Making A Puzzle Imprint On A Cookie by Ellie's Bites

Hi! I'm Stephanie, and I'm visiting Kim's blog today from Ellie's Bites! I'm excited that this is my first guest post, especially since I know that this is a subject that Kim feels very strongly about.

I thought long and hard about what I could do- I wanted to make something that would translate easily into Kim's decorating medium of choice- glaze. And I wanted to do something that included the puzzle piece, the symbol of Autism Awareness. I had a plan A, B, and C. None of them went according to plan. Then it hit me and I raided my kids' toy shelves.

I did a little research to find out how the puzzle piece became the symbol for Autism Awareness. I found a bunch of different explanations. Most seemed to agree that it symbolizes the mystery surrounding Autism. Researchers just can not seem to find a cause or reason. I chose a heart for the shape of the cookie, because I have never met a parent of an autistic child who wouldn't agree that their child holds a very large place  in their heart. 

To make these cookies, the first thing you need is a dough that rolls easily and holds it's shape well. I used the chocolate brownie roll out recipe from The Smitten Kitchen. You'll also need plastic wrap and a puzzle piece. 

1. Raid your kids' puzzle collection.
2. Roll out your dough, chill it well until it is really firm, then lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top.
3. Lay the puzzle piece or pieces on top of the plastic.
4. Roll over that puzzle piece like a steam roller.
5. Check out the cool imprints left on your dough, smile.
6. Cut around the imprint with a heart or the cutter of your choice.
7. Chill these shapes very well before baking, so they will hold their shape and not obscure your imprint. Let the cookies cool completely after baking.

Once the cookies have cooled entirely, it is up to you to decide what to do to finish them. You can leave them undecorated. This is one recipe that can definitely hold its own. I considered filling the imprint with melted chocolate or caramel, yum. In the end, I filled it with white royal icing (you could easily use glaze if you're a "glaze gal" like Kim). Before the icing dried, I poured some colored sugar on top, then shook off the excess.

Thank you so much, Kim, for allowing me to be a part of this amazing project! You are such an inspiration and I'm so happy to call you my friend!