Make your own cookie cutter

If being busy were a sport I would be an Olympian! I love being busy but when it interferes with my blogging...well need I say more? One of my many projects (which I swear I will post them all) was making my own cookie cutter. Why would I do this? Well, one of my family traditions during Easter is an Italian (Sicilian, European??) cookie called Pubaquolovo which means "doll with an egg". Every family that I know who makes this cookie has a different name for it, but this is about my family so Pubaqulovo it is! My wonderfully talented sister made ours shaped like bunnies, baskets, birds, and eggs. She lives in Heaven now. I wont begin to express my sorrow regarding her loss, but God wanted her back and I am more than grateful that she was in my life for the time we were given.
 Making these wonderful Easter cookies is really time consuming because you have to cut each one out by hand. I tried to have the cookie shapes made into a cookie cutter but $125.00 each was a little out of my budget. I found this really cool cookie cutter place called Off the Beaten Path ( I do not monetize so no money or products were exchanged for advertisement) they can be found on-line but even better for me they are located not too far from my house. I visited them and they had this really cool kit.

I was apprehensive about making my own cookie cutter but the really nice people there showed me how easy it really was. So for $9.99 I bought my kit.

You get this plus some special tape and a long metal strip

First step is to measure your desired shape. They recommended using a string but I used a tape measure.

Next you simply measure and cut the metal. No special scissors needed.

Then you just follow your pattern and use the cool tools to make your shapes turn or crimp.

I was amazed at just how easy it was

I took me about 30 minutes to get it done.

I had enough metal to make two different shapes.

when you're done, you just place this sticky two-way stretchy kind of tape onto the metal and overlap the two ends.

clamp it and wait 72 hours or place it in a 200 degree oven for one hour.

Since my bunny was large and the metal is thin I braced my bunny with a cross-bar. This was not part of the instructions but I felt it was needed to make it more stable.

Into the oven for one hour and done!

And this is the finished Pubaquolovo! I love these cookies so much. You can use any cookie recipe you want. I use a special Easter cookie Italian recipe that really requires a video to explain. It uses 5 lbs of flour, over a dozen eggs, and I wouldn't want you to ruin your ingredients. Maybe someday I can learn how to edit video and post one.

This is the other shape I made. I also made egg-shaped cookies but I didn't photograph that one. Silly me!

I hope your Easter was fun and full of family traditions! When I meet up with my Sister on the other side I'm sure she is going to ask me why I didn't come up with this idea sooner!

Gigulena (Sesame seed) Cookies

Happy New Year! I hope this year will greet you all with health, love, and peace.
Gigulena cookies are one of those Italian cookies that is sort of forgotten. I don't know why? It's not hard to make and the flavor is nutty & sweet. The wonderful thing is that you don't have to frost it! Once it's cool just store it in a Tupperware type container with wax paper between the cookie layers and your done. I'm posting the original recipe but I like to add 2 tsp vanilla. The recipe is for one recipe that yields 6 dozen, but your looking at pictures of a double recipe.
Step one: toast about 1/2 lb of sesame seeds. Watch them like a hawk! Once you smell them toasting they'll burn very easily. Just keep stirring them. They will smell amazing and turn a nice toasty color. Approximately 5-7 min.

Cut the Crisco into the flour mixture

Add eggs (this is where I add the vanilla)

Stir and begin adding the milk. Only mix until it's all Incorporated. Dough will be soft but not too sticky.

Roll into little round balls or logs, toss into cooled sesame seeds, bake.

These are great with coffee or wine! So simple, so delicious. For some reason the men in my family really like these.
Recipe:
4 cups flour, sifted
1 cup sugar granulated
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ (one-quarter)tsp salt
1 cup shorting (I only use Crisco)
Sesame seeds toasted (about 1/2 lb)
2 eggs slightly beaten
½ (one-half) cup milk
(I add 2 tsp vanilla)
Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the shorting with a pie cutter, add eggs. Add the milk one tablespoonful at a time. Roll each cookie into the toasted sesame seeds and place on a LIGHTLY GREASED cookie sheet or better yet use parchment paper so any seeds that fall off your fingers wont burn and you can reuse them. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 min until lightly browned. I bake mine in the middle rack for 5-6 min then move to the top rack for another 5-6 min. They're done when the bottoms are slightly golden brown. Makes about 6 dozen. Can also be cooked at 350 if oven gets too hot and bottoms brown too fast.

Tay Tu Cookies

I don't know why these are called Tay-Tu's. It's a silly name but just say it in a room full of Italians and see every one's head turn around! These cookies are very rich with chocolate, nuts, and spices. There are several different recipes out there for this cookie. This one (see at the end of blog) is my sister's recipe that I slightly tweaked. If you see a spice your not a fan of, don't worry, just change it. That's the beauty of this recipe. I've had it with and without the anise oil and I love it both ways! The recipe will be for one recipe that yields about 180 cookies. The photos you'll see are for a double recipe. Enjoy!
Beat Crisco, butter, & sugar till fluffy (about 8 min), add eggs one at a time, then add cold coffee & anise (or what ever flavor you're using).

Yes, it will look like a soupy mess after you add the eggs & liquids. Don't panic.

Mix the dry ingredients and add mini-chocolate chips

add the egg mixture and fold together. Add nuts while folding.

as your folding add Hershey's chocolate syrup (Yum!)

The mixture will be soft but not real sticky when done.

plop dough onto a floured surface. Do Not Kneed! just lightly roll it into a big log.
Slice into sections (remember your looking at a double recipe)

refrigerate for about 30 min. I always make mine up the night before so it's nice and cold.

roll into little balls (about 1 tsp of dough), place on lightly greased cookie sheets

bake @ 350 degrees for about 9 min. I put them in the center rack for 4 min and 5 min on upper rack.
                                   
When cooled frost. I usually frost these with a white frosting but for some reason this year I put a few Tbsp of cocoa in my frosting. I don't care for they way they look. Next year I wont add the cocoa. Let these dry over night, store in Tupperware with wax paper between each layer.
Enjoy! Great with coffee or wine!
Here's the recipe:

Tay-Tu's
6 ½ cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda
1 rounded heaping tsp baking powder

Sift together and add

6 oz mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Set aside.
¾ cup Crisco
1 stick margarine or butter
½ cup sugar
4 eggs
¼ cup cold coffee
1/8 tsp anise oil (this is very strong and if your don’t like anise substitute with almond or vanilla. If you use vanilla use 2 tsp, if you use almond use 1 tsp). If you can't find anise oil you can use 1/4th tsp. anise extract.

(I use 1/8th tsp anise oil + 2 tsp vanilla because I'm fun and spicy!)
Beat Crisco, margarine, sugar till fluffy add eggs one at a time; add coffee & anise oil or extracts.

Add this mixture to the flour mixture and gently mix.

While mixing add:

One 16 oz can Heresy’s chocolate syrup
1 cup chopped English walnuts

dough will be soft. Put in refrigerator for about 30 min. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Roll into small balls. Bake for about 4 min on bottom rack and 5 min on top rack in a preheated 350-degree oven.

Ice when cooled.
This recipe makes about 180 cookies.
Frosting:
2 lbs powder sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) room temp butter or margarine (I use butter)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp anise oil
enough milk to achieve desired consistency of thick & runny. I frost all sides of the cookie and put on wax paper until dry (usually overnight).
Let me know what you think!