It started with hot dog cookies. Then, there were fried chicken cookies. Next...cookie fries and cheeseburger cookies. Now, I bring you taco cookies. Something about combining junk food and cookies makes me really happy. My boys seem to love them, too.
...these really are simple to make, and so much fun.
When my boys suggest going to Taco Bell, I usually roll my eyes, but the truth is that a Taco Bell bean burrito with two packets of Hot (not Mild, not Fire) sauce is one of my favorite things. I know, I know. Add it to my list of offenses with liking Cool Whip and canned frosting. ;)
What makes these cookies pop is the mix of colors and textures for the filling. Every time I look at them, I fall in love with the grated cheese. (That's a sentence I never thought I would type.)
To make Taco (Belle) Cookies, you'll need:
- circle cut-out cookies
- bench scraper or knife
- royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor (or Hobby Lobby) coloring: ivory mixed with gold (shell), warm brown with a bit of super black (meat), super red (tomatoes/lips), bright white (sour cream), electric orange (cheese), electric green mixed with leaf green (lettuce), and super black (eyes)...or similar shades
- disposable icing bags
- squeeze bottles
- couplers and tips: #1, small leaf
- toothpicks
First, make the cookies. Use a circle cookie cutter, then slice in half using a bench scraper or knife.
Once cooled, thin the taco shell colored icing with water (reserving a bit of unthinned icing for later). Add water a bit at a time, stirring gently. Thin until a knife drawn through the middle of the icing disappears in a count of 12-15 seconds.
Cover with a damp dish towel and let sit for a few minutes. Stir gently with a silicone spatula and pour slowly into a squeeze bottle.
Let the icing set for about an hour.
Use the reserved shell icing to pipe a curved line across the cookies, making an opening for the fillings.
Thin the icings for the meat, tomatoes, and sour cream using the same method. Reserve some of the red icing for later before thinning.
Use squeeze bottles to add the fillings to the tacos. Start with the meat, then add the sour cream and tomatoes.
Place the orange icing in a bag fitted with a #1 tip. Pipe on the cheese.
Using a leaf tip, add a squiggle of lettuce, holding the tip flat. (Practice first on a paper towel or plate.)
Use the thinned taco shell colored icing to fill in the front of the taco, adding a little dimension.
Let the icing dry for about an hour.
To make the Taco Belles: using #1 tips, add eyes and eyelashes in black icing. Add the lips in red.
Let the cookies dry uncovered for 6-8 hours or overnight.
*portions of this post were first published in 2016, here.
Are you a Taco Bell (or Belle) lover, too???
