Bumblebee Cookies
By OcadoLife
Published on 26 March 2023
Bright yellow and white fondant icing decorations transform these simple chocolate biscuits into fun Bumblebee Cookies. The recipe, from food writer and chef Liberty Mendez, is ideal for a springtime birthday party or Easter gathering. If you have time, it’s best to chill the cookies for 30 mins before baking so they firm up – this will stop them spreading in the oven. For more cute character bakes inspired by nature, check out Liberty’s Hedgehog Buns. Looking for more Easter bakes? Look no further.Time and servings
57 minsTotal time
20Servings
45 minsPrep time
12 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp of icing sugar
- 40 edible eyes decorations
- 50 g of caster sugar
- 1 pinch of fine sea salt
- 100 g of plain flour
- 50 g of cocoa powder
- 125 g of ready-to-roll white fondant icing
- 75 g of cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 squeeze (approx.) yellow gel food colouring
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt.Step 2
Add the cold butter and rub the mixture between your fingertips until sandy. Add 2½ tbsp cold water and continue mixing by hand until a dough forms, adding an extra 1 tbsp water if needed.Step 3
Place the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to stop it from sticking and roll out to 2.5mm thick.Step 4
Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Use a 5.5-6cm circular cookie cutter to stamp out the cookies, then place on the lined trays, keeping them a finger-width apart. Re-roll the trimmings to cut out more cookies, until all the dough has been used up – you should have around 20 cookies. Bake for 12 mins, or until firm to the touch but still a little soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on the tray – they’ll harden a little more as they cool.Step 5
To decorate, squeeze a little yellow food colouring over 100g white fondant icing and knead to combine, adding a bit more colouring if needed until your desired shade is reached. Place between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out to about 5mm thick, then cut into 5mm-wide strips long enough to cover the width of the cookies; set aside.Step 6
Roll the remaining 25g white fondant into 40 pea-sized balls, then flatten with your thumb and gently shape into little wings for the bees.Step 7
In a small bowl or cup, mix the icing sugar with 1 tsp cold water to make a ‘glue’. Using the back of a teaspoon (or a small paper piping bag), spread a little of the icing glue on the back of a yellow strip, then press onto a cookie – you’ll need about 3-4 strips for each cookie. Stick on the wings and edible eyes in the same way, and leave to set for at least 1 hr. The cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.