Ladybug Sugar Cookies, For Mother’s Day

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Ladybugs are not only good luck, but quite cute!

Mother’s Day has a plethora of meanings to many people, for me it is about being a mother. I question from time to time if I was and am a productive mother, with mistakes and all. I find myself looking through old photographs and memories, hoping Sydney felt and still feels love and safety through her life. I remember Sydney’s third mother’s day, she asked me when was Children”s Day. To which my reply was everyday, of course I knew she meant a special day set aside for children.

From the moment she was first placed in my arms we had a special connection; of course every mother feels a bond. Sydney and I have something beyond mother and daughter, she has blessed with her faith and trust, as I have done the same. D.F. has expressed that there are times he feels envious of the ease and closeness Sydney and I possess; and sometimes he is in awe with a sense of pride.

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Adorable!

Alright enough with all the emotions. Sydney wanted to bake a batch of fun sugar cookies in honor of Mother’s Day. After carefully going through our sugar cookie cutters we both grabbed the ladybugs. We even announced the chosen flavor: Vanilla bean-Cherry Blossom!

Vanilla Bean- Cherry Blossom Sugar Cookies:

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You’ll be blown away by the subtle cherry blossom flavor

Prepare your mise en place.

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Mise en place

Roll out the dough about 6.35 mm/ 1/4-inch thick. Dip the ladybug cookie cutters in some reserved flour, and cut out shapes. For even baking keep the large sized ladybugs on the same sheets and small sized ladybugs on a different sheet, and bake the sheets separately.

Place on prepared cookie sheets and refrigerate for 30 more minutes.

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C/ 325 degrees F, and bake the cookies for about 7 to 9 minutes.

The cookies should look golden in color.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack, and allow to completely cool.

While the cookies are cooling, map your design (outline the cookie cutters on parchment paper). Sketching how the finished cookie should look. This helps when decorating the cookies!

Decorating time, finally.

Prepare paper cones (one cone per color), set aside.

Place a 1/2-cup stiff royal icing in a bowl add the color pastes (time to play chemist) to achieve red, add about 1-teapoons of cold water, and mix with a mini spatula. Check for a correct outline consistency. The royal icing should stretch without breaking and flow through your parchment paper cone (the line should be crisp and stretchy). Fill a cone and outline the body of the lady bug. Repeat for black and online the head. Allow to dry before preceding to the next step.

For the fill-in coat place 1/2-cup of the stiff royal icing in a bowl, again play chemist to achieve a black color. Add 3/4 to 1 1/4-teaspoon cold water for a nice flowing constancy. The icing should fold back into itself when lifted off the mini spatula in 10 seconds. Using either a wooden knitting needle or the back of a artist brush lift the icing and gentle guide the fill-in icing from the middle to the outline. (Do not go past the outline). Allow the fill-in to dry, preferably overnight.

Bead the black dots and add the line down the middle, for beading and line use a paper cone. If there happens to be left over black coloring, leave about 1/3 of lining consistency, add about 1/4-teaspoon cold water to the the icing until a beading consistency is achieved. The correct consistency should leave a round bead, no peaks, and remain put when piped, the bead should not spread. Allow to dry, and serve!

May Mother’s Day be filled with sweetness and happiness!

Happy Mother’s Day!