Venus Fly Trap MisFortune Cookies - Instructables

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Venus Fly Trap MisFortune Cookies

by paperplateandplane

I have always wanted to create something edible inthe guise of a Venus fly trap plant since havingbought a plant for my older daughter last year whenshe was in Kindergarten. Fast forward this week inhaste of entering a food item for the HalloweenContest, I went back to the idea of Venus fly traps. Ithit me -- they look like fortune cookies with teeth(Although, they don't really have teeth. Those arehairs). So I was set to take on the challenge, withanother Halloween Contest soon to close in a matterof hours. I managed to create what I believe to bequite convincing Venus fly traps in the form of fortunecookies. But they don't bring you fortune. Quite theopposite. They bring you misfortune in the shape of afly. As for taste? They are sweet and buttery, like anyFrench tuile cookie. Afterall, fortune cookies are

nothing but tuile cookies.

I had so much fun on this kitchen project. Just asmuch fun as the Cockroach Donuts I made two yearsago. I hope you vote for me again this year in theHalloween Contest. Thank you so much for yoursupport!

If you want to see how else tuile cookies can beformed other than in fortune cookie form, you cancheck out the Almond Tuile Cookie Roses I've madein a past Instructable:https://www.instructables.com/id/Almond-Tuile-Cookie-Roses/

Venus Fly Trap MisFortune Cookies: Page 1

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Step 1: Materials

For making the Venus Fly Trap misFortune Cookie template, you'll need:-Plastic flexible chopping board

-Sharpie marker

-Craft knife

-Very sharp scissors

For baking, you'll need:

-Cookie sheet

-Parchment paper

-Bowls

-Offset spatula and spatula

-Pastry brush

-Piping bags

-BBQ skewers (not shown)


Step 2: Venus Fly Trap MisFortune Cookie Templates

To make the template:1. Sketch Venus fly trap silhouette on paper in the size you desire.

2. Using a Sharpie, trace the design on a plastic flexible chopping mat.

3. Cut a hole in the chopping mat using a craft knife.

4. With very sharp scissors, cut away the design. You are left with a reusable template for making many Venus flytrap misfortune cookies!


Step 3: MisFortune Flies

Venus fly traps trap flies, so it only made sense thatthe messages here are in the shape of flies. You'llneed black construction paper, white pen, cellophane(I used the wrapping that contained the plasticchopping mats), fine point Sharpie felt pen, anddouble-sided tape.

1. Cut black sheet into tapered strips, as shown,approximately 1" x 3" (narrowest is 1/2" wide).

2. Write your misfortunes.

3. Roll tightly.

4. Draw fly wings on cellophane.

5. Cut fly wings.

6. Using double-sided tape, seal and adheremisfortune rolls to look like flies.



Step 4: Making the Cookie Batter

For the cookie batter, you'll need:

-2 egg whites

-1/3 cup sugar

-1/2 cup all purpose flour

-1/4 cup melted butter

-1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

-food color

1. Beat egg whites in medium speed until foamy.

2. Gradually add in sugar at high speed.

3. Beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Combine sugar, flour, butter, and vanilla.

5. Mix by hand with a spatula.

6. Separate in 4 bowls.

7. Tint 3 shades of green and 1 shade of purple-pink.I used Wilton Juniper Green, Yellow, and AsterMauve. It really helps to look at images of Venus flytraps online to accurately gauge the colors and tintthe batter.

8. Place each colored batter in a piping bag.



Step 5: Coloring and Baking

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Greaseparchment paper.

2. Place the template on the greased parchmentpaper.

3. Using the purple-pink batter, pipe batter on theinner blades of the Venus fly trap, as shown. The"blades" are the correct term for the "head" of the flytrap. You want to go really thin on this as you need athin cookie in the end and there are still other colorsto add on.

4. Pipe bright green batter in the middle of the bladesand on the leaves (stem).

5. Pipe lighter green on the blade. I preferred a zig zigpattern so it eventually looks veined. Again, you wantto make this cookie thin, so no need to be generouswith your piping.

6. Pipe the darker green on the leaves.

7. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread the batteroutwards. The batter has to be thin so the cookie isn'tsoft and doesn't puff up. A good indication of thinnessis the plastic mat template. Do not go too muchthicker than that.

8. Remove template.

9. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, scrape off any batter from thetemplate. Wipe template in between each use.

Baking will require a few test runs. You will need theright combination of getting the batter the rightthinness and getting the baking time precisely. If thebatter is too thin, it will overcook and turn brown. Youknow when it is the right thickness and baking timewhen the batter bakes with the colors still vibrant andthe cookie cools with a snap. If it's too soft, it meansyou spread the batter too thick.



Step 6: Shaping

WORK QUICKLY! It's hot, but you want to make sure you work while the cookie is pliable. As soon as it cools, andit cools quickly, it will break.

One by one, lift the trap with a BBQ skewer and shape the cookies as shown. I like to curl the leaves in variousdirections.



Step 7: Piping Hairs

You'll need to pipe hairs using royal icing made with1/3 cup icing sugar, 1/2 tbsp meringue powder, and 2tsp water. It is a stiff icing so that the hairs can holdtheir shape well.

1. Mix the icing sugar, meringue powder, and water ina bowl until very smotth.

2. Place icing in a piping bag. Cut a very, very smallsnip at the end. You want the piping to be very thin.

3. The best technique I found was to put pressure onthe piping bag while it's beside the cookie, pointingdownwards. Pipe downwards just below the fly trapblade until the icing is about 1/4" long, then put the tipof the piping bag right up against the cookie to stick

the "hair" to the cookie and then release pressure.

4. Continue adding hairs only to the top side of eachcookie for now. Wait for 5 minutes until dry. Do notturn the cookies over yet, as tempting as it is to pipethe other side. The icing will flop down.

5. After 5 minutes of drying, now you can turn thecookies over and repeat piping the hairs as in step 3.

6. To add the misfortune fly, pipe a small dollop oficing on the inside of the cookie and place the fly onthe icing to secure it.

Now go ahead and spread some misfortune!



100% amazing. They're so creepy! :D

Thank you!


Venus Fly Trap MisFortune Cookies - Instructables

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