We are always being asked for a good recipe to use when decorating cookies, so here is one of Lindy’s favourites. It’s from Lindy’s “Bake me I’m yours…cookie” book, enjoy!
75g (3oz) butter, diced
1 small egg, beaten
275g (10oz) plain flour, sifted
30ml (2 tbsp) golden syrup
5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
100g (3½oz) caster sugar
2.5ml (½ tsp) vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 325ºF/ Gas Mark 3
Place the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Add the butter and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Make a hollow in the centre and pour in the beaten egg, golden syrup and vanilla extract.
Mix together well until you have a ball of dough.
Place the dough in a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick and stamp out the biscuits, using your chosen cutters. Lightly knead and re-roll the trimmings together again to use up all the dough. Place the biscuits on baking sheets.
Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes until lightly coloured and firm but not crisp.
Leave on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
A simple decorating idea!
I always make this recipe and love it – they always go down very well at the school cake sales!!!
Hi I like the look of this recipe, is it possible to freeze it? My sister-in-law is expecting any day now and I would like to be prepared so that I can make bootie cookies and then ice in the appropriate colour. If I can’t freeze how long can I leave the dough in the fridge for?
Hi Paulette
Yes you can freeze the baked cookies (undecorated) – have fun!
Hi,
I cannot eat eggs- what could I use instead? Just got this book and love it!
Hello Kay,
The other recipes in the book do not contain eggs – have a try of them. They really are very tasty.
Alternatively, you could try using egg substitute in the vanilla cookie recipe.
Don’t know if it’s me being dumb but where do you add the syrup and vanilla to the recipe?
Looks a great recipe am about to try it out, but when do you add the golden syrup? I imagine it’s at the same time as the egg, but would just like confirmation.
Oops! You were right I’ve now editted the text of the recipe, thank you
Have fun baking
Lindy
An error on our part, sorry! Now included!
Hi! Since I’m in Canada….is “plain flour” the same as all purpose?…”golden syrup” I believe is corn syrup? and can I use regular granulated sugar for the “caster” sugar,even though I think caster sugar is finer?
Thank you!
Hi Jane
Plain flour is ‘all purpose’ and you can use corn syrup instead of golden syrup. Regards caster sugar, you are correct it is finer than granulated, if you can’t find a finer sugar why not grind it up finer yourself – Hope this helps!
Happy Baking
Lindy
hi, i live in chile, and we dont have brown syrup down here, so can i use maple syrup instead, is the same quantity?
thks
Hi Karin,
Thank you for your enquiry.
We suggest that you use honey in the same quantity, instead of maple syrup as the consistency is similar to the brown syrup.
Have fun!
Marina
Hi! First of all I really like your blog, and your cakes and cookies are so beautiful. You are really talented.
I will be baking the cookies but I will like to know if I can use whole wheat flour instead ; or if I can use a mix of both. Thanks so much for your reply.
Hi Sandra,
We are glad to hear that you are enjoying the blog.
Lindy is amazing, a true inspiration.
The cookies can be mixed with whole wheat flour. We wouldn’t recommend using just whole wheat flour on its own as it would be too heavy but a mix will work. Half and Half maybe. Give it a try, and maybe do different batches of the cookies with varying amounts of the flour and see which come out best.
Hope you enjoy the taste testing!
Marina
Hi Lindy,
Thank god you were kind enough to share this on your blog for us. I have your book of cookie recipes but can’t find it and promised to make some today for my friend, so its great I found it on here…hooray!
x
Hi Emma,
Glad to hear you are enjoying the blog – Hope your cookies are a success, do let us know
Marina
I always find that this recipe is a little too sticky – can you suggest what I am doing wrong?
Hi Emma,
The Vanilla Cookie Recipe may be too sticky if the ingredients are not 100% accurate in quantity.
There may be too much liquid so I would try measuring out the ingredients to the exacts amounts.
Good luck!
Marina
Hi Lindy,
I’ve just made your vanilla cookies for a charity event. Due to the number I made, I decided to cut the shapes out, freeze them and cook them from frozen. They were absolutely delicious and remained crisp in air tight tins. I decorated them with jam and fondant icing and placed them into cello cookies bags and tied them within two days of the event and stored them all in air tight boxes. They went down really well and the comments were brilliant. However, they were slightly soft in texture and I am not sure why. Could this be due to the moist fondant? I have still got some undecorated biscuits in a tin and they remain crisp. Could you advise me where I may have gone wrong or is this normal with decorated cookies? I have to make the favours for my sons forthcoming wedding and want them to be perfect?
Carol
Hi Carol,
Sounds like you have a lot on your hands with all these cookies!
Once decorated the cookies should be put in the cookie bags and not air tight containers. They need air or they will go soggy. Do a trial with a few before your next challenge and see how they keep in the bag or a cardboard box like a cake box.
Peace, love and cookies!
Marina
Thanks Marina, I’m going to try some more this weekend.
Carol
I am finding it difficult to get small eggs… don’t seem available? Is it ok to substitute with a medium egg OR do the other ingredients need to be altered?
Thanks in advance
Mercedes
Hi Lindy,
Could you tell me how many cookies you get from this recipe if you used standard size 3″ cookie cutters.
Hi Ariel,
Depending on the thickness of how they are rolled out, we estimate that you would probably get 10-12 cookies.
Best wishes
Marina
Hi Mercedes,
If you cannot find small eggs, we would recommend going with the medium egg and not altering the other ingredients. When you come to role the dough out, if it appears a little dry, add a bit of milk.
Have fun cookieing!
Marina
Hello,
Could you let me know how long these would stay fresh, in individual cellophane bags, stored in a cardboard box? Just trying to decide on logistics of making 150 for the end of next week…. As I’m going away I’d need to bake the cookies 7 days in advance of the event, and then ice them 5 days before.
Thank you very muchly indeed
)
Warm wishes, Clare x
Hi Clare,
The cookies will be well protected inside the cellophane bags and will keep for 2-4 weeks depending on how crisp they were when they came out of the oven.
Sugar and sweet.
Marina
Brilliant! Thanks Marina
x
hi
just a quick question can you make the dough prior to cooking and freeze for 3days or is it best to freeze them already baked? trying to make some for christmas and running out of time!
thanks x
Hello Daniella,
Your dough would be fine in the freezer. If you are only intending to freeze for 3 days, you could just keep it in the fridge.
Jane
hi,
u’ve got a great team here. keep up the good job. is it compulsory to freeze the dough before rolling out.
many thanks,
biose
Dear Biose
You need to place the cookie dough in the FRIDGE for 30 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out.
Good luck!
Zoe