Happy Birthday, baby!

Time flies! This picture was taken 7 years ago (when I first started getting into cookie decorating). My baby is 9 today. He doesn't want cookies anymore; he wants cheesecake. :) That's OK. Happy Birthday, sweetie!

You Say It's Your Birthday...

Today is my sister's birthday. No, I didn't make cookies for her...we're heading to Ben & Jerry's later for chocolate chip cookie sundaes...oh, yay! :)

These are cookies I made for her "girls' night out" party before she got married. I know...pretty sexy! ;) I used my gingerbread lady and man cookie cutters and had to nip them in at the waist quite a bit.

To make them...

1. Outline basic "outfit"...bra and panties or nightgown using a #2 tip in your choice of color.
2. With another #2 tip, outline body in flesh tone. (AmeriColor Copper/Fleshtone)
3. Thin outfit icing to the consistency of syrup. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit several minutes. Stir gently to pop bubbles that have formed on top. Pour into a squeeze bottle and fill in outfit. Use a toothpick to coax the icing into all corners and to edges.
4. After filling in about 6 to 8 outfit, add dots in thinned icing, if desired.
5. Using the same method as above, thin and flood body in flesh tone.
6. Let dry at least one hour.
7. Using a #1 tip, add details to outfits, such as "dot" straps.
8. Using a #1 tip, add curly hair. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown was used here.) For an example of straight hair, click here.
9. Again, using a #1 tip, pipe a heart-shaped mouth in red. (Spectrum Super Red)

Happy Birthday, Molly!

Aren't these adorable?: Cookie Exchange!

I came across these cookies today courtesy of The Incredible Shrinking Whimsigal (by the way, check her blog for a great idea for an egg, english muffin, cream cheese breakfast). Aren't they adorable? I'll be filing these away for New Year 2009. Thank you, Whimsigal, for letting me post them. :)

Valentine's Day...one month away!

Time to start thinking about this year's cookies....here's a LOVE postage stamp cookie that I love. Why? Number 1, the LOVE stamps are my favorites, and Number 2, they remind me of my Aunt Janice who always send letters with the perfect stamp! :)

To make the cookies:

1. Using a #2 tip, outline square cookies a little inside the border in white icing.
2. Change to a #1 tip and pipe a small, filled, scalloped edge...like a stamp.
3. In red icing, pipe a heart in the middle of the square. (AmeriColor Super Red)
4. Thin red and pink icing to syrup-like consistency and cover with a damp dishtowel. Let sit, stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop air bubbles. (AmeriColor Deep Pink)
5. Pour thinned icing into squeeze bottles and fill in heart in red and pink for background color. Use a toothpick to spread icing.
6. Let dry overnight.
7. With a black food coloring pen, write "Love" and the postage price. :) (AmeriColor Gourmet Writer pens)

Anyone planning to make cookies for Valentine's Day? I'd love to hear your ideas and see your pictures!

19 sheets to the wind...

Yep...19. I have 19 cookie sheets. Mostly I use them to transport cookies from my "holding area" (dining room table) to my "decorating area" (kitchen table).

Which ones do I use for cookie baking? After experimenting, I prefer the dull looking cookie sheets; I'm sure they are sold as non-stick, although I always use parchment paper. I've tried the professional half sheet pans...they feel nice, very stable and weighty and not bendy at all, but those result in a cookie that is really soft on the bottom. That's great, but I like them a little more sturdy since I'll be handling them during decorating and usually bagging and boxing them. A little bit of brown on the bottom helps.

Geaux Tigers?

Given OU's poor Fiesta Bowl showing, I guess it's time to root for LSU! There's always next year.

For the footballs:

1. Outline the football shape in white icing using a #2 tip.
2. Flood the cookie with thinned brown icing. Thin with water to the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes. Run a rubber spatula gently through the icing to pop any bubbles that formed on the top. Pour into a squeeze bottle. Use a toothpick to spread the icing. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
3. Let dry for at least 1 hour.
4. Using the #2 tip, add "stitching" to top of football.
5. Switch to #1 tip and add side detail in white. Using yellow and purple with a #1 tip, add detail color to sides. (Purple: AmeriColor Violet; Yellow: AmeriColor Egg Yellow)
   

Hello, 2008!

A little cookie for the new year...the dots remind me of champagne bubbles or confetti. I was going for a bright fuchsia here and I have to say that they look prettier in person, but I like the cookies from 2007 much better. Oh well...you never know until you try.

To make them:

1. Outline the cookie in white using a #3 tip.
2. Thin fuchsia, yellow and blue icing to syrupy consistency and cover with a damp dishtowel. Let sit, stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop air bubbles. (Fuchsia: Spectrum Fuchsia with AmeriColor Electric Pink; Yellow: AmeriColor Egg Yellow; Blue: Spectrum Sky Blue)
3. Pour thinned icing into squeeze bottles.
4. Fill 6-8 cookies at a time in fuchsia. Spread into corners with a toothpick.
5. Drop blue and yellow dots on top of wet icing.
6. Let dry at least 1 hour.
7. Using a #2 tip, pipe "2008."