Candle Cookies

Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.

• Flour - Adding to much flour is a common baking mistake. Refer to the informative guide provided in my homemade doughnut recipe to guarantee precise measurement.
• Cocoa powder - As with all cocoa powder recipes, I prefer to use Dutch-processed cocoa, for its milder and more complex flavor.
• Butter - Make sure to use room temperature butter.
• Sugar - Like in my chocolate shortbreads, I like to use confectioners sugar to give a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture to the candle cookies.
• Food color - I used red food coloring to create a bloody effect. You can skip to maintain a white icing or choose a different color. Use gel food coloring and not liquid.
• Sliced almonds - To mimic the tip of a burning candle.

1.Whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl.

2. Combine butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract in a larger bowl. Beat with an electric beater, until smooth and creamy, about one minute.

3. Add the combined flour mixture and milk, beat on medium speed, until it looks crumbly.

4. Using your hands, gently shape the dough to form a ball.

5. Pinch about 2 tablespoons of dough, and roll into a very thick log.

6 & 7. Roll the log gently across a wire rack, applying very little pressure to make it about 3 inches and create a decorative pattern.

8. Insert one sliced almond on one end of the log. Repeat process to shape the remaining candle cookies. Place shaped candle cookies in a parchment-lined baking pan, spacing about an inch apart. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to help the cookies firm up.

Bake cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until they feel slightly firm to the touch and the cookies look darker in color. Cool completely.

To decorate, place cookies in a upright position and then drizzle some icing around the sliced almond and let it drizzle down the candle. Let stand for a few hours for the icing to harden before serving.

Tips For Success

• Food coloring – Use gel food coloring rather than liquid. Gel gives you a deeper, more vibrant color without adding extra liquid to the icing.
• Customize the color – Easily change the icing color to match different holidays or occasions. Try red or green for Christmas, or pink and red for Valentine’s Day.
• Check the dough consistency – The dough should be firm but soft enough to roll into a log without cracking. To test it, roll about 1 tablespoon of dough between your palms to form a smooth ball. If you notice cracks, knead in 1 teaspoon of milk and check again.
• Get the icing consistency right – The icing should be thick enough to slowly drip down the cookie without running off. If it’s too thick, add a few drops of water. If it’s too thin, stir in a little more confectioners’ sugar.
• Prevent the almonds from browning – Arrange the cookies so the sliced almonds are toward the center of the baking sheet. This helps protect the exposed almonds from getting too dark while baking.
• Keep the cookies upright while decorating – Fill a baking pan with uncooked rice, lentils, coffee beans, or raw sugar, then gently nestle the cookies into the filling. This keeps them steady while you drizzle on the icing.
• Storage – Once the icing has completely hardened, store the decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.