Recipes

Piñata Sombrero Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/2 - Cup Icing Sugar
• 1/4 - Tsp. Salt
• 3/4 - Cup Mini M&M'S
• 1 - Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 - Cup Merckens White Molding Wafers
• 1/8 - Cup Silver Ball (Dragees)
• 1/8 - Cup Rainbow Sprinkles
• 1/2 - Tsp. Red Food Colouring
• 1/2 - Tsp. Blue Food Colouring
• 1/2 - Tsp. Yellow Food Colouring

Directions:

1. To make the cookie dough, place butter and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, cream together for 2-3 minutes on medium speed or until light and fluffy. Add in pure vanilla extract and continue to mix for an additional 1-2 minutes to fully incorporate.
2. Slowly add in flour and salt while continuing to mix on low speed. Continue to mix until all ingredients are fully combined and a firm dough is formed.
3. Split the dough into three equal portions and place in separate mixing bowls. Add each food colouring separately into the bowls, kneading the food colour into the dough to create three different colours. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out until ready to use.
4. Using one coloured dough at a time, split dough into two equal portions and place one half onto a work surface lined with plastic wrap, then set the other half aside. Place another sheet of plastic wrap on top of the cookie dough then using a rolling pin, roll dough out to about 1/4 cm thickness. Then using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet into freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to baking.
5. Remove cookie rounds from freezer and bake at 325°F for 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. These will be the bases for the sombrero cookies.
6. Using the other half of the coloured dough place roughly one ounce balls of dough into a silicone cake pop mold, and press each ball into the mold, packing the dough to the bottom and sides to form small "bowl" shapes, making sure to fill about 1/4 inch from the top of the mold. Place into the freezer for about 10-15 minutes, then bake at 325°F for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and using the handle of a wooden spoon, reshape the well in the cookies and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes or until fully baked. Allow to cool completely then remove from mold. These will be the tops of the piñata hats.
7. Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 with the two remaining coloured cookie doughs to finish baking the cookies.
8. Melt wafers over a double boiler and transfer to a piping bag. Assembling one coloured cookie at a time, fill tops of hats with mini M&M'S and pipe a small amount of the chocolate around the base of each hat crown, then place one of the cookie rounds on top to secure and place onto a cookie sheet to cool.
9. Repeat step 8 for all remaining cookies and let cool for 15-20 minutes before decorating.
10. Using the white molding wafers, pipe a line of chocolate around the base of each hat crown and gently press rainbow sprinkles into them to create a "ribbon" decoration.
11. Pipe decorative patterns on each hat brim, then place small drops around each brim edge and place silver balls (dragees) balls onto each drop of melted wafers to create the "bells" around the hat. Let cool fully before serving.

Yield: About 12 Piñata Cookies