As a child I remember one of my favorite things to do was to go to the local zoo and see all of the exotic animals. I LOVED watching the monkeys swing from the ropes in their habitat, the hippos taking an afternoon nap in the cool, refreshing water, and giraffes using their long necks to dine on all the green leaves growing high on the trees.
My love for animals continued whenever my mother allowed me to have a treat at the grocery store. I will never forget the times that I chose those delicious, sweet pink and white frosted animal cookies. These yummy treats not only satisfied my sweet tooth, but also provided me with hours of play time as I acted out the animals that I had seen at the zoo with each cookie that I pulled out of the bag.
In honor of the birth of my new niece, Cecily Kate Tumino, (whom I hope not only loves the color pink, but also has a love for animals like her Aunt) I am sharing some colorful tasty frosted animal cookie inspired goodies that will not only remind you of your childhood, but will bring a smile to your kids' faces at your next event.
So, take a peek at these wild treats...and recreate the sweetness of your youth.
Frosted Animal Cookie Truffles
(Courtesy of
The Domestic Rebel)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of Frosted Animal cookies
- 1/2 can of cream cheese frosting
- 1 package of white chocolate almond bark
- Rainbow nonpareils
- Pink food coloring
Directions:
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. Meanwhile, in a
food processor, grind the animal cookies (about a cup at a time–work in
batches) until finely ground, coarse crumbs. Pour all the ground cookies
into a large bowl.
2. Once cookies are ground, spoon in the half can of cream cheese icing.
Using your clean hands or a spoon, and mix together the crumbs and frosting
until thoroughly combined.
3. Begin portioning the crumb mixture into inch-sized balls (I used a
small cookie dough scoop) and place the balls onto the foil-lined baking
sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
4. Freeze the truffles for about 3 hours or until completely frozen and
solid. While they’re freezing, prepare your white chocolate according to
package directions until smooth and melted. Pour half that mixture into
a separate bowl, and using your pink coloring, tint one of the bowls a
pretty pink shade.
5. Dip half the batch of truffles into the white chocolate, and the
other half into the pink chocolate. I used a fork to coat all sides of
the truffles, then allowed the excess to drip off the bottom before
gently placing each dipped truffle back onto the foil-lined sheet. While
still wet, sprinkle the truffle tops with the rainbow nonpareils.
6. Allow all the truffles to harden and set, about 20 minutes in the
fridge. Store leftover truffles airtight for about 2-3 days at room
temperature, or a week in the freezer–just allow them to come to room
temperature before eating them that way.
Jumbo Frosted Animal Cookies
Ingredients:
(Makes approximately 15 cookies)
- 5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon of mace
- 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 16 oz. of buttercream icing
- pink food coloring
- nonpareils (rainbow)
Cookie Directions:
1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Over a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and mace. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the
butter on high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly
add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to
scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for
1 minute, stopping the mixer once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Stop the mixer and add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed
until most of the flour has been absorbed. Add the remaining flour and
beat until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to
pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls.
Shape each into a disk and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate
for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Roll out the
dough to almost 1/2-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out
shapes with cookie cutters and move them to parchment-lined baking
sheets with a firm, metal spatula. (I used stoneware baking sheets, so
didn't need to line them.)
6. Bake the cookies until very light golden brown, about 18 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool for about 5 minutes.
Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Icing Directions:
1. Place the buttercream icing in a microwave-safe bowl from 15-30
seconds (until pourable). If it becomes too runny then, add some powdered
sugar. Divide icing into 2 bowls. Tint half of it pink and keep the
other half white.
2. With the cookies on a wire rack, place the rack over a
baking sheet (or over wax paper). Use a spoon to cover each cookie with
the icing. Sprinkle with the nonpareils.
Frosted Animal Cookie Mini CheeseCakes
(Recipe from
Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (2%)
- 1 bag of Frosted Animal Cookies
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 275F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners (preferably white). Place a pink
(they show up better) cookie at the bottom of
each cupcake, sprinkle side down. Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.
Add vanilla and Greek yogurt, beat until incorporated.
3. Crush up remaining Animal Cookies. You can use as many or as much as you
want. I just used the rest of the bag because I really like the
cookies. Add them to the cheesecake batter and mix until the cookies are
throughout the batter evenly. Pour into prepared cupcake liners.
4. Bake for 22 minutes, rotating half way through. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Chill in fridge in muffin tins for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Frosted Animal Cookie Ice Cream
(Recipe by
Purple Chocolat Home)
Ingredients:
( Makes around 2 quarts of ice cream)
- 1 1/4 cup of white sugar
- Equivalent of 4 pasteurized eggs (Egg Beaters)
- 1/2 cup of marshmallow cream
- 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 cups of crushed frosted animal cookies
- Pink Food Coloring
- Additional Frosted Animal Crackers
Directions:
1.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, Egg Beaters, and marshmallow cream on low. The stir in the whipping cream and milk. Add a few drops of pink food coloring to make it pink (if desired).
2. Place the cream mixture
in your ice cream maker freezer container.
3. When the ice cream is almost frozen sprinkle in half of the crushed cookies. Let the ice cream maker freezer mix them in.
4. When it is frozen (as frozen as the ice cream maker can make it), hand stir the remaining cookies into the frozen ice cream. Make sure to stir all the way to the bottom. Add additional crushed cookies, if desired.
5. Place the ice cream in the freezer for several hours until solid.
Frosted Animal Cookie Cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1 1/4 cup of sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla
- 1 1/4 cup of flour
- 1 1/3 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 3/4 cup of milk
- 24 Frosted Animal Cookies
- nonpareils (rainbow)
Buttercream Icing Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups of powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon of milk
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time,
then add the vanilla and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour,
baking powder, and salt. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter
mixture and beat until incorporated. Add half of milk and mix well. Add
another third of the flour, mix, then add the remaining mix. Beat in the
remaining flour mixture until well incorporated.
3. Line or spray a cupcake tin. In each well, add a tablespoon of
batter, then drop one frosted animal cracker into each. Then add 1/4 cup
of batter to each, covering the frosted animal cracker. Add another
frosted animal cracker on top of the batter in each cupcake well.
4. Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden. Once cupcakes have cooled, top them with buttercream icing and nonpareils!
What a scrumptious way to bring back all those wonderful childhood memories and share with your children one of your favorite treats from when you were their age. All of these pretty pink and white desserts would stand out at a kid's circus birthday party, a girly carousel-themed baby shower, or as a snack for your child's class on their next school trip to the zoo.
Not only will you get rave reviews from adults and children at your next party...but think of how much fun you can have guessing each animal shape as you pour them out of the bag. So allow your kids to finally get that bag of frosted animal cookies that they have been begging you for and create some of these fabulous rainbow sprinkled
desserts. Have a wonderful weekend!
