Get your Bake On: Poke Ball Biscuits (Pokemon Go!)
If your household hasn’t been bitten by the Pokemon Go bug yet, well done you. I’ve no idea how you have escaped it, but kudos to you.
My boys (not my husband…yet) are obsessed with it and I am 99% sure that this is what our summer holidays will be spent doing.
In fairness, I don’t mind it too much. It’s actually getting the kids asking to go for walks, to spend time outside and to explore. All things I used to do when I was a kid in the summer holidays before numerous on demand TV channels, iPad’s and computer games existed. It’s actually quite nice. The only bummer is my mobile phone has been nabbed by my 8 year old I can’t use it for anything by the time I want to because the battery is so depleted!
Anyhow, in homage to Pokemon Go, and as a summer holiday activity, here is my recipe for (standard) Poke Ball Biscuits! If you google Poke Balls online, there are many different variants of them, but I went with the simplest version for this seen as I am very much a ‘home baker’.
So, here we go!
Gotta catch em all!
Ingredients
For the Biscuit Dough
For the Icing
500g Box of Royal Icing Sugar (I used this one by Silver Spoon)
50ml Cold Water (in a jug – you may or may not need all of this water)
Red Gel Food Colouring (Gel food colour is much better and gives a more vivid colour than Liquid)
Black writing Icing (Again, I used Silver Spoon)
Method
1 – Pre-heat the oven to 180’c (160’c Fan) and line a large baking tray/sheet with grease-proof paper.
2 – Mix 250g softened butter and 140g caster sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in a freestanding mixer.
3 – Add 1 egg yolk and 2 tsp vanilla extract, then briefly beat to combine.
4 – Sift in 300g plain flour and mix the ingredients until they are well combined
(you might need to get your hands in at the end to give everything a really good mix and press the dough together)
5 – Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out until 1/2cm thick.
6 – Cut the dough using a circular cutter, use whichever size you wish but I used a 3inch one.
7 – Place the dough circles on the baking sheet, leaving a gap of about 3cm between each biscuit, and bake for 15 minutes. The biscuits should still be pale and only lightly coloured on the edges.
8 – Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly on the tray. This is important, otherwise your biscuits will be too fragile to move and will possibly break.
9 – Once cooled slightly, remove from the baking tray and place onto a cooling rack so they can cool completely. Repeat this baking process for the remaining uncooked biscuits.
Now you’re ready to decorate!
Whoop!
1 – Empty the contents of the Royal Icing box into a large mixing bowl, I used my stand mixer for this part.
2 – Add water, slowly, until the desired consistency is reached. For me, this desired consistency is known as the 5 second stage, in that the icing, when dropped from a height, takes 5 seconds to mix back into the icing in the bowl. Quite firm but runny enough to pipe.
3 – When the icing has reached it’s desired consistency, pour half of it into a disposable piping bag
(Tip: I place my piping bags in a pint glass and pull the edges over the top of it to keep it in place. I then put the icing in and it is fairly mess free!)
4 – Colour the remaining half of the icing using your Red Gel colouring and mix well. I used about 1/2 a teaspoon of colouring, but judging it by eye is always your best bet. You want a vivid red for these Poke Ball biscuits.
5 – Pipe half of your biscuit with the white icing, doing the border first and then filling it in.
(Tip: I always keep a couple of cocktail sticks handy so I can move the icing about/fill in any gaps on the biscuit easily)
6 – Leave to set for 10 minutes.
7 – Now repeat this step with the red icing on the other half of the biscuit.
8 – Now leave to set for a bit again, 15 minutes or so just to be sure.
9 – Take your black writing icing and pipe a line across the middle of the biscuit to hide the join line between the white and red halves.
10 – Now pipe a black circle in the middle of each Poke Ball, about the size of a 10p.
11 – Finally, pipe a little white dot into the middle of the Poke Ball, on top of the black circle you just piped.
12 – Leave to dry, preferably for 4 hours or overnight. Once the icing has dried, you’re safe to place the biscuits in an airtight container or zip-lock bag for a couple of days…if they last that long!
And there we have it!
Poke Ball biscuits fit for any Summer Holiday Pokemon hunter, or for a kids birthday party!
If you have a go at these biscuits, do let me know by sharing your photos on my Facebook page or by tagging me over on Instagram @lifeisknutts.
Have a super (Pokemon Go!) Summer Knutters!
Gems.x
PS: Here is a photo of the Toddler after munching one of these…it’s safe to say he enjoyed it! 😉
That’s the reason I haven’t downloaded it for my daughter- I need my phone battery for googling and tweeting. Cookies look awesome xx
Nia Patten recently posted…Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24 Hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow
These look gorgeous!! And such a great idea to go along with what the kids (and husbands even if he doesn’t know it yet(!)) love!
Yummers! Xx
Leah Miller recently posted…Politics = Friendship Kryptonite?
Thanks you superstar! They’re deffo homemade but the kids loved them.xx
Thanks so much Nia! It is a mega drain on the battery… I need some emergency on the go chargers!x
I have heard from pokomon Go, but have no clue what it actually is!!! I know I am probably the only person and I am now intrigued, so I’m off to have a look. These cookies look lush, I love a good cookie xx
Laura – dear bear and beany recently posted…Creating the Perfect Kitchen…
Ah, thanks Laura.xx
I’m sure Alice would love it. It’s a bit like a modern day Geocache hunt. Kids are wanting to get outside, albeit with a phone, but they’re exploring and exercising. I can only say it’s a good thing.xx
Those Poke Ball biscuits look fab! Both hubby and myself have the app on our phones but neither of us has particularly got into it! Quite like the idea of making the biscuits though 🙂
Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted…Parenting Pep Talk #24 – Parenting Calm
These look fab! I am not into pokomon go but love biscuits 🙂 xx
yvonne recently posted…The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep #MONKEYBOOKREVIEW
I love biscuits too, unfortunately for my large bum and belly x
It’s quite addictive for the kids, a bit like a treasure hunt. It does drive me slightly bonkers but that’s because they’re always bickering over who has my phone when to play it when we are out! x
I really need these biscuits in my life *insert heart eyes emoji” I am obsessed with pokemon right now so this is just perfect. I’ve been meaning to start baking with my little one so this is getting bookmarked for sure! Just want to pick them out the picture and eat! #TheList
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
Ah, thanks lovely!! They’ve divided opinion, lots of grumpy people saying they’re fed up with Pokemon Glad I’ve made your day.xxx
These look fab and even simple enough that I could make them! Thanks #TheList
I’m a complete amateur (as in useless) baker but I have a go. You’re right, these are super simple! x
Pokemon go is a fantastic game to play. If you know how to do the pokemon go spoofing than you will more enjoy this game. Your article is awesome keep it up.