doily cookies

After seeing this ceramic “lace” plate craft on Ohdeedoh I was completely intrigued!

But my craftiness doesn’t lean towards clay—it unleashes itself in the sugar arts. So there I was, instantly and fully consumed with the idea of playing around with this idea using cookie dough. Out came the doilies (stashed abundantly in my house) the flour and the mixer …

And the final results were so very sweet! The largest cookie with the scalloped edges (top) wasn’t photographed in its baked state. There just wasn’t time—it made us far too snack-happy! Edible crafts are a definite bonus, wouldn’t you say?

Tips!

• A doily with a good amount of open space in the pattern is your best bet. And you want it to have some depth, so that it stamps the dough well. But play around with what you’ve got. Dough is forgiving. Just scrap it and roll again if your print doesn’t work!

• Really chill your dough. At least two hours. Or over night if you can, so the gluten relaxes.

• Work only with the amount you need, and keep the rest in the fridge.

• Roll dough on parchment paper (or a non-stick baking mat). Press the doily into the dough, then carefully peel away. Cut around your pattern and remove any excess dough. Then simply transfer your dough—on the paper—to your baking sheet. No messing around with trying to get your doughy creation off your work surface!

• Work quickly when pressing doily into dough. Just a few gentle rolls should do. I was uncertain whether the doily would resist the dough, or get filled with it. As it turns out, this dough has just the right ratio of butter:sugar:flour, and it didn’t tend to stick to the doily. Hurrah!

UPDATE: Check out Doily Cookies, Part Two for new tips and a revised recipe with improved results!