Mother's Taffy Cookies, Copycat Recipe NEEDED!

[Nemewen]

Mother's Cookies (you might be familiar with their frosted animal cookies) went out of business back in 2008 after some accounting scandals. After they resumed production post bankruptcy, the new company (Kellogg's) produced them as they were, but quickly changed the recipe. Consumer outrage not withstanding, they produced a new version "Dulce De Leche" which I fine ABSOLUTELY VILE.

Has anyone perfected a copycat recipe???

This was my grandmother's favorite cookie. We would share this over coffee (decaf for me) when I was a kiddo. Though it might seem silly, but I want to share that experience with my little ones too. Any help is appreciated!

 

[GFC12]

I'm sorry to hear about the changes to the Mother's Cookies recipe and the disappointment it has caused. It's always hard when a beloved food item changes and doesn't taste the same as we remember it. As for a copycat recipe, there are many recipes online that claim to recreate the original frosted animal cookies.

I have found this link for you - https://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/04/circus-animal-cookies-recipe.html

 

[Cookiesnearme]

Try this out


Recipe: Mother's Frosted Animal Cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- Food coloring (pink, white, and any other desired colors)
- Sprinkles or colored sugar for decoration

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing well after each addition, until a soft dough forms.

3. Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a disk. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.

4. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one portion of the chilled dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use animal-shaped cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie.

6. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. While the cookies are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth and creamy. If the frosting is too thick, gradually add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.

8. Divide the frosting into separate bowls and add food coloring to each bowl to create different colors. Feel free to use pink and white as the traditional frosted animal cookie colors, but you can also get creative and use other colors.

9. Once the cookies are completely cooled, use a butter knife or offset spatula to spread the colored frosting onto each cookie. Leave some cookies plain if you prefer the classic white frosted animals.

10. While the frosting is still wet, decorate the cookies with sprinkles or colored sugar to mimic the look of Mother's frosted animal cookies.

11. Allow the frosting to set and harden before storing the cookies in an airtight container. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or share them with your little ones, just as you did with your grandmother.

Note: This recipe is inspired by Mother's frosted animal cookies but may not be an exact replica of their commercial product.