I have always wanted to go Great White Shark cage diving. Since as long as I can remember, this was always a goal of mine before I hit 40. Well, 40 is a coming and unless I become very wealthy somehow quickly, I don’t see that happening. But I still want to do it. Most everyone I know thinks I am insane about this, they think I will somehow die as a result of this. I have always been fascinated by sharks ever since I was a little kid. I forever wanted to be a marine biologist and study sharks. That was until I realized that I hated biology. Hate of biology aside, I still love sharks.
So since I know that my goal of doing it by 40 isn’t happening, I started to think, what a great way to die. I mean that is why most of my friends think is going to happen anyway (even though I have yet to read any story about someone dying while doing this). I just think about those people that read the obituaries in the newspaper each week. There among the Bob Your Name Here, 63 died of cancer; Or Sue Your Name Here, 71, died of complications of diabetes; you would find Peabody Rudd, 94(I’d like to live a long life) died in a Great White Shark attack off the South African coast. Her body was mistaken for a seal and was ripped from limb to limb. Oh sure gory, but you would so stick out.
Alright enough talk about death. We will talk about my love of cookie cutters. I have more than I like to admit, and almost all of them are a little out there. I love to make them for people and get their reaction. “Is that President Lincoln’s head?” Why yes, yes it is. Nothing says Happy President’s Day like sugar cookies in the shape of Lincoln and Washington’s heads. Or how about the irony of National Dental Month with cookies in the shape of a tooth and tooth brush. I have aardvarks, armadillos, Eiffel towers, pi symbols, roosters, bugs, hippos, and a whole lot of other ones…and of course a shark (PS, if you have a really weird one feel free to send one to me!)
I originally planned on making Great White Sharks. But I decided that I would glaze these instead of full out frost them. I had Tangerine juice in the fridge (fighting off a cold) and so I used that. Lazy me decided to drizzle the glaze instead of completely cover them…and with that they became Tiger Sharks. Tangerine Tiger Sharks sounds more fun anyway. 🙂 These have malted milk powder in them, yes, I am obsessed. I just love the flavor it adds to things, especially cookies.
Tangerine Glazed Tiger Shark Cookies
Malted Milk Cookies:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup malted milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, malt powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add half of the dry ingredients all at once and beat for 15 seconds. Again, scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. The mixture should come together almost in a ball. (This didn’t happen for me, it stuck together when pressed, but not on its own.)
Loosely shape the dough into two balls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Divide each dough ball in half, to make four portions. Place on portion on a lightly floured work surface and return the other three portions to the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. The dough will be sticky, so you may have to flip and lightly flour it a few times while you work. Use a 2-inch round cookies cutter (or any other shape you want, I of course went with the shark), transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated and re-rolled, if desired.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until they are slightly browned. (12 minutes for a crispy cookie, 9-10 minutes for a chewy one.) Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tangerine Glaze:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 TBSP Tangerine juice (yes, you can use orange…but Tangerine Tiger Shark sounds better than Orange Tiger Shark 🙂 )
Mix together using a whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies in a stripe pattern.
Cookie recipe adapted from Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito
Samantha says
You are my favorite.
I’ve always wanted to go shark cage diving too!
Melissa says
These look so fun (and yummy)!
I also have a love of cookie cutters. My favorite is a set of mini Christmas shapes–perfect for bite-sized cookies!
Kristina @ spabettie says
fun!! I do NOT ever want to go swimming with sharks – I am scared of those Water Breathing Death Tubes~!!
I do, however, have a collection of cutters like you do… and many of mine are crazy random also! I have three different dachshund shaped cutters. 😀
ladywild says
You just made me feel so normal. I love sharks. Everyone thinks I’m nuts, especially my husband. Thank you for letting me know that I’m not the only nutty one out there
🙂
paula hennig says
Funny post. Can’t say I want to up close and personal with a real shark but I could handle getting real close to a couple of these cookies!
Felice says
You need to visit Hawaii and you can definitely go cage diving with the sharks on the North Shore. I have a collection of cookie cutters too but my favorite is in the shape of a gecko.
Maria says
I’m afraid of sharks, but not these sharks! Bring them on!
Janice says
I had to laugh when I read of your list of things to do before 40. That whole list just rolls over to the new one “list of things to do before ummm I am old”. This was a fun post. The whole shark thing, better you than me!
Becca says
I’ve always been fasinated with sharks too! 😀 Ever since I was little, I even have some elementry school level books on great white sharks. Funny story, the first time i saw Jaws, I was in the 3rd grade, haha xD
Well anyways, these cookies look really good, and now i wish i had a shark cookie cutter. ;-;
Mel says
Here is an out-there cookie cutter for you. http://www.stupid.com/fun/FETS.html
wendyywy says
Those tiger sharks look so cute. I thought you added the stripes while rolling the dough, but it was glaze, hahaha.
I didnt like biology much either, but I super love taxonomy. Hahaha!!
Rosa says
Wonderful cookies! I love that shape.
Cheers,
Rosa
Caroline says
I know you mentioned it but do I see a large pi cookie cutter in your pile?! I think I have that same exact one! Love that one (and we actually used that cookie cutter to make our pi-shaped cookie wedding favors, since we’re both engineers and got married on 3/14) Nerdy much?
I have a mini frog, two types of pigs, and a state of Illinois cookie cutter as some of my more unusual ones! I love having fun cookie cutters!
shelly (cookies and cups) says
These cookies are so great! My kids would absolutely LOVE them!
Pam says
You rock!!! Most definitely agree with you… if you are going to live until 90+ why not go out with a bang!!!
It would make me sad if my obit read something like me passing in my room at the old folks home 🙁
Live it to the fullest… right until the end 🙂
Kate D. says
Fun cookie cutters are the best. I have dog bone shapes that came with my dog cookie cook book!
Tim says
Too funny. We had the “how would you want to die” conversation and everyone was appalled that I would want to be eaten by lions! Pretty much along the same lines as being eaten by sharks…
Good luck with your end-of-life plans!
deb says
http://www.topatoco.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=TO&Product_Code=QC-SHARKS&Category_Code=ALLSHIRTS
shirt for shark lovers! just got it for my husband for the holidays.
Baking Monster says
Yea I don’t think you will die doing it but you defiently would be remembered better if you went that way. There was a girl tht once told me that she wanted to jump out of a airplane playing her favorite music in her headphones with know parachute. So I don’t think yours sounds all that crazy. I like the sound of those cookies! Also I like that you have a cookie cutter in the shape of lincolns head. 🙂
Adam says
I’ve been following your blog for a while and just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading. 🙂
I’m a Dolphin person myself, but can definitely empathize with the “love Marine Biology minus the biology” sentiment :).
For me, I think I would like my obituary to read: “Died eating his way from beneath a mountain of cookies” 🙂
And, great post 🙂
Alyssa says
You are a dare devil! and a good chef too 🙂 Those cookies look great!! fun shapes!!
Kerstin says
I’m jealous of your cookie cutter collection! The sharks are so fun and the glaze sounds addicting – yum!
April says
I never realized how cool sharks are until recently, I read a great book called The Devils Teeth by Susan Casey. I was always scared of sharks as a kid, since we lived quite near where the book is set, I was always hearing about them. Although, come to think of it I’m still be nervous in the ocean, I just don’t live near one anymore.
brilynn says
I’d totally go shark diving with you…
Heather of Kitchen Concoctions says
Yes sign me up for shark diving too!!!
Love all the ‘different’ cookie cutters! I too am always on the hunt for uniquely shaped cookie cutters! Oh and I also have quite the collection of unusual shaped ice cube trays. Oh the things that make me happy that are food related! LOL! : )
Anon. says
Sharks are the best. To be honest maybe I root for San Jose because their logo is too darn cool and they skate OUT OF A SHARK HEAD WITH GLOWING RED EYES and the smoke machine going during home games at the “Shark Tank”, HP Pavilion. But they just lost 2-4 to Toronto and Couture was injured so maybe I prefer the real thing, or the cookies. 😀
Angela says
The cookies look great!
I have an alligator-shaped cookie cutter you can have, if you don’t already have one. I also have a cow- shaped one that I’ve used to make black & white cookies with before, but I’m guessing you already have one of these. 🙂
Lisa @ The Cooking Bride says
I have a feeling you opened yourself up when you asked for odd cookie cutters.
How about a cookie cutter shaped like the state of Mississippi? I don’t know what occasion you would use it for, unless you were able to get cutters of the other 49 states and make a big cookie puzzle (which could be fun).
Erika says
Ha ha – Love that picture of all the cookie cutters!
Lynn says
My son would so be all over those cookies! Sharks? Seriously, you’re the coolest, Pea!
Jamie says
I love cookie cutters! The the day I bought palm tree, crab, and lobster cookie cutters….. I almost bought an electric guitar cutter but it was pricy and so it will have to wait for my next paycheck…. Why couldn’t I be a trust fund baby???
Jamie says
The *other* day…. Sorry my photo auto corrects, inncorectly from time to time.
Mrs. L says
Couldn’t you have used a teal glaze and made them San Jose Sharks 🙂
I have a ton of cookie cutters somewhere in the garage that I’ve never used. Sigh. I need to learn to make better cookies.
Melissa says
I just turned 40 and I scuba dive (although not in a shark cage yet). I think you can reset your goal to “before 50” and start saving now. 🙂 I have a whole panty of cutters – I think I’ll try those – they look like they hold their shape really well. And I know they’re tasty.