The first step in making these cookies is to make the cookie headboard and footboard.
The ingredients are:
• 4½ cups softened butter
• 1½ cups superfine sugar • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2 eggs • 4½ cups flour, sifted • Box of candy (color preference optional)
Cookie head and foot board Directions:
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs. Beat until combined.
- Using a wooden spoon, add ½ of the flour into wet ingredients until just combined. Repeat with the remaining flour. Knead dough until smooth. Divide dough in half and press each half into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Roll each sugar cookie disc out between 2 sheets of baking paper until ⅕ inch thick. Use templates to cut cookies into bed head shapes. The headboard is approximately ¾ inch long and ½ inch wide, while the footboard is approximately ¾ inch long and ½ inch wide.
- Place the cookie headboard and footboard on parchment paper and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove frozen uncooked cookies from the freezer and bake in oven pre-heated to 356°F (320°F in fan forced) for approximately 15 minutes or until edges start to brown slightly.
- Remove from oven and using a ruler, cut along left and right side edges of frame to make straight {this is because the baking process can result in curvy edges}. Also, cut a ¾ x ¾ diamond shaped window into headboard (see below) or use cookie cutter to make a small window of desired shape (eg. Heart, flower, circle, star, etc). Remove crumbs.
The second step in making the cookies is to make the cake.
Ingredients for the cake:
• 2 boxes of Betty Crocker’s strawberries and cream cake mix {or your preference of cake mix}
• 1½ cups of cream • 2 tablespoons of sugar • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake Directions:
- Prepare both boxes of cake mix as per the box directions.
- Separate mixture into 6 quantities.
- Combine cream, sugar and vanilla and whip to form a whipped cream frosting.
- Once cakes have cooled, use a bread knife to carve the tops and bottoms of the cakes so that the top and bottom are flat and that each is approximately ¾ inch high.
- Add a little whipped cream frosting to the bottom of one of the cakes to help it adhere to the serving plate or stand.
- Cover first cake with a layer of whipped cream frosting and then add next cake. Repeat until all 6 cakes are stacked neatly but do not add cream to very top layer.
- Using a serrated knife, cut along each edge to neaten cake using a gentle saw-like motion.
Now it's time to assemble the headboard and footboard to the cake using white chocolate ganache.
Ingredients for the white chocolate ganache (adhering the cake to the cookie)
• 1 cup white chocolate
• ⅓ cup of cream
Directions:
- Combine white chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove bowl from heat.
- Set aside at room temperature to cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick and spreadable.
- Working quickly (before ganache sets) spread ganache over area on cookie where contact between cookies and cake is required. Adhere both cookies to cake. Use a tumbler to hold cookies in place until ganache sets.
And the last step is decorating the beds with fondant!
For the fondant:
• 2 cups prepared fondant
• Colored non-pareils • Food coloring (color preference optional)
Fondant Bedspread Directions:
- Color fondant with desired food coloring. Roll out with a rolling pin.
- Place over cake so that one side reveals multiple layers of the cake mattresses. Trim away excess fondant.
- Using a knife, score diagonal lines into fondant to resemble a bedspread. Note – you can score the diagonal lines while the fondant is on a flat surface so that you don’t compromise the bed cake.
- Press nonpareils into each intersection to resemble buttons.
- Sculpt pillow using remainder of fondant.
- If you want to make the pea, add green food coloring gel to a ½ teaspoon of fondant. Mold into a small ball.
Place fondant pea underneath one of the cake layer mattresses.
We would like to thank Amy Atlas for this amazing recipe!
Make sure to visit Jessie Jane at lilyshop.com for more great craft tips and ideas!