Penguin Cookies

 OMG I can't handle how cute these little babies turned out.!!!! 🐧I LOVE them.!!!! I got the recipe that I followed and the idea from Food Network. Not that I haven't aspired to make penguin shaped cookies one day, but I probably wouldn't have thought to make them slice and bake. It's not a difficult recipe, but it does take some time to shape the different components and wait for the dough to be firm enough to cut. I think if I made these again, I would add nutmeg or some almond extract- my go to flavors for sugar cookies. I was more concerned with how they looked than jazzing up the flavors.

Cutting out the penguins really looked like I was making sushi roll cookies. That would be a fun variation.! I made the beak and feet a little oversized for next level adorableness. 

 Here they are cooling, waiting to be adorned for the Christmas party. 🎄

 I didn't have red candy melts, and white chocolate can be super finicky, especially when you buy the cheap not amazing quality hence the cheapness level variety. You have to be careful not to overheat it, or it turns into an unusable mess. You'll know when it happens. Then it's too late. Anyways, don't overheat! I added red food gel to some of the white chocolate that I already had, and had to add some oil too since, as stated previously, my chocolate was not great to begin with, and did not melt ideally. Halved mini marshmallows formed the poofy "pom-pom" on each penguins little hat.

I mainly piped white chocolate designs on the hats, but also used some edible sugar pearls and little chocolate decorating bits that I already had. I also discovered the I thought the penguins were even cuter with discernible eyeballs. At first, I was trying to hide the dot of white chocolate that I used to "glue" the mini-chocolate chip pupil on. I think having crazier bug eyes just made them even more adorable though, so there's a tip for ya. Next time I make these, they'll have bigger eyes, and I'll add some nutmeg to the dough. Overall, a cute idea and a pretty simple recipe.!