Source: The Professional Pastry Chef by: Bo Friberg. Third Ed.
Makes 24 servings.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Tips: Great decorations for desserts or cakes.
Ingredients
Preparation
VANILLA TULIP PASTE: (1 recipe)
8 ounces soft unsalted butter (225 g)
8 ounces powdered sugar (225 g), sifted
1 cup egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 ounces cake flour, sifted
FOR BUTTERFLY SPOTS:
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Vanilla Tulip Paste: 1/4 of above recipe makes about 24 butterflies.
1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar together. Incorporate the egg whites a few at a time. Add the vanilla. Add the flour and mix just until incorporated; do not overmix.
2. Store covered in the refrigerator. Tulip Paste will keep for several weeks. Allow the paste to soften slightly after removing it from the refrigerator, then stir it smooth and into a spreadable consistency before using. If the paste is too soft, the edges of the Tulips (or other shapes) will be ragged and unprofessional looking. If this happens, chill the paste briefly.
Cookie Butterflies:
1. To form the butterflies you will need a V-shaped molding box. If you don't have one: take a 6-inch wide strip of corrugated cardboard. Make a cut lengthwise down the center of the strip, cutting only halfway through. Bend the cardboard into a V-shape, placing a strip of tape across the top at both ends to hold the proper angle. To hold the from upright as you work, secure it between the rows of a inverted muffin tin.
2. Make the cookie butterfly template (attached shown in correct size). Trace the drawing and then cut the template out of 1/16-inch (2mm) thick cardboard (cake boxes are ideal). You may laminate it cutting our the figure so that you may save and re-use.
3. Lightly grease the backs of clean, even sheet pans, coat with flour, and then shake off as much flour as possible, or use silicone mats, which do not need to be greased and floured. Air trays with silicone mats work well.
4. Mix the cocoa powder into 2 tablespoons of the Tulip Paste, stirring until smooth. Place a portion in a a piping bag. A sandwich plastic bag with a small hole at one corner works well.
5. Spread the plain Tulip Paste thinly and evenly within the butterfly template on the prepared pans or silicone mats. If the paste is spread out too thick the decorations look clumsy and the desire effect is lost.
6. Pipe three dots of cocoa-colored paste in descending size on each wing, with the largest dot at the bottom.
7. Bake the butterflies, one pan at a time, at 400 F degrees for approximately 6 minutes or until the cookies begin to develop brown spots. Leave the pan in the oven with the oven door open, remove the cookies one at a time, selecting the cookies with the most brown spots first, and place them into the V-shape form. Arrange the butterflies so that they are straight. If you have time, and your fingers are up to it, press the very end of the center of the butterfly against the box (between rounded ends) to make the front of the wings spread out at a angle. Remove the formed Cookie Butterflies once they have hardened ( this only takes a few seconds) and repeat to form the remainder. It is good idea to make a few more than you will need to allow for breakage.
NOTES : 1) Cookies will soften easy with humidity. Store in sealed glass jar.
2) 1 Recipe of Tulip paste will make about 96 butterflies. Divide recipe according to your need.
Cookie Butterflies
Vanilla Tulip Paste
