Cherry blossoms are one of the first signs that Spring is finally here. Lucky us, it’s been really hot and dry this Winter in California so cherry trees are in full bloom. The tiny flowers are the inspiration behind today’s cookie and are the perfect excuse to use one of my new toys: NordicWare’s cake pop pan.

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Cherry Blossom Curvy Cookies
 

makes 50 cookies
Ingredients
  • for the cookies:
  • 1½ stick butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2½ cups flour
  • for royal icing:
  • One 2lb pack of confectioner sugar
  • ⅓ cup meringue powder
  • ¾ cup water

Instructions
  1. To make cookie dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and any flavorings and mix on medium speed to incorporate. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
  2. Roll between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Cut out your cookies and place them in the wells of one of the cake pop pans. Cover with the other pan.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies turn golden.
  4. To make royal icing, place all 3 ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on slow for a minute to combine your ingredients. Turn the mixer to high speed and mix for 7 minutes. Divide the royal icing in 3 parts to make each of the following colors: white, light pink and bright pink.

To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy:

Add the egg and any flavorings and mix on medium speed to incorporate:

Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together:

Roll between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes:

Here is my new toy: the Nordic Ware Cake Pops Baking Pan:

The pan comes in 2 pieces. Instead of making cake pops by shaping cake batter into a ball, we are going to flip one of the pans and use it to sandwich and shape our cookies as they bake.

Here is how to do it: Start by cutting your cookies. I found a cherry blossom cutter in a bento box kit at a Japanese store.

If you can’t find that shape, here is a great link to get them online (Kotobuki Set of 6 Small Stainless Vegetable Cutters):

Place the cookies in the wells of one of the cake pop pans:

Cover with the other pan:

Bake for 15 minutes or until they turn golden:

Let them cool in the pan for a few minutes and the cookies will keep that shape.
To make royal icing, place all 3 ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on slow for a minute to combine your ingredients. Turn the mixer to high speed and mix for 7 minutes. Divide the royal icing in 3 parts to make each of the following colors: white, light pink and bright pink.

To decorate the cookies, start by a base of white royal icing:

Pipe tiny dots of pink icing:

Using a toothpick, poke the pink dots and drag towards the center of the cookie:

Repeat with half of the cookies. For the other half, use a bright pink base and light pink dots.

Happy Spring!