There’s no question: You’ve just gotta love a lady who bakes cookies shaped like seashells—and then hand delivers them to you “just because she was in the neighborhood.” (Seriously, you do. I think it’s one of the Immutable Laws of Treats.)
But that’s the way that Dawn Marie Shay, baker extraordinaire and owner of the Plum Island Cookie Company, rolls. And that’s just fine with us.
Dawn bakes these gorgeous French butter cookies by hand in her kitchen on Plum Island, which is located just off the Massachusetts coast, not far from The Mouse House in Salem.
She knows her stuff: As a graduate of the BU Culinary Arts’ Program, she trained with Julia Child and Jacques Pepin.
It shows. Her cookies are almost (almost!) too pretty to eat. They’re also absolutely delicious. Here are the goodies she dropped off for us.
Dawn was also kind enough to give us two gift certificates so that some of you guys can experience them for yourselves. Read on for more info about the cookies, and how to enter to win a gift certificate for a small box of cookies.
Get to the cookies, Mouse!
Yep, yep! OK. Here’s what Dawn was kind enough to bring us. Each cellophane package of cookies has two large cookies in it (they’re about the size of my palm). They’re double wrapped and tied with raffia.
Penelope
This was, hands down, my favorite shape. Not to mention my favorite name. (I wonder why.) Love the pink sanding sugar.
Sand Dollar
Shaped like a sand dollar topped with a beautiful petal-shaped flower.
I think I still have a sand dollar that I picked up on the beach as a kid. I had no idea until I googled it, but a sand dollar (the real kind, not the cookie kind) is actually a flat, burrowing sea urchin.
Scallop Shelly
If you’re thinking that this really look like a seashell, there’s a good reason. Shay molds them using a real scallop shell.
It’s dusted with pale blue sanding sugar.
Stella Starfish
Love the upturned corners on this one. It’s dusted with pale lavender sanding sugar.
In terms of taste, these are really good, authentic, old-fashioned French shortbread, made with butter, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla bean, and salt. That’s it. They’re exactly as crisp and buttery as you want them to be.
Enter to Win Plum Island Cookies!
But don’t take my word for it. Order some yourself, or enter to win a gift certificate for a small box of cookies (worth $19.95 and contains four 2-cookie packages). Here’s how.
How to Enter
To enter, leave a comment on this post answering the following question:
What’s your favorite baked good and why?
That’s it. (No really, that’s it.)
Contest Rules
- You must enter a valid e-mail address on the comment form. (That’s how we’ll contact you if you win.)
- Only one entry per person.
- This contest is open to U.S. residents only.
- Deadline for entries is Midnight (EST) on Friday, June 4, 2010.
Two winners will be chosen on Saturday, June 5 by random number generator and notified by e-mail. Each winner will receive one gift certificate for a small box of Sand Dollar Cookies from The Plum Island Cookie Company.
