Panda Cookies 🐼 🐼 🐼

A slightly complicated recipe, but they're so cute and taste so much better than the original recipe on the cookie cutters’ packaging, it will be totally worth it! Just keep in mind this recipe requires high precision, so please use a food scale.

The cookie cutters can be found on Amazon when you search for "panda cookie cutter set." This is a very versatile recipe: the dough doesn't change shape when baked, so it can be used for other cute cookies as well, see below. 

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: approximately 40 cookies 

INGREDIENTS:

Butter base:

175 g butter (at room temperature)

150 g sugar

55 g raw egg (beaten)

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp fine salt

½ tsp baking powder

White vanilla dough (for 140 g butter base)

120 g all-purpose flour

Brown cocoa dough (for 240 g butter base)

190 g all-purpose flour

14 g cocoa powder

⅛ tsp baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all the butter base ingredients. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat on low until everything is well-combined. This mixture should be approximately 380 g total.

Divide the butter base into two separate bowls, 140 g and 240 g respectively. If there’s a little extra, add it to the 240 g bowl.

Add 120 g flour to the 140 g butter base and beat on low to combine.

Add 190 g flour, 14 g cocoa power, and ⅛ tsp baking soda into the 240 g butter base, and combine.

Cover both dough with cling wrap and rest overnight in the fridge. This will prevent the dough from cracking during assembly and baking. 

Alternatively: if you’re pressed for time, rest the cocoa dough in the fridge and the vanilla dough in room temperature for 30 minutes. A cold dough is easier to roll out and handle; however, you cannot stamp panda faces onto the vanilla dough when it’s cold, otherwise it will crack.

When you’re ready to assemble, first line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and then line your work counter with a piece of cling wrap. This will help you lift the cookies off the counter after you cut them out.

Place the cocoa dough on the cling wrap and roll it out to 4-5 mm thickness. Use two paint sticks (free upon request at most home improvement stores) as guide if you don’t have a special rolling pin to measure the thickness.

Using the black cutters, cut out the panda’s bodies and place them on the baking sheet. Cover the cookies with cling wrap to prevent them from drying out.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Line your work counter with a fresh piece of cling wrap, so that the coca dough doesn’t get on the vanilla dough. Roll out the vanilla dough to 4-5 mm thickness.

Using the white cutters, cut out the face pieces. Then, without lifting the dough, dust the panda face stencil surface with a little bit of flour or cornstarch to prevent sticking, and stencil out the panda’s face. Use a toothpick to remove the eye pattern if needed, and then place gently on the cocoa cookies.

Use the white cutters to cut out the body pieces and place on the cocoa cookies.

If you have any excess dough, you can make a polar bear, brown bear, or a Qinling Panda with light brown patterns just for giggles~

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until edges are slightly golden. 

No they're not too cute to eat! Enjoy!