Professor Layton Hint Coin Cookies

What are those things that…you know…help you solve puzzles with clues in Layton games…? Gimme a hint?!

Ah, that’s it, hint coins. Playing Layton games would probably be darn near impossible without cheating or being a genius. And it just wouldn’t be the same game without frantically tapping around the touch pad, scouring the area for coins. It would be invaluable having some of those in real life (and possibly use them in Who Wants To Be A Millionaire). So why not? And while we’re at it we can make them sugar cookies.

Fun Fact: The Laytonmobile is built with a high ceiling to accommodate Layton’s hat which he never takes off. Despite its good condition, Luke believes that nobody would want to steal it.

Creating the stamp was a puzzle in itself

I had to get a bit crafty with this, and by me I mean my husband and I (thanks Tom!). Trying to solve the puzzle of how to create the iconic Layton logo, and keep it food friendly at the same time needed no hint coin. Ruling out clays and polymers, for obvious reasons, I chose to make a normal stamp out of salt dough, which hardens to about the consistency of a rock when baked at a low heat over a long period of time. Again, with Tom and I flexing our creative muscles, we were able to sculpt a replica of the Layton seal using one parts salt, one parts water and two parts flour. It’s funny how something you learned in kindergarden is still handy to this day. Despite losing a few picarats trying to solve the stamp conundrum, it turned out pretty great in the end. I included the recipe I use for sugar cookies as well. By far this is my favourite recipe, its easy and comes out great every time without much spread.

Sugar Cookies:
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

“Gold” glaze:
1 egg white
2 1/2 teaspoons of yellow dye
Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup (These cookies are sweet, but I have a greater sweet tooth.)
Optional: If you want to kick these up one more notch, gold food colouring spray is also available. Unfortunately, I live in the middle of nowhere.

Cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. Add egg and the vanilla extract. Mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated, it may separate then come back together. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. Mix well, dough is ready when I touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to my fingers.

[Recommended but optional] Refrigerate dough until chilled, this makes rolling, cutting and stamping much easier. Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary.

Ready for the oven

Then, stamp, cut and bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Make sure to take cookies out before they begin to brown.

While cookies are baking prepare the golden glaze. Mix egg white and yellow dye together (and maple syrup). Immediately upon taking cookies out of the oven brush mix over cookies using a pastry brush.

This version makes about 9 large hint coins.

Fun Fact: Most of the voice actors in the English-language release of the games put on fake British accents. Actual British-English test players of the game reportedly hated Lani Minella’s mockney accent for Luke so much that the British edition completely redubs Luke’s lines with English-born Maria Darling. Christopher Robin Miller, however, put on an accent for the Professor so convincing that many players think he is British.

DIFFICULTY: ONE MOOGLE