Free PicMonkey “Sweet Treats and Delicious Eats for the Holidays” eCookBook Download

I’ve got a special link for you today.  I was asked to participate in PicMonkey’s holiday’s treat eCookBook along with other baking bloggers.  As I was looking through it last night, I wanted to try darned near every recipe printed!  You’ll find many tasty treats with links to the participants’ blogs.  So fun to visit new sites and introduce oneself. Click on eCookBook cover below to be taken over to the PicMonkey Facebook page where you can download the cook… [Read More]

Pink Christmas Tree Cookies with Fondant Pennants

pink christmas tree cookies

Happy December! I can’t believe the countdown has begun!  What have you got planned this holiday season? This year we’ve been invited to a few parties where, for some reason, I’ve been asked to bring cookies.  😉  I wanted to design a cookie that said fun + party with more of a generic feeling in the holiday affiliation area but still said “happy holidays”. Did you know I’m crazy for pennants?  What says fun + party more than pennants?  I… [Read More]

Decorated Ornament Sugar Cookies DIY and Snowflake Fondant Plunger Cutter Give-Away

pink ornament cookies

I’m dreaming of a pink Christmas with sparkling snowflake cut-outs and if you are too you’ll want to enter and win this give-away for a PME Snowflake Fondant Plunger Cutter Set of three but first let me show you how to decorate pink ornament cookies using the fondant snowflakes as decoration. These punched out snowflakes of rolled fondant will dress up all your baking finery this season from cookies to cupcakes! To make the cookie dough, you’ll need a great… [Read More]

Holiday Cookie Decorating Workshop

Last week began my cookie decorating workshops for this holiday season and we had a great time! I was honored to be invited to teach a group of Newport Beach tennis friends who gathered for dinner and wanted to learn how to become cookie decorating rock stars.  They were all so lovely, welcoming and enthusiastic that I could have easily forgotten I was there to teach! Don’t you love their matching aprons?  Diane, the organizer of the evening and third… [Read More]

Decorated Champagne Glass Cookie Party Favors–DIY

champagne glass cookies

For two…. …or more. Either way, a bit o’ the bubbly always makes a celebration sparkle. In this case, for an engagement. Best wishes to the happy couple! DIY Champagne Glass Cookie Party Favors: Things You’ll Need: Sugar Cookie Recipe & Tutorial Royal Icing Recipe & Tutorial Gold cake coloring (I used Americolor Gold) Icing decorating bag or parchment cone #3 decorating tip Gold dragees (two sizes) White colored pearlized luster powder (optional) (one brand is Wilton) Super gold luster… [Read More]

Dear Friends…

As the year winds down I wanted to tell you, you’ve made my year merry and bright and I count you among my blessings.  Espresso martini decorated cookies. I’m going to be doing more of this over the next couple of weeks… … so I’ll see you again after the brief holiday intermission.  🙂

Decorated Snowflake Cookies– Gathering The Dough and Re-Rolling The Post

decorated snowflake cookies

What does your cookie forecast look like this season?  Merry and bright with a high chance of pretty and delicious snowflake cookies?  Snowflakes are a wonder to me.  When I was around twelve I experienced falling snow for the first time and it turns out to be the only time so far.  In the palms of my gloves, I recall I was amazed to see the ice crystal patterns of the individual flakes.  I thought all falling snow must be… [Read More]

Decorated Snowflake Cookies!

‘Tis the season for making a flurry of snowflake cookies. Sugar cookie recipe and tutorial. Roll, cut and bake. Royal Icing Recipe and Tutorial. Outline. #2 tip. Fill in. Lightly sprinkle with rainbow Disco Dust. Sunlight refracted through the chandelier. Individuality. Shiny silver dragees. Finishing touches. Snow drift. Flurries. Mini Snowflake Tutorial. Bearing gifts. To all my readers, new friends I have made along the way, and to the loves of my life, all unique and beautiful … … Wishing… [Read More]

Mini Snowflake Cookies

Good things do come in small packages.   Especially in bite sized ones.After icing the cookies with thinned icing and letting them dry, I brushed them with aqua colored luster powder for a soft blush of color. I then piped the details on the cookie and finished with a single silver dragee in the center. For the presentation I used paper loaf pans that I never got around to using for baking cranberry bread for Thanksgiving. Another small package and… [Read More]

Meringue Mushrooms

Meringue Mushrooms are a special treat at Christmas time. I’ve usedthem to decorate Buche du Noels but I like to make them to give as gifts because they’re different from the regular holiday cookies. They present nicely in a small decorative basket, a mushroom basket from the store or even wrapped up in a cello bag tied with a festive ribbon. Things needed~1/2 c. egg whites, room temp. (3 to 4 large eggs)1/8 tsp. table salt1/4 tsp. cream of tarter1… [Read More]