Farm Fresh: Cookie Exchange!

Laura from A Dozen Eggs was kind enough to let me share her "eat your fruits and veggies" cookies for a little cookie exchange. These are so adorable! I can't decide which is my favorite...I'm a sucker for cherries, but that peach cookie is so gorgeous, and the broccoli...don't even get me started!

I love this time of year with all of the local farms being open, but honestly, this is the way I prefer to get my fruits and veggies!!! Thanks, Laura!

Blog of the Week, who me?!?

OK...I am really so thrilled! Makes and Takes listed Bake at 350 as "blog of the week!" Makes and Takes is a fabulous blog, especially if you have kids! Check out today's post for Muffin Tin Mealtime...Jack is absolutely having this today! Another post that has been a huge help around here is Job Jars! Why did I not think of this years ago?!?

G is for Gabriella . . . and GIRL!

A little background on these cookies....while my mom was living, she was lucky enough to make some of the best girlfriends ever; my sister & I call them the ya-ya's. In the 25 years or so they've known each other, their families have become part of our family. Now, the 5 ya-ya's have 10 kids total, 8 daughters (I'm one of them). Of all of us girls, we have 9 boys...NO GIRLS! Until now! Erin, mother to 2 adorable boys already, is having a girl and these cookies are for her shower.

I think the stores in the area may be out of pink at this point! We have been waiting a long time to shop in the little girls' section!!! Don't get me wrong, I'll choose playing Legos over My Pretty Pony any day of the week, but there is something so sweet about tiny smocked dresses and little ruffled diaper covers! Thank you, Erin!!! It was fun going to the "other" side of the kids' section for once! To make these cookies:

• Using a #3 tip, outline a scalloped border in white icing.
• Thin pink and white icing with water to the consistency of syrup and cover with a damp dishcloth. Let sit for a few minutes. (Spectrum Deep Pink)
• Run a rubber spatula gently through the icing to pop any bubbles that have formed on the top. Pour the flood icings into squeeze bottles.
• Fill in cookies with the pink icing, using a toothpick to guide into the edges.
• Once about 6 or so have been filled, add dots of thinned white icing on top.
• Gently place the pre-made monograms onto the wet icing. (See previous post for monogram instructions.)
• Let sit overnight to dry.
  
  

A new way to monogram

I've already posted about using royal icing to make cookie monograms, but take a look at a twist on that technique. Recently, I took a cupcake decorating class taught by Karen Tack of Hello Cupcake and I've been reading a wonderful blog, Bakerella. Both Karen and Bakerella use candy melts to do some beautiful decorating, so I thought I would give them a try for monogramming cookies.

Candy melts are easy to find. WalMart even has a limited supply in their craft section. They are simply melted (on the stovetop or microwave) and they are ready to use. Food coloring and/or flavoring (they taste like chocolate on their own) can be added to them. Pour the melted melts into a disposable decorating bag fitted with a plain tip...I used a #2 tip.I needed "g's" for some baby shower cookies I am making for this weekend...more on those later. I printed out G's and traced the letters on wax paper, just like using royal icing. While they were still wet, I sprinkled white non-pareils on top. Once a tray was filled, I popped in the fridge for a few minutes. Once set, the letters can be removed from the paper and stored in a container at room temperature.Here's the big difference between candy melts and royal icing monograms, the candy melts peeled off the wax paper like a dream! No breakage, whatsoever! The only drawback I see is that the "white" candy melts are not white, but more of a white chocolate color...creamy. This might pose a problem trying to match a monogram color to a royal icing color on the cookie. At the cake decorating store, I think I have seen white food coloring. Has anyone used it? If the store wasn't a hour from my house, I'd run down and pick up a bottle right now!

I just couldn't bear to throw out all of the extra melted goodness :) last night, so I made a little something for my son's breakfast this morning.

Stars for the 4th

If you're in need of something to bring to a 4th of July get-together, these cookies are worth a try! You can make them big like above or mini-stars like below.
For the Dotty Stars:

• Using a #3 tip, outline the star in white royal icing.
• Thin red and blue icing to the consistency of syrup and let sit covered with a damp dishtowel for several minutes. Run a rubber spatula through the icing to pop any air bubbles that have formed on top. (AmeriColor Super Red, Spectrum Royal Blue)
• Transfer thinned icing into squeeze bottles.
• Working with about 6 cookies at a time, fill in the cookie in the blue icing using a toothpick to coax into the corners.
• Once 6 or so are filled in blue, dot the red icing on top.
• Let dry 1 hour.
• Go over the border piping in white again, using the #3 tip.
• Let dry overnight.
• Using either warmed corn syrup or meringue powder mixed with water, "paint" over the raised border using a small paintbrush.
• Sprinkle with clear sparkling or sanding sugar.
  

Margaritas, anyone?

Go ahead, have a few! Guaranteed hangover-free! :)
To make the margarita cookies:

• Using a #2 tip, outline the cup and stem of the margarita glass in white.
• Using a #2 tip, pipe a lime rind on one corner of the glass. (AmeriColor Leaf Green)
• Thin both white and light green icing with water until they reach the consistency of syrup, cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes (AmeriColor Leaf Green).
• Stir the green icing gently with a rubber spatula to break any bubbles on the surface and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
• Fill in the majority of the glass with green flood icing to just underneath the rim of the glass.
• Fill in the lime wedge.
• Stir and transfer white icing to a squeeze bottle. Fill in the top of the glass with white (touching the green), making a somewhat wavy line. for a frosty glass look.
• Fill in the stem of the glass in white.
• Let dry overnight.
• Using warmed corn syrup or a mixture of meringue powder and water, paint a line across the top piping on the glass with a small paintbrush.
• Sprinkle with clear sparkling or sanding sugar to make the salted rim. Shake off any excess.

Sweet Swimmer

A sweet surprise for swim coaches or a snack at the meet....

• With a #2 tip, pipe the outline of hair on the cookie in brown. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
• Using a #1 tip, pipe lenses of the goggles on the face in gray. (Spectrum Super Black)
• With a #2 tip, pipe the face outline in fleshtone, meeting with the hair outline. (AmeriColor Fleshtone/Copper)
• Thin brown, fleshtone and gray icings 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 brown into a squeeze bottle and fill in hair. Use a toothpick to coax the icing into all corners and to edges.
• Follow the same instructions with the gray icing and fill in goggles.
• Follow the same instructions with the fleshtone icing and fill in the face.
• Let dry at least 1 hour.
• Again using the #2 tip and brown icing, pipe hair detail, going back over the outside outline as well.
• Using a #1 tip, go over outline of goggles and add a nose piece.
• Using a #2 tip, add goggle straps in red. (AmeriColor Super Red)
• Change red icing bag to a #1 tip and pipe smile.
• Mix a little silver lustre (luster) dust with vodka. (The vodka will evaporate.)
• Using a small paintbrush, apply silver to the goggle lenses.