Sponsored by Paramount Pictures. Sherlock Gnomes opens in theaters on March 23.
Create realistic-looking Sherlock Gnomes Magnifying Glass Cookies with Clear Candy Glass. Each round cookie is brushed with gold luster dust and is attached to a chocolate-dipped pretzel stick handle. You can actually look right through the clear candy glass to pretend you are searching for clues.
It is so exciting to be able to create fun desserts to celebrate new movies. Today I am showing you how to make these realistic-looking magnifying glass cookies in anticipation of the new Sherlock Gnomes movie.
If your kids loved Gnomeo and Juliet you are definitely going to want to grab some tickets for this new film.
The gnomes are on a mission to bring every gnome home. After a string of garden gnome disappearances in London, Gnomeo & Juliet look to legendary detective Sherlock Gnomes to solve the case of their missing friends and family.
With characters voiced by James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Mary J. Blige and Johnny Depp this movie is sure to be a smash. I've watched the trailer half a dozen times and can't keep from laughing each time.
The movie, from the director of Kung Fu Panda, looks like it is non-stop action and fun.
When I was asked to create a fun Sherlock Gnomes dessert to share with you the first thing that came to mind were these magnifying glass cookies. I've made several cookies with clear glass candy windows so I knew I could create a cookie that looked like a real magnifying glass.
The candy glass won't actually magnify anything but the cookies do look like the real deal and if you set them on top of an image that has been magnified then you get the same effect.
It's hard to see how shiny the candy glass looks in person when looking at my pictures, but you'll see it clearly in the opening clips of the video tutorial below.
NOTES for making Sherlock Gnomes Magnifying Glass Cookies
- To make these magnifying glass cookies I used my favorite sugar cookie dough (see the recipe below) and 2 ½-inch and 1 ¾-inch round cookie cutters.
- I created the clear glass by grinding up Crystal Clear Mints then filling the hole inside each par-baked cookie with the candy and melting it for a few minutes in the oven. You can make homemade hard candy and pour it into the baked cookies, but this is a lot easier. Here are the steps to follow:
- Spoon the crushed candies into the center of each partially baked cookie.
- Return to oven for about 3 minutes to allow the candy to melt.
- Watch the cookies at the last minute and remove them once all the candy is melted.
- If left in the oven for too long the candy will begin to bubble and those bubbles will not go away.
- If you want your magnifying glass to look exactly like the one Sherlock Gnomes uses in the movie, you can color your cookie dough green. I wanted my cookies to look more like a traditional magnifying glass so I baked the plain cookies and then brushed them with FDA-approved, edible, gold luster dust.
The handles for the magnifying glass cookies are created using a chocolate-coated pretzel dipping stick. They are about 3 inches in length and ¼ inch in diameter and are the perfect size. If you can't find the Pretzel Dipping Sticks in your local grocery store, you can create the handles out of cookie dough.
I used chocolate to attach the pretzel to the cookie and unfortunately, they were not as secure as I wanted them to be. When I picked up a few cookies, the sticks broke off. If you want people to be able to hold the cookies like an actual magnifying glass I suggest you:
- Insert a wooden skewer (a little bigger than the diameter of your pretzel sticks) into the rounds of cookie dough and bake them with the stick in place.
- Allow the cookies to cool then carefully twist the stick and remove it
- Fill the indentation with chocolate and insert your pretzel stick handle
- Allow the chocolate to harden and your magnifying glass handle should be much more secure.
Have fun making these Sherlock Gnomes Magnifying Glass Cookies with Clear Candy Glass. If you make and share them online be sure to link back to this blog post, mention Hungry Happenings. and use #hungryhappenings.com. Thanks!
Recipe
- 2 - 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour I start with 2 cups, then add more if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup 1 stick butter, softened slightly
- ¾ cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond or peppermint extract
- 15-20 clear mint candies I used Arcor candies, crushed to a fine powder
- 20 Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Dipping Sticks
- 4 ounces melted dark cocoa candy melts (or melted and tempered pure dark chocolate)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
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Set aside.
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Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Stir in eggs, vanilla, and almond or peppermint extract.
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Add dry ingredients and stir just until it's mixed in.
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Roll out dough to ¼ of an inch thickness.
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Cut one large 2 ½ inch circle then place the smaller, 1 ¾ inch round cutter in the center of the cookie and cut the smaller circle out of the larger circle.
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Remove the center piece.
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Continue cutting out cookies, removing excess dough and re-rolling as needed to create 36 cookies.
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Freeze cookies for 30 minutes until firm.
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Set on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
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Bake 8 minutes until set.
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Remove and spoon in the crushed candy filling the hole about ½ full.
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Return to oven and melt for about 3 minutes until the candy is crystal clear and melted.
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Do not overheat or bubbles will form in the candy centers.
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Allow all cookies to cool completely.
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Brush the cookies with edible gold luster dust.
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Dip a pretzel dipping stick into chocolate, remove and allow excess to drip off.
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Attach one pretzel handle to each cookie using chocolate.
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Follow instructions in the tutorial if you want your handles to be more secure.
Recipe Video
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Karen @ Sugartown Sweets
Really, Beth, these magnifying glass cookies are just amazing! You have an awesomely talented imagination in coming up with your one-of-a-kind treats. Plus your videos are so well done!! 🙂
Beth
That's so nice to hear. Thanks!!!
The Partiologist
I too could use these on a daily basis, so very clever and I can't wait to see the movie!
Beth
They would sure come in handy for us old folks. HaHaHa!
lisa@hooplapalooza
oh my goodness!!! these are the coolest things ever! why i would use them to read since my sight isn't what it used to be 😜
Beth
I can totally relate. I need to carry one of these around with me all the time.