Dachshund Sugar Cookies

I wanted to share MY BIGGEST BAKING FEAT EVER: dachshund sugar cookies!

I’d wanted to make these things for the longest time, and I’d owned the sausage dog cookie cutter–available via Target, Amazon and Etsy–for literally years. 😂 (Our dog, Noodle, is a miniature dachshund and a big part of our lives!) I suppose I was just intimidated because I have zero baking experience whatsoever, save for making brownies from a mix. But really: I have no excuses, haha. Here we are, though! Finally got my act together and made them. And it wasn’t even very difficult!

Here’s what you need to know + do:

sausage dog cookie cutter

The cookie cutter

The sausage dog cookie cutter is made by Meri Meri, the cutest company ever. It’s available via Target, Amazon and Etsy… and you can also buy it direct from Meri Meri. While it is bendable, it’s made from stainless steel and it’s sturdy. You should expect to pay between $5 and $15 for it depending on time of the year and supply. (It tends to be harder to find during the holidays.) In my opinion, though, it’s worth every penny. ;)

The cookie recipe

I followed this recipe featured by my neighbor and friend “Allie and the Oven.” The idea is that you’ll need to make sugar cookies that keep their shape don’t spread, and this worked flawlessly. I was so impressed! I was also pleasantly surprised that the ingredients were pretty basic.

Ingredients: 

  • 32 Tablespoons of cool unsalted butter
  • 2 Cups granulated sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Cold eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 6 Cups all purpose flour (scooped and leveled)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Place butter, sugar and salt in a mixer with a paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed until just mixed together. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.
  3. Add the 2 cold eggs and vanilla. Mix again on low until just incorporated. It is okay if it looks curdled. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
  4. Add the flour in 3 batches to the mixer. Mix on low just until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead in any extra scraps at the bottom by hand.
  5. Dump dough onto a piece of parchment paper and top with another piece of parchment paper. Roll to your desired thickness.
  6. Cut out desired shape of cookie. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake 10 – 14 minutes (14 is MAX. You don’t want any color on the cookies.)
  8. Cool cookies for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Recipe adapted by Allie and the Oven from 6 Cakes & More.

Royal icing recipe

This initially freaked me out but it was actually a cinch! I followed Alton Brown’s easy recipe, and made the icing in about five minutes.

Ingredients + materials:

  • Wilton Icing Colors: only use a tiny bit. It’s powerful!
  • Piping Decorating Bags: Cut very fine hole in the tip. This will provide for better detailing.
  • 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Instructions:

In large bowl of stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy. Add confectioners’ sugar gradually and mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated and mixture is shiny. Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired. For immediate use, transfer icing to pastry bag or heavy duty storage bag and pipe as desired. If using storage bag, clip corner. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Recipe from Alton Brown via The Food Network.

Kelly’s royal icing tips: 

  • Purchase these Wilton Icing Colors, but only use a tiny bit. (I dipped a toothpick into the gel, and it was more than enough! It’s very powerful.)
  • To get the light brown color, mix the brown with the red. (Note that you will not be able to replicate the exact color, so make a lot if you’re planning on icing a lot of cookies.)
  • Put the icing into these Piping Decorating Bags, and then cut a VERY SMALL hole in the tip so you can achieve better details.
  • Practice on any damaged cookies first. It took me a few tries before I got the hang of it!
  • Outline the dachshund in brown first, and let it harden for a few seconds before filling the cookie in. This will help you avoid the icing from falling off the sides.
  • Try using a toothpick for teeny details if necessary.
  • Outline the ears in black. It’s really cute. ;)

Final thoughts

So much easier than I thought it would be, but the royal icing part is time-intensive. Definitely worth it, though. They were a huge hit with our friends and family! I’m excited to hone my royal icing skills and try my hand at these again next year.

Enjoy!

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Dachshund Sugar Cookies recipe
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icing ingredients
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