Stained Glass Steampunk Cog Cookies

"Silly, graverobbergirl, cookies aren't made with a hammer!" 

"WRONG! The best kind of cookies require a hammer!" 

Finally, got this put together to share with all you cookie crafting steampunks. 

First off, my favourite sugar cookie recipe. It's from the old Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and has since been phased out/altered in the newer editions, so I don't feel like I'm violating any proprietary rights by sharing it. (Honestly, I miss the old version of their extremely useful, all purpose cookbook. The new one seems too trendy with specific fancy recipes rather than the basics that you could alter to you heart's content. If you can't tell, this was the staple cook book in our house and the one I grew up using. And I'm quite saddened by the changes and so grateful I copied my favourite recipes out of my mom's old one before she bought me a new one and upgraded her own. This recipe was one of our favourites we used all the time and would've been lost to us had I not photocopied it out.)

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Sugar-Cookie Cutouts

(this is an exact repro of the recipe, the specific variation for Cog Cookies will follow)

1/3 cup margarine or butter (we obviously use butter)

1/3 cup shortening (with the whole 'health' trends against saturated fats, this looks to be the primary ingredient change, but what a change in consistency and flavour to these cookies when omitted)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash salt

 

Oven 375 degrees F

Beat margarine and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, the egg, sugar, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and salt. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover, chill for 3 hours.

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes or till edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool Cookies on rack.

If desired, frost cookies with Powdered Sugar Icing, then sprinkle with decorative candies, colored sugar or chopped nuts. Makes 36-48.

Candy-Window Sugar Cookie Cutouts (this is the Stained Glass Cookie variation I used, not included in the new cookbook) 

Prepare as above, except, before baking, place cookies on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Cut out small shapes in cookie centers. Finely crush 3 ounces hard candy (about 1/2 cup) Spoon some candy into each center to fill hole(s). When baked, cool cookies on foil; remove. Store tightly covered.

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COG COOKIES

 

I used my new, awesome Gear-Shape Cookie Cutter from frenzyuniverse

I used an old baby food jar to cut circles of the center of my cookies. I made impressions with little gear craft notions into the removed centers, because rerolling the dough too much makes it stiff and the cookies hard.

Wondering where the hammer came in? Smash that hard candy good! Use a baggy to protect the candy, counter and to prevent it from flying everywhere!

Fill centers. This will take a LOT of crushed candy.

Don't skimp on the candy. With these size 'holes', you need enough to fill when it melts down. Otherwise, you get gaps in the 'stained glass' effect.

After baking, let cool on the foil. Use Sasquatch to stand guard so no greedy hands steel them.

Enjoy your steampunk tea party with Cog Cookies!