & Decorative Embellishments
Royal Icing: confectioner’s sugar, egg whites, corn syrup, pure vanilla extract or almond extract, cream of tartar, food coloring
Homemade Fondant: sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, gelatin, water, vanilla extract, food coloring (optional)
White Chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, vanilla
Finishing Sparkle: pearl sugar dust; the gold star was a mixture of homemade fondant and white chocolate “dough” painted with gold pearl dust.
Box or Bag?
Bags. My friend planned to use the cookies as party favors, so I wrapped them individually in clear, food-safe bags, secured with red, silver, and blue twist ties. This made the cookies stackable without causing damage to the decorations. Guests could eat the cookie at the event or take it home to share with family and friends.
I like these 4x6" treat bags from amazon.com.
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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