Sugar Cookies & High Tea at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne
Dear, darling, fellow food blogger Haz is getting married to Gaz soon; and to celebrate, I secretly organised a hen’s doo with Az, Taz, Raz and Kaz. We had booked the high tea, and Az convinced Haz to join her for lunch…. no one gave away the surprise, and as Haz walked into the restaurant she was greeted by our cheeky faces, wonder what the fudge was going on! 😛
So to go along with this surprise high tea, I wanted to make it a little more special with some goodie bags. I decided to try my hand at sugar cookies for the first time ever… probably not the best time to attempt them for the first time. I had troubles with the icing not drying in time, and I couldn’t have them wrapped in plastic bags or in noodle boxes as I had planned. My piping wasn’t the best either, but I’ve vowed to myself to learn how to perfect sugar cookies. I had a few issues with not letting my icing dry before I flooded the cookies… I was on a strict time frame though!
None the less, everyone seemed to love them, and the amazing high tea at the Grand Hyatt. For $52 you get a two tier caddy of some cakes and sandwiches (air dried wagyu is the bomb!) and then there is buffet with other sweets, ice creams, scones, chocolate fountain, more cakes and savouries (the crossiants with salami, brie and relish were totally amazeballs, I had to control myself!) You also get a glass of bubbly and endless tea and coffee.
Can’t wait for your wedding Haz & Gaz ♥
Shortbread Cookies
Print RecipeIngredients
- 260g plain flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- 225g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 60g icing sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle. Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 -10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Agnes
You are awesome. Your cookies were great. Seriously, I can’t believe they were a first attempt – they were amazeballs.
Iron Chef Shellie
nawww shucks! thank you thank you 🙂
msihua
You are simply the best! Jeng jeng jeng *cue Tina Turner music* Yayyy!! LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!! Thanks so much. Seriously that has been the highlight of my week, month, year to date!!! 🙂
Iron Chef Shellie
LOL!! yay!! I’m so glad we could pull it off, and have a delicious time 🙂
leaf (the indolent cook)
Very cute cookies and what a lovely gesture! Also, them cupcakes at the Hyatt look amazing.
Catherine
Amazing!! So much effort put in, she must feel so special 🙂
Jenny @ Ichigo Shortcake
That is the cutest wedding dress cookie!!! Great first attempt, I don’t think I’d be able to do it first round..:P Congrats I-Hua!! Although I should hop to her blog to say that eh…
Kristy @ Southern In-Law
What sweet friends! You all did an incredible job 🙂 Love the cookies!!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
What a wonderful way to show a friend how much you care. She would have been over the moon at all this attention – I know I would have been. 🙂
I’ve seen that wedding dress cookie cutter and always thought it might be too much like work. 🙂
Daisy@Nevertoosweet
You guys are sooooooo sweet 🙂 I’m so jealous because hahahaa i know my friends would NEVER do anything like this for me 😛 I’m usually the one organising all the surprises and baking cakes hehe
Good job with the cookies they look great 🙂 it’s soooooo hard to flood cookies i’ve found ~
Tina @ bitemeshowme
For a first time attempt your cookies do look perfect Shellie! I love the theme of the high tea – quick dainty and yet quirky at the same time.
Hannah
Aw, happy happy happiness!! This gives my heart great joy, for I-Hua and for all of you celebrating her 🙂
MoMo and Coco Dessert Correspondents
You have some very creative baking talents here!! Very sweet token. 🙂
Gourmet getaways
What a gorgeous sugar cookie! I bet the recipient was so pleased to receive it!! I love high tea and all of these treats look absolutely delectable!
Thanh
Gimme more croissants with salami and Brie. Mmmm. Great work organizing it all.
Cherrie
Great looking cookies!
Erika
What a sweet gesture! And I’m not just referring to the sugar cookies (although, they look amazing!). I’ve been scouting out somewhere to drag my friends along to high tea – the Grand Hyatt looks like a great place to do it 🙂
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
ok you’re just freakin awesome, Michele!! Well done. It all looks divine, what a fun surprise. Such a treat 🙂
Heidi xo
Nic@diningwithastud
You’re awesome 😀 what a great surprise!!!