Gilt Brooch & Button Cookies
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
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85 g/3ozs butter, softened
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140g/5ozs white caster superfine sugar
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1 egg
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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180g/6ozs all-purpose flour
To decorate
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White fondant and colouring gels
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Edible gold lustre paint
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25 ml vodka
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Paintbrush
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Silicon molds in button and filigree designs
Step 1 - Make cookies. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Step 2 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with a round or oval shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment paper. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Step 3 - Make the molds but massaging white fondant until it is soft. Push down into the mold trying to match the size of the fondant with the cavity. An easy way is to roll it into a ball and then flatten it like a hockey puck and then gently push it in. You can then see how much excess there is, remove the whole thing of fondant and pinch off about the right amount. Then roll into a ball, press into a hockey puck shape and put it back in. Freeze the molds for about 5-10 minutes.
Step 4 - Meanwhile, while they are freezing. Massage the remaining white fondant until pliable and tint it whatever colours you would like it to be. I went for pastel Baroque shades. Cut out rounds or oval using the same cookie cutter and adhere each to the cookie with a little water.
Step 5 - Take the mold trays out of the freezer and gently remove the fondant (gently pull at the sides to release them). Mix the gold lustre paint with the vodka and put in an airtight screw container. With a small paintbrush, paint the brooches and button being sure to dip into the little crevices. Also draw an outline on the coloured fondant. Once the gold paint has dried, attach to the fondant using a little water.