I sent some snow in the form of these sweet Snowflake Filled Snowman Cookies
to Los Angeles last week. Do you suppose anyone there felt a chill in the air
when these little guys arrived?
As part of the Sweet Treat Team, brand ambassadors for Wilton, I was given the opportunity to be a Secret Santa to another blogger and was asked to create some cookies that I thought would be appropriate for her. Today, I can reveal that I was Secret Santa to Ericka from Nibbles and Feasts.
Ericka was born in Mexico, raised in Texas and now lives in L.A. I’m pretty sure she wont see snowflakes falling or spend time building a snowman this holiday season, so I thought it would be fun to send her some snow.
To actually send snow would have been tricky, especially being it hasn’t snowed here in the last few weeks. So, I had to get creative and didn’t have to look further than my cupboard which is filled with Wilton products. I started out with a jar of Snowflake Sprinkles. As I stood in my kitchen holding the jar, I shook it, the snowflakes went flying around the jar, and inspiration hit.
I envisioned snowflakes inside a snowman and these cookies are what came of that idea.
To fill my snowmen cookies with snowflakes, I made pinata style cookies, but added a fun twist. This time instead of hiding my candies inside the cookies, covered by a top cookie, I created a see through candy window so the snowflakes appear as though they are in the snowman’s belly.
The top cookies are made just like stained glass cookies, only using clear candies. You could use Isomalt, as I did when I made my Googly Eyed Cookies, but instead I used some Crystal Mints from Arcor. They were perfect. When crushed up and sprinkled into the cookies, then melted, they stayed pretty clear. They aren’t quite as clear as the cookies made using Isomalt, but they do taste better.
I was thrilled with how they turned out, and hope Ericka enjoys them too. I packaged them in some Wilton cookie boxes and snuggled them in some red paper shred to keep them safe on their long journey across the country.
It’s been years since I’ve been a Secret Santa and it was fun.
Where you a Secret Santa this year or are you having a cookie exchange with friends or coworkers? If so, did you do something fun?
Snowflake Filled Snowman Cookies
Ingredients: (makes 14)
Cookie Dough-
4 – 4 1/4 cups all purpose flour (I start with 4 cups, then add more if needed)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened slightly
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond or peppermint extract
Candy Window, Snowflakes and Decorations–
25-30 clear mint candies (I used Arcor candies)
1 bag Wilton Bright White Candy Melts
14 orange candy coated sunflower seeds
70 black sugar pearls
1 jar Wilton Snowflake Sprinkles
Supplies:
Wilton two piece Snowman Cookie Cutter
1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter
Instructions:
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Add dry ingredients and stir just until it’s mixed in.
Roll dough out to 3/16th inch thickness. Cut out 28 snowmen, re-rolling dough as needed.
Use the round cookie cutter to cut the bellies out of those 28 snowmen cookies.
Re-roll remaining dough and cut out 14 more snowmen. Don’t cut the bellies out of those cookies.
Refrigerate cookies for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, unwrap the mints and crush them into fine crumbs. I used my food processor, but you can put them in a heavy duty zip top bag and whack them with a meat mallet.
Pop one pan of cookies in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and immediately sprinkle crushed mints into the holes in each cookie, filling each about 3/4 full.
Put back in the oven for about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies. You just want the candy to melt. If left in the oven too long, the candy will bubble and then your candy windows will be full of bubbles.
You’ll want to fill 14 of your cookies with the mints and leave 14 with holes.
Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet.
Bake the remaining cookies for 11-13 minutes. You don’t want them to brown, but they should look set.
Heat the Bright White Candy Melts on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, 30 seconds, stir, then 15 second increments, stirring after each until melted.
Pour candy melts into a squeeze bottle with a small opening. I use a Squeezit Mold painter which comes with pastry tips and I use a round tip with a small opening (a #3 pastry tip.)
Pipe white chocolate over the head of a snowman cookie with a candy belly. Immediately add two black pearl eyes and one orange candy coated sunflower seed nose.
Next, pipe on the middle snowball, adding 3 black pearls.
Then pipe a thick line around the bottom snowball.
For shiny cookies, decorate one cookie at a time, then pop it in the freezer for 3-5 minutes.
To assemble the cookies –
Pipe some white candy melts on the backside of a cookie with a hole in it. Set it on top of a solid cookie. Sprinkle snowflakes in the hole.
Pipe some candy melts on the backside of a cookie with the candy belly, Set it over the snowflake filled cookie.
Allow the cookies to dry for 10 minutes before moving.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
If you prefer, you can decorate your cookies using royal icing. I just like working with candy melts or chocolate better.As a member of Wilton’s Sweet Treat team, I did receive free merchandise in order to create this post. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Items used to make this project are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)I found my Wilton Two Piece Snowman Cutter at Kroger this year (2014) but couldn’t find
them on Amazon, so I added a link to a similar cutter. The original plastic cutter came with a top hat attached to the snowman. Any snowman cutter should work for this project.
I also added a link to some cute snowman cookie boxes that would be perfect for these cookies.
More 3-D Pinata Style Cookies
from Hungry Happenings
Christmas Present Cookies filled with candy
Surprise Inside Christmas Gift Cookies
3D Candy Filled Graduation Cap Cookies
So very cute … snowman with a belly full of snowflakes! I like the way the clear layer turned out … looks like ice! I'm sure Ericka will love them 🙂
Thanks, Brenda I was really happy with how nice the bellies looked too and it was pretty easy to do.
Beth, these are just so cute, I love how they jiggle with snowflakes! Really, I don't think a surprise inside gets any cuter! 🙂
Thanks, it is so fun to actually be able to see the snowflakes jiggling around in the snowman's belly.
you are a consistent innovator. always inspiring. incredible! just wow!
Thanks, Carla:) I do love to challenge myself to create something new and different.
These are SO CUTE!! Making the candy glass window is something I never would have thought to do! Nicely done, Beth!
Thanks so much Danielle.
These are one of the most genius ideas ever!! I love them!!
Sues
Thanks, that's so nice to hear!
Beth!!! These are SOOO cool! I love them!!
Thanks, Georganne.
Very, very cute Beth! You're so creative! 🙂
Thanks so much, Marilyn
You are such a creative genius, Beth! I LOVE these!
That's so nice of you to say. Thanks, Sue.
Beth, these are gorgeous cookies! Love them!
Thanks so much, Vanessa:)
Woa. SO amazing!!! These are wonderful
Thank you, Jessica.
Oh my goodness..these snowman cookies are so darned cute! I just bought a package of the beautiful blue and white snowflake sprinkles and i love how you used them! I'm sure you've been hearing the word genius..because you really are. Love this edible craft.
I got so excited when I saw you used these clear mints. I've been trying to find something that will melt clear and having never worked with isomalt. Thank you Beth for always providing us with so much inspiration!
Thank you! You are so sweet. I was so excited to find the clear mints. I'm sure I will use them for many projects to come.
You are seriously a creative genius! These are amazing. I am in awe. Pinning, stumbling, and I'll be sharing them on my Facebook page this weekend. Thanks so much for sharing them with us at Foodie Fridays!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I appreciate your nice comment and all the shares.
I had a question about the layering of the cookies. Is it necessary to have 3 layers? Could I just sandwich the sprinkles between one non hole layer and the clear mint window layer? So basically a sandwich cookie? Thanks!
The only way to to it with two cookies is to turn the cookies with the holes in them upside down before sprinkling in the crushed candy. You wont get nearly as nice a window as you will if you keep them flat. I tried that but didn't like how they looked. With this method the clear window would touch the bottom cookie so there's no room for sprinkles. If you try it with two cookies, you may need to make the top cookies a bit thicker to give you enough room for the sprinkles.
wow, I am so impressed! These are unbelievable – I have to get the courage to try something this cool!
Thanks, Trish, but really these aren't any harder to make than any decorated cookie. You can do it!
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These cookies are AWESOME!!! I can't wait to try them and give them out for next years Christmas party!!!!!
I have a friend that moved from the Northeast to the Southwest. I've never tried pinata style cookies before, but think I may just need to try these for her next Christmas 🙂
I’ve only tried pinata cookies once, and they didn’t turn out to be the same size. I think cutting the center out made the middle cookie change size. Do you have any hints to keep them the same size? I’d really love to make these for our library’s annual cookie sale. If mine could turn out like yours (or even close), they’d raise some dough 🙂 for the library.
Thanks for posting such complete directions with pictures. It makes it seem like I could do it!
Hi Beth,
The best way to keep the cookies the same size is to cut out the snowman cookies on a silicone mat (preferably) or parchment paper. Remove the excess. Put the silicone mat in the freezer and allow the cookies to firm up for about 10 minutes. Then remove them, and either peel them off the mat and place on your parchment paper lined baking sheet or cut out the center and place them back in the freezer for another 10 minutes before peeling them off and placing them on a baking sheet. This way, you wont stretch your cookies out at all. They will all be similar in size. I know it adds extra steps, but it’s the best way to get uniform cookies. Good luck raising dough!
I do usually move my cookies from where I’m rolling to the silicone mat. Thanks for the advice. I’ll roll right on the mat and to the freezer. I wasn’t able to find the mints, but I think I’ll make a Karo syrup/sugar/water mixture (like a sucker) and boil to 300 degrees. I can add flavoring, but not coloring. Then it will cool on silicone. After it hardens, I can crush it like you did the mints. I’m thinking it will work out okay. Again, thanks for posting the idea and answering my question!
It will definitely help to keep them on the mat. Good luck with the candy. I’d love to hear how it turns out. I have a hard time getting my handmade hard candy crystal clear. That’s why I chose to use the mints. I’m sure someone skilled at making hard candy would do great with it. Have fun.
I love your cookies, they look so nice !!
And the step by step explanation are so nice !
Thanks, I’m happy you found the tutorial helpful. I hope you enjoy making your snowmen.
These are so cute! You are very creative.
Thanks, I’m glad you like them!