Cream and Cocoa Shortbread Owl Cookies

Sometimes you do not need to be a cookie decorator to surprise your kids (and your friends) 😉

I prepared the owl cookies for the last bake sale at school and they were a super hit!! They are not difficult at all to prepare and they make a perfect delicious snack for your kids or a breakfast.

I used an Italian shortbread recipe that I really like (biscotti alla panna) with heavy cream and cocoa. Compared to the traditional shortbread recipe, the cookies are softer and still buttery and thick.

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Cream and cocoa shortbread owl cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour 450 gr.
• 1/3 Cup potato starch 50 gr.
• 6 oz. butter 170 gr.
• 4 oz. heavy cream 100 ml.
• 1 Cup powdered sugar 130 gr.
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp cream cheese
• 32 chocolate chips
• 16 cashews nuts

Instructions

1. Cut the butter in cubes and place it in the refrigerator (or even freezer) while you measure all the other ingredients. It is very important to use very cold butter for this recipe. This is what makes the cookies crumbly.
   
2. In a food processor add the flour, the potato starch, the baking powder, the baking soda, the salt, the cold butter, the vanilla and the sugar.
   
3. Pulse for few minutes up until the ingredients will be nicely combined looking like wet sand
   
4. Add the egg and the heavy cream to the mix
   
5. Let the food processor work at low speed in order to obtain a kind of sticky compact dough
   
6. Transfer the dough on a flat surface and knead it with your hands for 2 minutes to further compact it.
   
7. Divide 3/4 of the dough. Wrap it with some plastic and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
   
8. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining 1/4 of the dough and knead it with your hands to incorporate the cocoa.
   
9. Wrap it with some plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   
10. Place the big dough on a parchment paper on a flat surface and with your hands spread it forming a big rectangle 1 inch thick.
    
11. Roll the cocoa dough in your hands forming a long cylinder. Place it in the center of the rectangular dough.
    
12. 
13. Slowly roll the rectangle on itself forming a long cylinder. With a sharp knife slice 1 inch thick slices
    
14. With your hands shape each slice like a drop
    
15. Place two drop slices one next to the other on a baking sheet lined with some parchment paper forming the owl face
    
16. Fill a small plastic bag with one tablespoon of cream cheese. Cut one angle and use it as a pastry chef bag. Place a small amount of cream cheese on each drop corner
    
17. 
18. Press one chocolate chip on top of the cream cheese forming the Owl eyes
    
19. Place a cashew in the center of the cookies to form the Owl nose
    
20. Refrigerate the tray with the cookies for 30 minutes.
    
21. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 400F/180C for 10 minutes. Enjoy!