Hey Besties! I’ve been dying to share these cookies with you! As soon as we knew our oldest son was committed to moving across country for college, I knew I could excel in care packages to him! I mean, what’s better than homemade cookies from mom?! But also taking into account the fun relationship our family has; I knew these would make for the perfect college care package cookies! I’m happy to report that his first care package is now on its way! He has no idea, and I can’t wait for him to open these! He’ll be receiving more than just cookies from mom, but a fun reminder of who loves him! Let’s jump into how these were made!
The Best Cookie Stamp Recipe!
If you’ve been here before, you know we LOVE to make stunning cookies utilizing cookie stamps! I have a whole section of this site featuring different flavors and the techniques to achieve perfect designs and incredible flavors. You can find these cookie stamp recipes HERE! But today, I’m using one of my favorite flavor combos, which I know my son adores and that his roommates will love too. In recent months, this has become our favorite flavoring when making vanilla cookies. And the magic ingredient is THIS baking emulsion. Just a little bit is all you need to take these vanilla cookies to the next level!
My cookie stamping recipes work beautifully to perfectly hold even the most intricate of designs without losing shape. So, these are really quick and simple to make! Cookies turn our soft and chewy, or you can add to your baking time if you prefer a crispier cookie.
I’ll also add that we LOVE using these perforated baking mats, which eliminate any expansion or cookie spread. If you’ve ever struggled with cookies not keeping their shape, they can be a game changer!
Custom Cookie Stamp
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this cookie cutter and stamp is my husband and me. I ordered the cutter and stamp set from HERE and just had to provide a photo of the faces I wanted for the stamp. They create a custom 2-piece cutter and stamp set from the photo you provide. Now, I will tell you, it was not cheap, but honestly, I know I’ll use this forever. With our daughter leaving for college next year, I know this will get a lot of use for many years to come. I’m also excited to just bring it to barbecues with our friends! When I say, “We’ll bring the cookies,” they have no idea what’s coming. Surprise!
Since this cookie set is going to our son, I also added in some round cookies, using my “Love You” stamp too. You can find that cookie stamp HERE! I love supporting this small business who makes the most incredible cookie stamp designs! And if a design you want is out of stock in their Amazon shop, It’s available in their Etsy shop HERE! The same technique is used to stamp with their stamps, and I use a round cookie cutter to cut these ones from the dough.
Custom face stamp technique & Video
For making these cookies, you’ll simply follow the recipe I’ve shared below, and no chilling is necessary! Roll out your dough, as usual, like for cutout cookies and then you’ll use the cookie cutter first and then the stamp. For this stamp, I dip it in loose flour in between each cookie, to make sure it doesn’t stick, while leaving a perfect impression. I put together a quick video for you to see exactly how I cut and stamp these! You can see that short video HERE!
Now I commonly dip the bottoms of my stamped cookies in chocolate for an amazing flavor combo. But since these are going to Arizona, I’m not doing that since they’d probably get all melty in transit. But definitely something you should consider because it is delish!!!
The Cookie Stamp Recipe You Need!
Alright Besties, the time has come! Here is the incredible cookie stamp recipe that is loved so much by our family, friends and customers! Really simply to make, with no chilling involved! I hope you love it as much as we all do!
The Best Vanilla Cookie Stamp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter Chilled, cubed
- 1 cup (200g) Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp (4g) Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp (2g) Butter Vanilla Baking Emulsion LorAnn brand
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp (5g) Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp (3g) Salt
- 3.5 cups (470g) All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- We bake on our favorite perforated baking mats to eliminate any chance of spread, for even baking and pretty undersides of our cookies!
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes. No need to excessively cream as it can lead to cookie spread.
- Beat in butter vanilla baking emulsion, vanilla and egg, until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredient mixing bowl a little at a time.
- Mix until thoroughly blended. Dough should be pulling away from the bowl.
- Chilling the dough is not necessary! I have tried many different ways of rolling out dough and always come back to the old-fashioned way; a sheet of wax paper that has been floured.
- I usually divide the dough into 3 chunks and roll out each onto a floured surface and cut. In my experience, this dough works best for cookies at 1/4" thick. I use my Joseph Joseph rolling pin which does the measuring for me – genius! If you prefer thicker cookies, you'll just want to adjust your baking time.
- I dip my stamp in loose flour and tap off the excess. I re-flour my stamp after every 1-2 cookies.
- Use the cookie stamp to gently press down into the dough to create the design.
- You can use a cookie cutter before or after stamping (depending on style) to cut your dough.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Once the shiny spot in the middle of the cookie is gone, your cookies are ready.
- Let cookies set on cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to cooling rack.
Notes
The feedback we hear most often
Anytime we make our stamped cookies, we hear two things! “You made these?!” and “They taste even better than they look!” No one ever believes stamped cookies are homemade, since they look so fancy. And for us, we firmly believe it’s not good enough to have a pretty cookie; It needs to taste even better than it looks!
I can’t wait to hear my son’s reaction when these college care package cookies arrive! And I hope this has inspired you to make your own stamped cookies! It is hands down, the simplest way to make delicious, designer cookies. And I’d LOVE to see all your baked treats! Join our Bestie community where you can share your work, ask questions, get support and more! It’s the happiest corner of the internet and you’ll find it HERE!
Lastly, if you’re not already receiving my weekly newsletter, now is your chance! Never miss out on a new recipe, tutorial, technique, product recommendation, and free printables to dress up your treats! Happy Baking Bestie!
