You’ve got plenty of time between now and Sunday night to bake a batch of these impressive Oscar statuette cookies, developed by Lauryn Cohen of BellaBaker.com.

You don’t even have to buy an Academy Award-shaped cookie cutter: Here’s a free downloadable Oscar cookie template and circle for the statuette base..

The recipe makes approximately two dozen coookies.

ACADEMY AWARD (OSCAR STATUETTE)
COOKIES RECIPE

Ingredients

Everyone wins with an edible Oscar. Photo courtesy BellaBaker.com.

The dough can be made in advance and kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

1. WHISK flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.

2. COMBINE cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until mixture is pale and blended.

3. ADD eggs, one at a time, mixing until eggs and extra yolk are fully incorporated into sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract and beat. Reduce mixer to low and add flour mixture, a little at a time, until dough is fully combined, taking care not to over-mix.

4. DIVIDE into two disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour, or preferably 2 to 3 hours.

Preparation For Baking

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for a minute or two so it is easier to roll out.

2. PLACE dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin to approximately 1/8″ in thickness.

3. CUT out statuette and circles with cookie cutter or template, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you are using the template, simply place it on top of dough and cut around it with a sharp knife. You may already have a 2.5″ diameter circle cookie cutter for the base. If not, look for a small cup or glass to use in its place.

4. CUT slits into the middle of the circle cookies that are big enough to fit the base of the Oscar cookies. Bake 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are just starting to become golden in color around the edges. Remove from oven, and if the slit in the circle cookies has filled in during baking, use a sharp knife to re-cut the slit before the cookie cools.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. MIX all ingredients together for 7 to 10 minutes, until icing stiffens. If icing appears too stiff, add more water, one teaspoon at a time. You want the icing to be thin enough that you can pipe it easily. Tint the royal icing gold (see instructions below) and frost the circle cookies for the base.

2. DECORATE cookies when cool. Place royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a very small round tip.

3. OUTLINE the outside of the cookie. Keep the tip about 1/2 inch above the cookie as you ice. This helps achieve a straighter line.

4. FILL IN or “flood” the cookies, adding about a teaspoon of water to the remaining royal icing until it becomes more of a liquid consistency. Fill a squeeze bottle with the “flood” icing and squeeze the icing inside the outline you just created, so it almost covers the cookie. Then take a toothpick and gently move it around to help fill in the cookie completely.

5. DRY the cookies completely (usually 1 to 2 hours). Then, lightly moisten the surface of each cookie with water using a paint brush. Coat in edible gold glitter. Affix statue to base by inserting statuette cookie into base.
 
You’ve worked hard: Give yourself an award!
 
TO TINT ICING GOLD

1. PLACE 10 drops of yellow food color in a mixing dish. Add one drop of red food color; mix with a toothpick.

2. TEST the color on a piece of dough or white bread; let sit for 3 minutes to see the color when dried. If the color is too light, add another drop of red to your mixture and retest; if the color is too dark or too orange, add more yellow.

3. BLEND color, a bit at a time, into the royal icing.
  

We couldn’t resist one more special recipe for National Margarita Day. This one was developed by Cointreau Mixologist Kyle Ford.

Many people use generic triple sec in their recipes to save money; but the inventor of the Margarita, Margarita Sames, said that “a Margarita without Cointreau is not worth its salt!” We agree!

LEMON BASIL MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients For One Drink

1. COMBINE all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Optionally, for more basil flavor muddle a few basil leaves in the bottom of the mixing glass before adding the other ingredients.

2. SHAKES and strain over ice in a rocks glass.

3. GARNISH with basil and lemon wheel.

 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE MARGARITA RECIPES.

Washington (1732-1799) never had a Margarita: The cocktail wasn’t invented until 1948, as the prevailing story goes (history of the Margarita).

But that doesn’t mean you can’t toast to both Washington and National Margarita Day, with two specialty Margarita recipes from Sauza Tequila: Pineapple Cilantro Margarita and Banana Margarita. Yum!

PINEAPPLE LIME CILANTRO MARGARITA

Ingredients For 6 Cocktails

1. RIM glasses with salt: Rub the rims with a lime wedge, then dip into a plate of salt.

2. COMBINE in a shaker the pineapple juice, cilantro, lime juice, orange juice, Tequila, orange liqueur and ice. Shake until cold. Serve up or on the rocks. Salud!

BANANA MARGARITA

Ingredients For 9 Cocktails

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE optional banana garnish: Roll banana in brown sugar, slice and broil for 2-3 minutes on each side or until sugar caramelizes.

3. RIM glasses, if desired. Serve with or without ice.
 
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FAVORITE FOODS

A wealthy gentleman farmer, George Washington “kept a bountiful table,” as the saying went. And he kept it daily: According to TheFeastingQuest.com, he and Martha entertained constantly during his presidency; and during the 20 years after Washington left office, George and Martha only dined alone twice!
 
Washington was extremely fond of fish, eating it almost daily, served in many different ways. At breakfast he favored hoe cakes, cornmeal pancakes served with melted butter and honey (the name references the original way of cooking them, on a hoe that had been heated in a fire). Also appearing regularly on the Mount Vernon table:

Cherries, apples and blue cheese combine in
a delicious salad. Photo and recipe courtesy
EatWisconsinCheese.com.

Not only do the deliver terrific flavor; cherries are nutritious and one of the foods highest in antioxidants (here’s a list of high antioxidant foods).

While we enjoy this delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe with dried cherries, the more healthfully inclined should consider this refreshing salad recipe that combines dried cherries with other fruits and blue cheese—a great combination.

Tart and chewy cherries pair with the heat of grated fresh ginger and piquant blue cheese. If you prefer, you can substitute iceberg wedges for the mixed greens.

APPLE BERRY SALAD WITH LEMON GINGER CREAM

Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Salad

1. WHISK together sour cream, milk, lemon juice, zest, vinegar, ginger, honey, salt and pepper; refrigerate dressing until ready to serve.

2. PORTION greens onto four plates. Divide apple slices and strawberries among salads. Garnish with cherries, onion and pecans.

3. DRIZZLE dressing over salad and sprinkle with blue cheese; serve immediately. Cover and refrigerate extra dressing up to 3 days.
 
 
FIND MORE OF OUR FAVORITE SALAD RECIPES.
  

Fans of Buddy Valastro, TLC Channel’s Cake Boss, don’t have to pilgrimage to Carlo’s Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey for a cake.

Buddy has struck a deal to deliver cakes to stores nationwide, beginning with six buttercream cakes “inspired by the flavors, techniques and styles of the cakes featured on the show.”

The cakes are produced by Dawn Foods, a long-time supplier to Carlo’s Bake Shop, using Buddy’s recipes and designs. The Cake Boss himself has been involved every step of the way to ensure that the cakes meet his quality standards.

At $27.99 for a seven-inch cake, they are not an everyday purchase.

But for a special occasion, the cakes, which can be found in the bakery department of supermarkets and other food stores, are better than most store-bought cakes. We tried three varieties; our notes are below.

The line is kosher certified by OU. Cupcakes and fondant cakes are expected later this year. The buttercream cake selection* includes:

 
Next Step: Check the store locator and look for a special occasion.
 
*Each retailer may only carry a partial selection.