dots! .... cookies and favor box

This is a great and easy way to use up leftover dough and frosting. You can make and decorate these cookies, let dry overnight, and freeze in a baggie to use as needed. I do hope you find cutting out cookies therapeutic, though, as the task can become tedious. Use flour generously on your work surface and the cutter. Also, I have plenty of frosting bags already prepared on hand, but if you don't want to go through the effort of preparing bags just to make dots, you can just put dyed frosting in ziplocs and cut a small hole at the corner.

I was inspired by the blog, mushy, to create my own little pillow box. (See her post here, and my post on her post at my other blog, here. Was that confusing?) I found the template online and added the circles myself.

how to make cookie dots


you will need:
dough
frosting
1/2 " circle fondant cutter
food coloring (any desired colors, I use Americolor soft gel pastes)
1 disposable frosting bag, coupler, rubberband and size "4" tip for each color OR
1 ziploc with the corner snipped (don't snip too much) for each color

to package, you will need:
color printer
8 1/2 x 11" thick, cardstock or photo paper
small cellophane favor bags
scissors
craft knife or Xacto knife
craft glue

*fondant cutters are found at most major craft stores, as are the rest of the supplies, though Americolor food coloring is primarily found in specialty stores and online.

step one: bake your cookies
On a floured surface, roll out your chilled dough about 3/8" thick and use the fondant cutter to cut out your dots. Bake about 7 minutes according to recipe directions. Let cool.

step two: decorate your cookies
Make a frosting bag with 4 tip or use a ziploc for each color frosting. Tie closed with a rubber band. Pipe a dot on each cookie. This works best if you pick up and hold each cookie with the forefinger and thumb of your non-dominant hand while piping with your dominant hand. The cookies are so light they move around the tray otherwise. Let dry overnight.

step three: package your cookies
Put dots in a small favor bag, fold over the edge (you can use a sticker to close if preferred), and put in a pillow box or any container. The favor bag is important because the oils from the cookie will stain paper containers!

To make the pillow box, print the template (pdf found here, and also at the end of this post). Each sheet makes 2 boxes. Cut out each along the outside lines. Lightly and precisely score the black lines on the inside of the shape with a craft knife. This is to make folding easier. Fold along the tab line along the right side of the box and the middle. Glue the box together along the tab line. Hold closed until dry. Puff open and fold in curved ends.