Twenty-five Days of Lloya ✔︎

Day Nine

Day Nine
Title: Cookies
Summary: Lloyd and Nya try baking

"Greenie," Nya calls, trying to find her boyfriend.

Lloyd pokes his head out of the gaming room, controller in hand.

"Hey angel, you okay?" Lloyd asks.

Nya takes his arm and drags him into the kitchen, where she's laid out some ingredients. She grabs a two aprons before turning to Lloyd.

"I want cookies," she murmurs, holding an apron out to him before he can suggest anything else.

Lloyd grabs the green apron from her fingers and puts it on. Nya pulls on her blue apron before grabbing her phone and searching some recipes.

"I found a recipe," Nya holds her phone up to Lloyd.

Ingredients
225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened (or use salted, skip salt)
1 cup (220g) white sugar , preferably caster / superfine
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg (55-60g / 1.9-2oz)
3 cups (450g) flour , plain / all purpose
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Instructions
Preheat Oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy (1 minute on speed 5)

Add egg and vanilla, beat until completely combined.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt.

Start mixing slowly, then beat until the flour is incorporated - it will be clumpy.

Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough out of bowl. Pat together then cut in half, then shape into 2 discs.

Roll out to 0.3cm / 1/8" (for thinner, crispier cookies) or 0.6cm / 1/4" (for thicker, softer cookies), sprinkling with flour under and over the dough so it doesn't stick.

Use cookie cutters to press out shapes and use a knife or spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheets. (Keep dough that doesn't fit in the oven in the fridge).

Bake for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway, until the surface is pale golden and the edges are just beginning to turn light golden.

Allow cookies to cool completely on trays (they will finish cooking on the trays).

Icing for sugar cookies
500g / 1 lb icing sugar / powdered sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) egg white (2 small eggs or 1.5 large eggs)
2 tbsp corn syrup (or 1.5 tbsp glucose syrup)
1.5 tbsp water , plus more as needed

Colouring
Food Dye - liquid or gel , go by eye for quantity

Instructions
Place Icing ingredients in a large bowl and beat for 1 minute on speed 5 until smooth and glossy (start on low then speed up).

Divide icing into different bowls for colouring. Add food dye and mix - keep adding colouring until you achieve the colour you are after. If icing gets too thin, add more icing sugar.

Icing consistency test: Should be able to draw a figure 8 on the surface and you can see if for 2 seconds before sinking in and disappearing. Should be thick enough to pipe details but thin enough to spread smoothly on surface of cookie. Adjust icing - thinner with water (1/2 tsp at a time), thicker with more icing sugar.

Decorating options
Icing
Melt chocolate then dip the surface into chocolate.
Dot with icing sugar and decorated with silver balls
Dust with icing sugar

☃︎☃︎☃︎
"And done," Nya says, placing the final decorated cookie on the plate.

Lloyd smiles and wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his chest. Nya leans back into him and snuggles.

"They look so good," Lloyd murmurs into her ear.

Nya shivers and nods against his chest. Lloyd smirks and tightens his hold on her waist. Nya turns around in his arms and presses her lips onto his. He responds by kissing her back and pushing her against the counter gently.

The door creaks open, revealing Kai in the doorway. He glances between them, giving Lloyd a warning glare before walking out.

Lloyd and Nya glance at each other before bursting into laughter. They each grab a cup of hot chocolate before walking into the living room.

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed tonight's oneshot. Hope you're all staying safe and well.