Teddy Bear Shortbread Cookies

A couple years ago, I bought a set of Wilton's stackable teddy bear cookie cutters, but in all that time since the purchase, I've never actually used them.  So after I received a request from my sister for cookies, I decided I was finally ready to try the teddy bear cutters.

This set of cookie cutters comes in a pack of three: a head, a face and a nose.

I prepared one full batch of a basic vanilla shortbread recipe, typically enough for about 30 two and a half to three inch cookies.  Using the stackable cutters, I was only able to make eight full bears.  These cookies are huge.

I chose a basic glace icing following Toba Garrett's recipe from Creative Cookies.  It's basically powdered sugar with equal parts milk and corn syrup.  To achieve a nice icing edge on the cookies, I use the outline and flood method.  With a semi-stiff icing, I outline around the edge of the cookie.  Then using a thinned down icing, I "flood" the interior to create a smooth, flat surface of color.

I prefer the taste and texture of glace icing over royal icing.  It's doesn't dry as hard and has a creamier consistency.  However, working with glace icing requires a lot of patience, as it takes forever (as in hours and hours) to fully dry.

I let my cookies dry almost a full 24 hours before finally assembling (I "glued" the pieces together with a little stiff icing) and packaging them.

Cookie Stats:
Cookie:  Vanilla shortbread cookies, rolled 1/4" thick, cut with stackable teddy bear cookie cutters
Decoration:  Outline and flood method with glace icing in several colors

The bottom line: these cookies are a real crowd pleaser.  I brought in a couple for people at work, and they absolutely gushed over how cute they were.  The fact is, as far as decorated cookies go, these stacked teddy bear cookies are rather simple to make, but yield great results.

Daily Monku:  Warning: this monku is a total nerd fest... readers (if they're any out there) beware...  I hate that Microsoft Access distinguishes between a null cell, an empty cell and zero length string.  What's the point?  I guess I can understand null vs. zero length string.  But how is an empty cell not null.  Or if the cell has been accessed, but not filled with a value, why is that not the same as having a zero length string in that cell.  I just don't get it.  It makes organizing data within the database much more annoying than it need be.