Vanilla cookies with strawberry icing, pretty dresses and heart shaped lights are the things I never thought I would be into… until I had kids. And now the amount of excitement they get from a handful of sparkly valentine stickers makes me reevaluate my feelings about the Hallmark holidays.
Vanilla Cookies
Out of all the desserts I make, some healthy, some decadent, vanilla cookies are my family’s most anticipated treat. I know well to make an extra batch or two because they are that good – tender, sandy, melt-in-your-mouth, and with just the right amount of sweetness. I make my vanilla cookies with einkorn flour, and add some almond flour for subtle aroma and extra protein.
Why einkorn flour?
Besides its sweeter taste and beautiful golden color, einkorn is nutritionally superior to other types of wheat:
- It has significantly more vital nutrients like Zinc, Copper, Iron, Magnesium and Selenium than modern wheat (1)(2).
- Einkorn is lower in gluten proteins that cause negative reaction not just in people with celiac disease but even in those with sensitivity, or even regular folks! (3).
- It’s better for your good old arteries, keeping down inflammation (4).
Freeze-dried strawberry powder for subtle flavor and pretty pink color
Freeze-dried strawberries are a natural colorant. They add pretty pink color to the icing without having to resort to artificial chemicals. I use this brand, or you can get some freeze-dried strawberries and grind them in a coffee grinder. Since it is a natural colorant, it won’t produce a saturated hue. But the subtle pink is gorgeous nonetheless.
What else?
I prefer strawberry powder only, I think it produces the best taste. For whatever reason, I don’t care for raspberry or mixed berry in this icing. I have used beet powder to intensify the color before but it doesn’t add significant color pop in a small amount. Plus the small beet particles don’t dissolve well and you can see tiny specks of purple in the icing.
I am generally not concerned about using raw egg white in my icing. I buy eggs from an Amish store that I trust 100%. I do wash the eggs with warm water and mild soap to remove any external residue. Salmonella poisoning from eggs is very rare, despite the publicity. If you worry about the safety of raw egg whites, you can pasteurize eggs at home. I haven’t tried making this icing from store-bought pasteurized egg whites but I guess they would work the same.
HOW TO MAKE EINKORN VANILLA COOKIES WITH NATURALLY COLORED ICING
Ingredients
Cookies
8 tablespoons (115g) butter (out of refrigerator for 1 hour)
1.25 cup (200g) all-purpose einkorn flour (I use Jovial)
1/2 cup (50g) almond flour
1/2 cup (75g) powdered sugar
3 egg yolks
A pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
1 egg white
1 cup (200g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice (or a good squeeze)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freeze-dried powdered strawberries
Instructions
To make cookies:
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add 8 tablespoons butter, 1.25 cup einkorn flour, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand (small clumps start to form).
Add 3 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until dough starts to come together.
Knead-roll the dough into a ball. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle some flour on your work surface.
Cool covered dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough out thinly, 1/8 – 1/4″ and cut out cookies. Gather the remaining dough again into a ball, and roll it out. Repeat until all dough is gone.
Bake at 325ºF for 10 minutes. The cookies might look underdone but they will turn perfect after they cool down on a rack.
To make icing:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
Mix on medium high for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a sandwich bag (or pastry bag). Trim a tiny piece of the corner, and glaze the cookies.
This amount will cover two batches of einkorn vanilla cookies, if you decorate them similarly to mine. Let the icing cure for 2 hours, or until dry to touch. To dry the icing faster, place glazed cookies into the oven at 175º-200ºF for 10-15 minutes.
Einkorn Vanilla Cookies with Naturally Colored Icing
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (115g butter) out of refrigerator for 1 hour
- 1.25 cup (200g) all-purpose einkorn flour (I use Jovial)
- 1/2 cup (50g) almond flour
- 1/2 cup (75g) powdered sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add 8 tablespoons butter, 1.25 cup einkorn flour, 1/2 cup almond flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
- Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand (small clumps start to form).
- Add 3 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix until dough starts to come together.
- Knead-roll the dough into a ball. If the dough is too wet, sprinkle some flour on your work surface.
- Cool covered dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then roll the dough out thinly, 1/8 - 1/4" and cut out cookies. Gather the remaining dough again into a ball, and roll it out. Repeat until all dough is gone.
- Bake at 325ºF for 10 minutes. The cookies might look underdone but they will turn perfect after they cool down on a rack.
Notes
To make green cookies, use matcha powder and a tiny bit of spirulina powder to the icing:
