thebigfatnoodle

Cookie monster dough (it makes about 20-30 cookies, I can’t be sure as I forgot to count and my husband had already paid a couple of visits to the kitchen…)

200 grams softened butter at room temperature

150 grams castor sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 tablespoon maple syrup (this wasn’t in the recipe but I decided to chuck it in)

1 egg

300 grams plain flour

Cream the butter and sugar together till pale, light and fluffy.

Beat in the vanilla, egg and maple syrup.

Sift the flour into the mix.

Beat the mix until smooth and doughy.

Remove from the bowl, wrap in cling film and then refrigerate to chill the dough (about 40 minutes to an hour).

Meantime, preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (I wanted a light bake so I actually baked my cookies at 170 degrees because I have a very hot oven).

Dust your worktop, roll out the cookie dough to about 3-5 mm thickness and then use your cookie cutters to cut out your cookie shapes.

On an oven tray lined with baking parchment, set your cookies out about 1-2 cm apart and then bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or until pale and golden on the edges.

I baked my first batch for just 10 minutes as I wanted a softer biscuit for the first batch, and then I baked the second patch for longer to get them more golden and crunchier!

To create monster designs, make some fondant icing,coat the cookies and once dry, start painting.