Sugar Bean Bakers: {Hogwarts Letter Cookies}

(See all my Potter recipes here & my HUGE Potter Parties here: 2012 & 2013)

You know what today is?

It's my best bloggy friend's birthday!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARLA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darla, of Bakingdom, LOVES birthdays, so I wanted to be sure and do something for her today. Something more than shipping a gift across the country (I totally got her the 10th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver), something that took time and a lot of thought.

I wanted to have a party for her!

So, I gathered up another one of her friends, the amazingly talented Heather Baird of Sprinkle Bakes. Heather has a treat for Darla today on her blog too, be sure to check out this Firefly cake inspired by Kaylee's Dress. It's GORGEOUS, of course: Kaylee's Dress Cake.

By the way, be sure to check out Heather's book, Sprinkle Bakes (no, she didn't tell me to mention her book. I mention it because I have, and love, it. It's just beautiful).

I went through a lot of geek ideas for Darla's birthday. TARDIS cupcakes? Red Shirt Red Velvet cake? Hunger Games Oatmeal cookies?

Then, I stumbled upon this idea from Glorious Treats.

And a noise in my head, people, it was audible, I swears, went DING.

What does Darla often talk about never receiving?

Her Hogwarts Letter!

The cookie I made here is BIG. It's a good 7"x4". You could make them smaller, but your letter would have to be either smaller (text is tiny as is) or you'd have to fold it more.

You'll make 3 cookies of the same size, like shown on Glorious Treats. For the middle cookie, you will remove the center of it before baking.

As you assemble it will look like this

(ignore the powered sugar on my counter, kay?)

Put the bottom and middle cookies together with a royal icing.

Then, put your letter inside. A little more royal icing and add the top cookie.
Be sure to fold your note to one side (I folded mine in 1/2 again after this photo), so it will not get torn when you break/cut into it).

Glorious Treats did a great job making her cookies perfect and even. If you can do this, you can probably pull off using the Flood and Fill method with Royal Icing.

I was not so successful as you can see in this photo.

Enter fondant. I used an easy Marshmallow Fondant. It's by Darla herself.

Cover with your fondant and allow it to sit out and dry for a bit. This will make it easier to write on with a food writer.

And there you have it.

A cute, addressed cookie. You can add your real address, of course. I don't think that Darla would have been to excited if I'd published her home address on the internet though ;)

Other things you can add are things like "the Cupboard Under the Stairs", "The Smallest Bedroom", "The Bedroom at the End of the Hall", etc.

Now, you have a big darn fondant covered cookie. They will have no idea what lies inside though.

Oooh, what's that peeking??

(this photo was for demonstration only, you can see it was clearly folded again in the middle so it would not get torn in half when cutting into the cookie)

Congratulations, Hogwarts wants you!

You can make this in lots of different shapes, Glorious Treats has done a pumpkin, Christmas Drums, & the heart I linked above, but I thought that this Hogwarts letter was perfect for my geeky, Potter obsessed friend.

Happy Birthday, Darla, I hope your day is as wonderful as you are!

Stop over to Bakingdom or Bakingdom's Facebook to wish her a happy day! Tell her Heather & Tina sent ya! :)

Tina :)

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(See all my Potter recipes here & my HUGE Potter Parties here 2012 & 2013)