How did I get here? oh and a Halloween Freebie!

Now, that post title is not a negative thing. It is in fact a declaration of complete happiness. It has taken me many a year, maybe over a decade to say I am "completely happy." Some people can live an entire life with never uttering those words. So I say them now. I am blessed. With a life of love and happiness. So how did I get here… (don't worry, this post will come around to cookies- this is not a therapy session.. or is it?)

If you have read my bio, you may know that I have not always been a cookie artist. I started my "career" in another end of the art field.

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to draw. When I was about 10, my father gave me a book entitled "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation." That was it. All I wanted to do was animate for Disney. I drew and drew and drew. Probably to the dismay of a private life. But it became who I was. My parents supported me more than you could imagine. So much so that they supported my wish to move all the way from my home of Ontario, Canada to the tropics of Orlando, FL at the age of 22. 

As a parent now, I have trouble dealing with the fact that my first grader is aloud to walk from her classroom to the washroom alone!! So how my parents coped with me being a thousand miles away is beyond me! My Mom would probably say- many a long night awake. Remember this was before  EVERYONE had a cell phone!  Can you imagine?! But they did this because, they knew how much I wanted it. 

Mom, Dad, I am so sorry I did that to you. But I love you for your NEVER ENDING SUPPORT and love! It was with this support that I was able to achieve my dream of working at Disney Feature Animation Florida from 1994-2004, when the studio shut down. It also gave me the crazy strong will to shoot for the stars. 

Which brings me to where I am today. Since then, my awesome, loving, supportive husband and I settled in the midwest where we are raising our two little crazy kiddos. That was my new career. Mom. But like many Mom's, I missed that other part of "me." Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being a Mom but needed more. I missed being creative and I loved baking. This is how Cookies with Character was born. I guess it was a form of therapy. An outlet of sorts. I started making cookies for my son's birthday, started a Facebook page and as they say, the rest is history.

And here we are at the total happiness part. Because I have been blessed with such a supportive Husband, I am able to pursue all these new paths. Drawing in our little family is like breathing. With my husband also a talented artist, our kids, especially our daughter is ALWAYS drawing. On anything and everything she can get her hands on. Even her garbage can. Paper and craft supplies are not lacking in our house that is for sure. She even has been known to "art direct" my cookie designs at times. As I was making these cookies, she was right behind me, literally, drawing her own!

Although I still miss drawing. Pencil to paper, to be exact. Yes, I do draw a lot of designs on my cookies. But not as much as I would like. So I have decided to "branch" out a little. Appealing to my drawing side and offer my designs to you!

Here is the FREEBIE part. You like that right? I'm offering these Halloween Clip Art Images I made, for a free download. They are designed for use in a KopyKake Projector and they should be sized relatively appropriate for use on a standard sized cookie. Resizing may be needed slightly after download. 

They are not only for cookie use!  They can be used to make Royal Icing Transfers, stencils, cut outs or just copy and paste them into various Halloween Printables, cards etc. All I ask is that you credit where you got them from if you use them. (See printable) 

But most importantly… Have fun!!!!

I am hoping to have a lot more for you in the upcoming months. Any feedback would be much appreciated. If there are any designs in particular you would like, please let me know. 

Have a look and enjoy your Halloween Festivities!!!

Click these links to download here:
Halloween #1- Cat, Witch, Bats, House
Halloween #2- Happy Halloween, Ghost, Spider
Halloween #3- Pumpkins

How did I get here? oh and a Halloween Freebie!

Posted by admin No comments

Now, that post title is not a negative thing. It is in fact a declaration of complete happiness. It has taken me many a year, maybe over a decade to say I am "completely happy." Some people can live an entire life with never uttering those words. So I say them now. I am blessed. With a life of love and happiness. So how did I get here… (don't worry, this post will come around to cookies- this is not a therapy session.. or is it?)

If you have read my bio, you may know that I have not always been a cookie artist. I started my "career" in another end of the art field.

Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to draw. When I was about 10, my father gave me a book entitled "The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation." That was it. All I wanted to do was animate for Disney. I drew and drew and drew. Probably to the dismay of a private life. But it became who I was. My parents supported me more than you could imagine. So much so that they supported my wish to move all the way from my home of Ontario, Canada to the tropics of Orlando, FL at the age of 22. 

As a parent now, I have trouble dealing with the fact that my first grader is aloud to walk from her classroom to the washroom alone!! So how my parents coped with me being a thousand miles away is beyond me! My Mom would probably say- many a long night awake. Remember this was before  EVERYONE had a cell phone!  Can you imagine?! But they did this because, they knew how much I wanted it. 

Mom, Dad, I am so sorry I did that to you. But I love you for your NEVER ENDING SUPPORT and love! It was with this support that I was able to achieve my dream of working at Disney Feature Animation Florida from 1994-2004, when the studio shut down. It also gave me the crazy strong will to shoot for the stars. 

Which brings me to where I am today. Since then, my awesome, loving, supportive husband and I settled in the midwest where we are raising our two little crazy kiddos. That was my new career. Mom. But like many Mom's, I missed that other part of "me." Don't get me wrong. I LOVE being a Mom but needed more. I missed being creative and I loved baking. This is how Cookies with Character was born. I guess it was a form of therapy. An outlet of sorts. I started making cookies for my son's birthday, started a Facebook page and as they say, the rest is history.

And here we are at the total happiness part. Because I have been blessed with such a supportive Husband, I am able to pursue all these new paths. Drawing in our little family is like breathing. With my husband also a talented artist, our kids, especially our daughter is ALWAYS drawing. On anything and everything she can get her hands on. Even her garbage can. Paper and craft supplies are not lacking in our house that is for sure. She even has been known to "art direct" my cookie designs at times. As I was making these cookies, she was right behind me, literally, drawing her own!

Although I still miss drawing. Pencil to paper, to be exact. Yes, I do draw a lot of designs on my cookies. But not as much as I would like. So I have decided to "branch" out a little. Appealing to my drawing side and offer my designs to you!

Here is the FREEBIE part. You like that right? I'm offering these Halloween Clip Art Images I made, for a free download. They are designed for use in a KopyKake Projector and they should be sized relatively appropriate for use on a standard sized cookie. Resizing may be needed slightly after download. 

They are not only for cookie use!  They can be used to make Royal Icing Transfers, stencils, cut outs or just copy and paste them into various Halloween Printables, cards etc. All I ask is that you credit where you got them from if you use them. (See printable) 

But most importantly… Have fun!!!!

I am hoping to have a lot more for you in the upcoming months. Any feedback would be much appreciated. If there are any designs in particular you would like, please let me know. 

Have a look and enjoy your Halloween Festivities!!!

Click these links to download here:
Halloween #1- Cat, Witch, Bats, House
Halloween #2- Happy Halloween, Ghost, Spider
Halloween #3- Pumpkins

Don't look now, but that candy corn is totally staring at you.

I'm sharing the tutorial for these candy corn cookie pops over at Parade today.

Two things:

1. Cookies with faces always = cute.
2. Anything on a stick tastes 10x better. (Seriously, you can't tell me a corn dog tastes as good OFF the stick.)

I hope you'll pop over and see the tutorial...and then make them.  I'd love to see the funny faces YOU put on your version!  Be sure to tag me on Instagram or twitter with pictures!

---

Don't look now, but that candy corn is totally staring at you.

Posted by admin No comments

I'm sharing the tutorial for these candy corn cookie pops over at Parade today.

Two things:

1. Cookies with faces always = cute.
2. Anything on a stick tastes 10x better. (Seriously, you can't tell me a corn dog tastes as good OFF the stick.)

I hope you'll pop over and see the tutorial...and then make them.  I'd love to see the funny faces YOU put on your version!  Be sure to tag me on Instagram or twitter with pictures!

---

Monogrammed Pumpkin Cookies

What's better than a polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

How about a DOUBLE-DECKER, polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

What if I told you that this is the simplest design to recreate?  I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but I LOVE a simple cookie. They're my favorite.  Easier to make = quicker getting to my tummy.

If you've never made a double-decker cookie before, it's time.  What are you waiting for?!?  Two cookies in one!!! 

Let me show you how to make them.  They're perfect for class parties or sharing with the neighbors!

 

To make monogrammed pumpkins, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies cut with a pumpkin cookie cutter and alphabet cookie cutters (I used chocolate cut-out cookies, but you could use any of the cut-out recipes listed here.)
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Orange, Leaf Green and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips: #2
• squeeze bottles 
• toothpicks
• small ramekin

Use #2 tips to outline both the pumpkin (in orange) and the letters (in green).  Add the stem of the pumpkin with the green icing.

Thin the orange, green and white with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the piping consistency green icing for attaching the cookies later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.  

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

For the letters, work about 3-6 cookies at a time, filling with the green icing. Small filled areas are susceptible to cratering, so take care not to overfill and run a toothpick through the icing to dislodge air bubbles. Go back to the first cookie filled and add small dots of the thinned white icing with a toothpick. (This is a trick I learned from my friend, Lupita.)

Let the cookies dry uncovered, 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Here are the letters drying in the dehydrator...

Aren't they cute??!

(I think I bought these cookie cutters at Hobby Lobby, but I just bought a 100-piece set of cutters...because I *needed* 100 more cutters...at Home Goods that has letters as well.)

Apply piping consistency icing to the back of the letter cookies...just a few dots will do, we don't want oozing.  Actually, a little oozing is fine, but you don't need a lot of icing to make the letter cookies stick.

Gently press in place on the pumpkin cookie.  Let dry for 30 minutes or more to set.

These were so much fun to make.  I hope you'll try them at home, too.

---

Monogrammed Pumpkin Cookies

Posted by admin No comments

What's better than a polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

How about a DOUBLE-DECKER, polka dot, monogrammed pumpkin cookie?

What if I told you that this is the simplest design to recreate?  I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but I LOVE a simple cookie. They're my favorite.  Easier to make = quicker getting to my tummy.

If you've never made a double-decker cookie before, it's time.  What are you waiting for?!?  Two cookies in one!!! 

Let me show you how to make them.  They're perfect for class parties or sharing with the neighbors!

 

To make monogrammed pumpkins, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies cut with a pumpkin cookie cutter and alphabet cookie cutters (I used chocolate cut-out cookies, but you could use any of the cut-out recipes listed here.)
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Orange, Leaf Green and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips: #2
• squeeze bottles 
• toothpicks
• small ramekin

Use #2 tips to outline both the pumpkin (in orange) and the letters (in green).  Add the stem of the pumpkin with the green icing.

Thin the orange, green and white with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the piping consistency green icing for attaching the cookies later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.  

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

For the letters, work about 3-6 cookies at a time, filling with the green icing. Small filled areas are susceptible to cratering, so take care not to overfill and run a toothpick through the icing to dislodge air bubbles. Go back to the first cookie filled and add small dots of the thinned white icing with a toothpick. (This is a trick I learned from my friend, Lupita.)

Let the cookies dry uncovered, 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Here are the letters drying in the dehydrator...

Aren't they cute??!

(I think I bought these cookie cutters at Hobby Lobby, but I just bought a 100-piece set of cutters...because I *needed* 100 more cutters...at Home Goods that has letters as well.)

Apply piping consistency icing to the back of the letter cookies...just a few dots will do, we don't want oozing.  Actually, a little oozing is fine, but you don't need a lot of icing to make the letter cookies stick.

Gently press in place on the pumpkin cookie.  Let dry for 30 minutes or more to set.

These were so much fun to make.  I hope you'll try them at home, too.

---

Sometimes you just need a little buttercream...

Much to the detriment of my hip measurement, I've fallen in love with buttercream frosted cookies.

Buttercream doesn't lend itself to decorating the way that royal icing does, but it can still be pretty...and takes about one tenth of the time.

There is just *something* about biting into a buttercream frosted cookie that makes me happy. Last night, I tried eating just half of one.  Is there any doubt in your mind as to whether I went back for that second half? ;)

I so, so love buttercream roses, but we are coming up on Halloween after all.  I used this recipe from Imperial Sugar.  It's an all-butter buttercream, so it stays nice and soft. 

For the pumpkins, I used #15 and #16 star tips to decorate and then and #2 tip for the stem. 

For the spiderwebs, I spread on a base coat of frosting with an offset spatula, then piped a spiderweb shape for the outer black outline using a #2 tip.  I piped two circles inside that, then used a toothpick to drag the circles toward each outer point. I added the spider with the same tip.

It's not as crisp looking as a royal icing decorated cookie (here's an example of a royal icing spiderweb), but still cute.

PS...I use Americolor food coloring with buttercream just like I do with royal icing.  For these cookies, I used Orange (tinting it two shades), Super Black, and Leaf Green.

Buttercream frosted cookies.  Tell me you love them, too!

---

Sometimes you just need a little buttercream...

Posted by admin No comments

Much to the detriment of my hip measurement, I've fallen in love with buttercream frosted cookies.

Buttercream doesn't lend itself to decorating the way that royal icing does, but it can still be pretty...and takes about one tenth of the time.

There is just *something* about biting into a buttercream frosted cookie that makes me happy. Last night, I tried eating just half of one.  Is there any doubt in your mind as to whether I went back for that second half? ;)

I so, so love buttercream roses, but we are coming up on Halloween after all.  I used this recipe from Imperial Sugar.  It's an all-butter buttercream, so it stays nice and soft. 

For the pumpkins, I used #15 and #16 star tips to decorate and then and #2 tip for the stem. 

For the spiderwebs, I spread on a base coat of frosting with an offset spatula, then piped a spiderweb shape for the outer black outline using a #2 tip.  I piped two circles inside that, then used a toothpick to drag the circles toward each outer point. I added the spider with the same tip.

It's not as crisp looking as a royal icing decorated cookie (here's an example of a royal icing spiderweb), but still cute.

PS...I use Americolor food coloring with buttercream just like I do with royal icing.  For these cookies, I used Orange (tinting it two shades), Super Black, and Leaf Green.

Buttercream frosted cookies.  Tell me you love them, too!

---

Nailed it.

Have you seen the "Nailed it" memes?  My favorite is the Cookie Monster Cupcake.  
{Please keep this in mind in a minute.}

Let's start at the beginning.  I had a moment of inspiration.  Peanut butter blossom cookies, but with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the middle and chocolate covered pretzels for legs to look like spiders.

But, as with most things...this was not an original idea.  As I was walking through the grocery store to buy my peanut butter cups, the image of the cutest cookies by Kristan popped into my head.  Same idea, but with licorice legs.  I *pinned* them last year!  Duh.  I decided to make them anyway, using the pretzels.

This was going to be something quick and easy that I could make after picking kiddo up from school and before dinner. 

Well, I had my own "Nailed it" moment. (Kristan's cookies are on top.)  Behold:

Yeah. 

---

Try 1: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  The cookie was too small, pretzels too big, and peanut butter cups are really melty.  Not pretty.

---

Try 2: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops.  Now the cookie is big enough to hold the pretzels, but the peanut butter cup looks too small. (Hint: wait a few minutes before adding the PB cup to reduce the excessive melting like the first batch.)

---

Try 3: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops. Peanut butter cups plus melted chocolate for the legs.  Passable.

---

Try 4: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips (these are nice, big chips) pressed into the middle, legs piped with melted chocolate.  Better.
Maybe even cute...

...until you look at the cookies with two chips.  Creepy doll eyes.  I guess it *is* Halloween season after all.

I'm working on eating all of the evidence. 

---

Nailed it.

Posted by admin No comments

Have you seen the "Nailed it" memes?  My favorite is the Cookie Monster Cupcake.  
{Please keep this in mind in a minute.}

Let's start at the beginning.  I had a moment of inspiration.  Peanut butter blossom cookies, but with mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the middle and chocolate covered pretzels for legs to look like spiders.

But, as with most things...this was not an original idea.  As I was walking through the grocery store to buy my peanut butter cups, the image of the cutest cookies by Kristan popped into my head.  Same idea, but with licorice legs.  I *pinned* them last year!  Duh.  I decided to make them anyway, using the pretzels.

This was going to be something quick and easy that I could make after picking kiddo up from school and before dinner. 

Well, I had my own "Nailed it" moment. (Kristan's cookies are on top.)  Behold:

Yeah. 

---

Try 1: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  The cookie was too small, pretzels too big, and peanut butter cups are really melty.  Not pretty.

---

Try 2: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops.  Now the cookie is big enough to hold the pretzels, but the peanut butter cup looks too small. (Hint: wait a few minutes before adding the PB cup to reduce the excessive melting like the first batch.)

---

Try 3: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 TBSP scoops. Peanut butter cups plus melted chocolate for the legs.  Passable.

---

Try 4: peanut butter blossoms scooped in 2 teaspoon scoops.  Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips (these are nice, big chips) pressed into the middle, legs piped with melted chocolate.  Better.
Maybe even cute...

...until you look at the cookies with two chips.  Creepy doll eyes.  I guess it *is* Halloween season after all.

I'm working on eating all of the evidence. 

---

When Spiders Go a Little Preppy...

I mean, really, who said spiders and spiderwebs have to be black & orange anyway?

This is the second year that kiddo has decided he's not going trick-or-treating.  I miss Halloween costumes.  I'll be honest, Mr. E made a lot of them.  One of my favorites: a traffic light. He made it so the red and green lights really lit up and the yellow light could be pushed out from the inside to retrieve the candy.  (Would it surprise you to know that Mr. E has an engineering degree?)

That same year, Martha Stewart asked readers to send in their best kid's costume pictures and it made it onto her website!!!  Yes, kiddo is on Martha's website.  You never know...it could be framed in her office, too.  Or in her wallet.  (Stranger things have happened.)

That picture was from 4th grade.  Kiddo is now in 8th grade...and looks like this.
{{Hug your babies, you guys.  Time flies.}}

I *do* love seeing the little ghouls & goblins come to the door for candy, though...and so does kiddo.  Looks like we've moved from the trick-or-treating phase into the "opening-the-door-for-trick-or-treaters, eating-more-candy-than-we-give-away" phase.  It's not all bad.

So, the cookies.  I knew I wanted to make some spiderwebs.  I wanted to use some different colors, but all I could visualize were black, orange, purple, green...black, orange, purple, green...black, orange, purple, green.  Don't get me wrong, I like those colors.  Then, it came to me in a flash of 80's nostalgia...preppy.

The cookies are super simple, and even though these are sprinkled with disco dust, you can totally leave that off.  You can see I was having some issues deciding whether or not to dust...

One note about the navy color.  I mixed AmeriColor Navy with AmeriColor Super Black.  You'll want to bring the color to a deep blue, but it won't look navy until it dries.  (You'll see from the how-to pictures how much the color deepens.)

To make the sparkly spiderwebs, you'll need:

• rectangle or square sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted navy (using AmeriColor Navy & Super Black), Bright White, and Electric Pink
• couplers and tips: #2, 5, 1, star 15
• disposable icing bags
• toothpicks
• squeeze bottles
• optional: disco dust, rainbow & raspberry
• meringue powder
• paintbrushes

Use a #2 tip to outline the cookies in the base colors.

Thin the base color icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottle.   

Fill in the outline with the thinned flood icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry for at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe a spiderweb outline in a contrasting color.  Start from one corner, or from the top center.

Use a #5 tip to pipe a spider body and a #1 tip to pipe the legs.

Use a #15 star tip to pipe a border along the edge of the cookies, using a pulsing motion.

{This is one of the easiest ways to make your cookies look fancy.  You'll need a fairly stiff icing to hold the design...I always test my icing on a plate first.  If the ridges fall, just stir in some sifted powdered sugar.}

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

If desired, add the disco dust.  Details on applying it are here.  I used a very thin paintbrush to go over the web and legs of the spider.

After the dusted cookies have dried about 30 minutes or more, use a dry paintbrush to brush away the excess.

Let me live vicariously through you.  What are your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews going to be this Halloween?!? 

When Spiders Go a Little Preppy...

Posted by admin No comments

I mean, really, who said spiders and spiderwebs have to be black & orange anyway?

This is the second year that kiddo has decided he's not going trick-or-treating.  I miss Halloween costumes.  I'll be honest, Mr. E made a lot of them.  One of my favorites: a traffic light. He made it so the red and green lights really lit up and the yellow light could be pushed out from the inside to retrieve the candy.  (Would it surprise you to know that Mr. E has an engineering degree?)

That same year, Martha Stewart asked readers to send in their best kid's costume pictures and it made it onto her website!!!  Yes, kiddo is on Martha's website.  You never know...it could be framed in her office, too.  Or in her wallet.  (Stranger things have happened.)

That picture was from 4th grade.  Kiddo is now in 8th grade...and looks like this.
{{Hug your babies, you guys.  Time flies.}}

I *do* love seeing the little ghouls & goblins come to the door for candy, though...and so does kiddo.  Looks like we've moved from the trick-or-treating phase into the "opening-the-door-for-trick-or-treaters, eating-more-candy-than-we-give-away" phase.  It's not all bad.

So, the cookies.  I knew I wanted to make some spiderwebs.  I wanted to use some different colors, but all I could visualize were black, orange, purple, green...black, orange, purple, green...black, orange, purple, green.  Don't get me wrong, I like those colors.  Then, it came to me in a flash of 80's nostalgia...preppy.

The cookies are super simple, and even though these are sprinkled with disco dust, you can totally leave that off.  You can see I was having some issues deciding whether or not to dust...

One note about the navy color.  I mixed AmeriColor Navy with AmeriColor Super Black.  You'll want to bring the color to a deep blue, but it won't look navy until it dries.  (You'll see from the how-to pictures how much the color deepens.)

To make the sparkly spiderwebs, you'll need:

• rectangle or square sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted navy (using AmeriColor Navy & Super Black), Bright White, and Electric Pink
• couplers and tips: #2, 5, 1, star 15
• disposable icing bags
• toothpicks
• squeeze bottles
• optional: disco dust, rainbow & raspberry
• meringue powder
• paintbrushes

Use a #2 tip to outline the cookies in the base colors.

Thin the base color icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottle.   

Fill in the outline with the thinned flood icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry for at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe a spiderweb outline in a contrasting color.  Start from one corner, or from the top center.

Use a #5 tip to pipe a spider body and a #1 tip to pipe the legs.

Use a #15 star tip to pipe a border along the edge of the cookies, using a pulsing motion.

{This is one of the easiest ways to make your cookies look fancy.  You'll need a fairly stiff icing to hold the design...I always test my icing on a plate first.  If the ridges fall, just stir in some sifted powdered sugar.}

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

If desired, add the disco dust.  Details on applying it are here.  I used a very thin paintbrush to go over the web and legs of the spider.

After the dusted cookies have dried about 30 minutes or more, use a dry paintbrush to brush away the excess.

Let me live vicariously through you.  What are your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews going to be this Halloween?!? 

For my little sister on Halloween...

Here's how the story goes...

...my sister is 5 years younger than I am and was in high school when I started working for Delta.  My dad had been transferred to Atlanta, home of Delta, which led me to tell my sister about a very fancy hair salon I'd heard about while I was in flight attendant training.

So, when prom rolled around, Molly went to have her hair styled at the salon.  I happened to be home for the weekend, so Mom & I dropped Molly off at the salon and planned to pick her up when she was finished.

Hours later, Molly emerged from the salon, I'm not exaggerating, with her hair piled and ratted at least 12 inches high.  She was only missing the white streaks.  Mom & I looked at each other and didn't say a word.

My sister got into the car, shut the door, and my mom said, "well, how do you like it?"
Molly's reply, "I look like the *freaking* Bride of Frankenstein."

{Except she might have used more colorful language.}

I remember slowly turning to my mom, waiting for the reprimand on the colorful language bit...words like that were just NOT used in our house (or car)...and she burst out laughing.

What followed was a race home, so Molly could re-wash and style her OWN hair, and be ready for prom.

Bride of Frankenstein prom hair.....scarier than any horror movie.

You don't need a frightening hair story to make Bride of Frankenstein cookies, though.  All you need is a simple candy corn-shaped cookie cutter.

You'll need:

• candy corn-shaped sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Regal Purple (make a light & dark shade), Super Black, Bright White, and Super Red
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

Use a #2 tip to outline a heart shape with a rounded bottom for the face in the lighter purple.

Use another #2 tip to outline the hair with black icing.  Reserve some of this piping consistency black icing for adding details later.

Thin the light & dark purples and black icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned light purple icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Working 6-8 cookies at a time, flood the hair  portion of the cookies with the thinned light black icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Starting with the first cookie flooded, add squiggles of thinned dark purple icing directly on top of the wet black icing.

Let the cookies rest for at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe eyes in white.

Switch the tip on the black icing to a #1 and add pupils, eyebrows, eyelashes, and a nose.

Use a #1 tip to pipe a heart-shaped mouth.

Molly, this is for you:


PS...I think a lot of Bride's problems could have been solved with a good hair gel.

PS 2...if you want to see what a multi-tasker a candy corn cookie cutter is, take a look at just a few cookies made using it.  It's a good shape to have in your arsenal.

1. walruses
2. popcorn
3. kissing couple
4. ...candy corn! 

For my little sister on Halloween...

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Here's how the story goes...

...my sister is 5 years younger than I am and was in high school when I started working for Delta.  My dad had been transferred to Atlanta, home of Delta, which led me to tell my sister about a very fancy hair salon I'd heard about while I was in flight attendant training.

So, when prom rolled around, Molly went to have her hair styled at the salon.  I happened to be home for the weekend, so Mom & I dropped Molly off at the salon and planned to pick her up when she was finished.

Hours later, Molly emerged from the salon, I'm not exaggerating, with her hair piled and ratted at least 12 inches high.  She was only missing the white streaks.  Mom & I looked at each other and didn't say a word.

My sister got into the car, shut the door, and my mom said, "well, how do you like it?"
Molly's reply, "I look like the *freaking* Bride of Frankenstein."

{Except she might have used more colorful language.}

I remember slowly turning to my mom, waiting for the reprimand on the colorful language bit...words like that were just NOT used in our house (or car)...and she burst out laughing.

What followed was a race home, so Molly could re-wash and style her OWN hair, and be ready for prom.

Bride of Frankenstein prom hair.....scarier than any horror movie.

You don't need a frightening hair story to make Bride of Frankenstein cookies, though.  All you need is a simple candy corn-shaped cookie cutter.

You'll need:

• candy corn-shaped sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Regal Purple (make a light & dark shade), Super Black, Bright White, and Super Red
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

Use a #2 tip to outline a heart shape with a rounded bottom for the face in the lighter purple.

Use another #2 tip to outline the hair with black icing.  Reserve some of this piping consistency black icing for adding details later.

Thin the light & dark purples and black icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned light purple icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Working 6-8 cookies at a time, flood the hair  portion of the cookies with the thinned light black icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Starting with the first cookie flooded, add squiggles of thinned dark purple icing directly on top of the wet black icing.

Let the cookies rest for at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe eyes in white.

Switch the tip on the black icing to a #1 and add pupils, eyebrows, eyelashes, and a nose.

Use a #1 tip to pipe a heart-shaped mouth.

Molly, this is for you:


PS...I think a lot of Bride's problems could have been solved with a good hair gel.

PS 2...if you want to see what a multi-tasker a candy corn cookie cutter is, take a look at just a few cookies made using it.  It's a good shape to have in your arsenal.

1. walruses
2. popcorn
3. kissing couple
4. ...candy corn!