Color Challenge: Bright Pink for Fall

Welcome to the first installment of the Color Challenge!!! 

Spearheaded by the uber-fabulous, uber-cool Mandi, of Vintage Revivals, seven bloggers from different niches (fashion, beauty, home, organizing, DIY, parenting...you get the idea) are incorporating a certain color into their "medium."

Today's challenge color: BRIGHT PINK!!! 

My mind immediately went to summery and bright cookies, but since we're heading into fall, I wanted to bring in those deep, rich tones that really make pink POP!

The cookie design itself is simple; I know, it looks fancy.  The technique is called brush embroidery.  I waited years before trying it because I can't sew and the word "embroidery" scared me.  Trust me, this is a perfect cookie for beginners!  (Sewing skills not required.)

You could make the design on any shape cookie...square, round, hearts. I chose this awesome plaque cookie cutter from Copper Gifts.

Adding a little black food coloring to the green and navy icing adds a bit of depth and darkness. Add it a bit at a time to avoid turning the icing totally black.  I use a toothpick to dip into the food coloring and then into the icing.

To tint the cookie dough, add in pink gel paste food coloring along with the eggs in the cookie recipe.  Once the flour is added, if the dough needs more color, knead it in by hand.  Don't worry, the pink will wash off of your hands.

To make these Bright Pink brush embroidery cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies, tinted pink
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Deep Pink + Electric Pink for the pink, Super Black for the grey, Forest Green + Super Black for the green, and Navy Blue + Super Black for the Navy
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips (#4, #2, #1) 
• squeeze bottles
• clean, flat paintbrush
• cup of water
• paper towels

Outline the cookies in pink using a #4 plain tip.  Since we're filling with dark colors, let the outline sit for 30 minutes to an hour before filling to prevent bleeding.

Thin the remaining 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.

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

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

Once the icing is completely dry, use a #2 tip to pipe squiggly lines as an outer layer of petals in pink.

Dampen the brush with water, then blot very well on a paper towel.  Place the brush right into the icing and pull towards the center.

Make another layer,

and then another...

In the center, pipe some dots for the flower center using a #1 tip.

Make some flowers in the center of the cookies, and some off the sides...I like both. 

What do you think about bright pink for fall? 

Now.  Go check out the other lovely ladies and their Bright Pink posts!  Seriously.  Go! ;)

 

---

Color Challenge: Bright Pink for Fall

Posted by admin No comments

Welcome to the first installment of the Color Challenge!!! 

Spearheaded by the uber-fabulous, uber-cool Mandi, of Vintage Revivals, seven bloggers from different niches (fashion, beauty, home, organizing, DIY, parenting...you get the idea) are incorporating a certain color into their "medium."

Today's challenge color: BRIGHT PINK!!! 

My mind immediately went to summery and bright cookies, but since we're heading into fall, I wanted to bring in those deep, rich tones that really make pink POP!

The cookie design itself is simple; I know, it looks fancy.  The technique is called brush embroidery.  I waited years before trying it because I can't sew and the word "embroidery" scared me.  Trust me, this is a perfect cookie for beginners!  (Sewing skills not required.)

You could make the design on any shape cookie...square, round, hearts. I chose this awesome plaque cookie cutter from Copper Gifts.

Adding a little black food coloring to the green and navy icing adds a bit of depth and darkness. Add it a bit at a time to avoid turning the icing totally black.  I use a toothpick to dip into the food coloring and then into the icing.

To tint the cookie dough, add in pink gel paste food coloring along with the eggs in the cookie recipe.  Once the flour is added, if the dough needs more color, knead it in by hand.  Don't worry, the pink will wash off of your hands.

To make these Bright Pink brush embroidery cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies, tinted pink
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Deep Pink + Electric Pink for the pink, Super Black for the grey, Forest Green + Super Black for the green, and Navy Blue + Super Black for the Navy
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips (#4, #2, #1) 
• squeeze bottles
• clean, flat paintbrush
• cup of water
• paper towels

Outline the cookies in pink using a #4 plain tip.  Since we're filling with dark colors, let the outline sit for 30 minutes to an hour before filling to prevent bleeding.

Thin the remaining 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.

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

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

Once the icing is completely dry, use a #2 tip to pipe squiggly lines as an outer layer of petals in pink.

Dampen the brush with water, then blot very well on a paper towel.  Place the brush right into the icing and pull towards the center.

Make another layer,

and then another...

In the center, pipe some dots for the flower center using a #1 tip.

Make some flowers in the center of the cookies, and some off the sides...I like both. 

What do you think about bright pink for fall? 

Now.  Go check out the other lovely ladies and their Bright Pink posts!  Seriously.  Go! ;)

 

---

Everything's Coming Up Rosie

These cookies have been almost 5 months in the making.  OK...not in the *actual* making, but in the mental making.  You see, my sister had a little girl in April (this is her 4th baby...the first 3, boys).
Her name is Rosie. ♥ 

Thinking about cookies for Rosie, I knew I wanted to do roses (was that obvious?), so months ago, I bought some silicone rose molds by Martha Stewart.  Ah, Martha.

{Now, these are made for clay, but I used them with fondant.  Silicone is used for all kinds of cooking applications...and I can't find anything about specific "food-grade" silicone, but found this, "as a low-taint, non-toxic material, silicone can be used where contact with food is required."  And, the fondant is touching the silicone for about 2 seconds.  In other words, I think it's ok.}

Alright, disclaimer over.

Ever since Rosie was born, my sister Molly and I have been debating the big issues.  Like, do we think pink roses are prettier on a blue or yellow background?  I still don't know.  

Originally, I thought the background for the cookies would be gingham, but (a.) painting diagonals is not one of my gifts, and (b.) they ended up looking more like lattice...which I liked.  They remind me of vintage lattice work.  I should just say I planned it that way. ;)

To make these Rosie cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies (I used this cutter from Copper Gifts.)
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Egg Yellow, Deep Pink, Electric Blue
  
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and #2 tips
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• Americolor food coloring: Lemon Yellow, Deep Pink, Electric Blue 
• paintbrushes, one flat
• Martha Stewart Rose and Leaf silicone molds
• fondant (I like Satin Ice), tinted with Americolor Deep Pink and Leaf Green
• cornstarch
• x-acto or paring knife

Use a #2 tip to outline the cookies in yellow, pink, and blue

Thin the icings 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 white icing for piping details 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.

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

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

While the cookies are drying, make the roses. 

Dust the insides of the molds with cornstarch.

Press the tinted fondant into the mold (it helps to dust your hands with cornstarch, too).  Roll over the back of the mold with a small rolling pin.  I used the handle of a pastry cutter.

Flip the mold over and gently pry it off of the fondant.

Use a paring knife (I eventually started using an X-acto knife) to cut away the excess.

Make some leaves, too.

{I couldn't stop staring at them.}

The next day, add the lattice or gingham to the dried icing. (If you want to see REAL gingham on cookies, check out Glorious Treats.)

Mix equal parts food coloring and water.  Dip a flat paintbrush into the mixture, then blot off the excess.  I used a different yellow for the painting than I did for the icing.  The egg yellow as a paint was reading too "school bus."  I switched it up for Lemon Yellow.  (You can see the difference on those napkins in the picture.)

Paint on diagonal lines (hopefully better than I did).

Use a small paintbrush and paint along the edges of the fondant roses with the pink "paint" to add some dimension.

Use royal icing to attach the roses and leaves to the cookies.

I know, it seems like a lot of steps, but honestly, they're pretty easy.  As a matter of fact, I want to stick those roses onto every cookie I make from this point forward.

Rosie....we're so happy you are here!!!  

Thanks for bringing roses, hair bows, ruffles, tutus, and PINK into our lives! ♥

---

Everything's Coming Up Rosie

Posted by admin No comments

These cookies have been almost 5 months in the making.  OK...not in the *actual* making, but in the mental making.  You see, my sister had a little girl in April (this is her 4th baby...the first 3, boys).
Her name is Rosie. ♥ 

Thinking about cookies for Rosie, I knew I wanted to do roses (was that obvious?), so months ago, I bought some silicone rose molds by Martha Stewart.  Ah, Martha.

{Now, these are made for clay, but I used them with fondant.  Silicone is used for all kinds of cooking applications...and I can't find anything about specific "food-grade" silicone, but found this, "as a low-taint, non-toxic material, silicone can be used where contact with food is required."  And, the fondant is touching the silicone for about 2 seconds.  In other words, I think it's ok.}

Alright, disclaimer over.

Ever since Rosie was born, my sister Molly and I have been debating the big issues.  Like, do we think pink roses are prettier on a blue or yellow background?  I still don't know.  

Originally, I thought the background for the cookies would be gingham, but (a.) painting diagonals is not one of my gifts, and (b.) they ended up looking more like lattice...which I liked.  They remind me of vintage lattice work.  I should just say I planned it that way. ;)

To make these Rosie cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies (I used this cutter from Copper Gifts.)
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Egg Yellow, Deep Pink, Electric Blue
  
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and #2 tips
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• Americolor food coloring: Lemon Yellow, Deep Pink, Electric Blue 
• paintbrushes, one flat
• Martha Stewart Rose and Leaf silicone molds
• fondant (I like Satin Ice), tinted with Americolor Deep Pink and Leaf Green
• cornstarch
• x-acto or paring knife

Use a #2 tip to outline the cookies in yellow, pink, and blue

Thin the icings 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 white icing for piping details 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.

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

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

While the cookies are drying, make the roses. 

Dust the insides of the molds with cornstarch.

Press the tinted fondant into the mold (it helps to dust your hands with cornstarch, too).  Roll over the back of the mold with a small rolling pin.  I used the handle of a pastry cutter.

Flip the mold over and gently pry it off of the fondant.

Use a paring knife (I eventually started using an X-acto knife) to cut away the excess.

Make some leaves, too.

{I couldn't stop staring at them.}

The next day, add the lattice or gingham to the dried icing. (If you want to see REAL gingham on cookies, check out Glorious Treats.)

Mix equal parts food coloring and water.  Dip a flat paintbrush into the mixture, then blot off the excess.  I used a different yellow for the painting than I did for the icing.  The egg yellow as a paint was reading too "school bus."  I switched it up for Lemon Yellow.  (You can see the difference on those napkins in the picture.)

Paint on diagonal lines (hopefully better than I did).

Use a small paintbrush and paint along the edges of the fondant roses with the pink "paint" to add some dimension.

Use royal icing to attach the roses and leaves to the cookies.

I know, it seems like a lot of steps, but honestly, they're pretty easy.  As a matter of fact, I want to stick those roses onto every cookie I make from this point forward.

Rosie....we're so happy you are here!!!  

Thanks for bringing roses, hair bows, ruffles, tutus, and PINK into our lives! ♥

---

Happy Birthday, Mom!

If you've read the blog for a while, or have stopped by for a cut-out cookie recipe, you may have met my mom already.

{Um, how cool is that HAIR?!?}

Today is her birthday.  (Or was...I'm never sure how to phrase that.  I mean, this day always *will* be the day of her birth.  Gah!  So confusing.  See, my mom would know these things.)

I think of my mom every day.  This year, though...I've really wondered what life would be like if she were still here with us.  My sister had her 4th baby (a girl!), and I see so much of my mom in her eyes.  Kiddo is about to start high school, and I know she would have been so excited to hear all about his classes and activities.  My dad had surgery last month, and it was...strange...not having her there. (He's doing great, by the way....hi, Dad!)

Yellow roses were her favorite, so I thought I would make some to celebrate.  And, unless she figures out a way to get back here, I guess I'm going to have to eat them, too.

These are vanilla-almond sugar cookies topped with a swirl of crusting buttercream and royal icing leaves. (Keep scrolling for the instructions to make them.)

Here are some things I remember about my mom:

• she always had a project...a quilt, sewing costumes, making Christmas ornaments,
• her love of all things Irish,
• she would reapply her mascara and lipstick just before my dad came home from work,
• our house was *always* clean,
• going to a school open house and watching her ever-so-politely put my bully of a band director in her place,
• she loved the Miss America pageant and watched it every year,
• every time we drove from Houston to Tulsa to visit my grandmother, she would sing "Oklahoma" as we crossed the Red River,
• her grammar lessons,
• she fiercely loved her family and friends,
• her lasagna, chicken & rice, cabbage rolls, spinach salad, mint chocolate ice cream pie, cinnamon rolls...and a million other meals.

To make the yellow rose cookies, you'll need:

• one batch of vanilla-almond sugar cookies (I used 3.5", 2.5" and 1.5" cutters)
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips
• Amanda's perfect crusting buttercream, tinted with AmeriColor Egg Yellow

First, make the royal icing leaves.  On a sheet of waxed paper, pipe the leaves and let dry.  The piping process is fast, but they need several hours to dry.  You can make these weeks in advance and store at room temperature.  Tips used: Ateco leaf tips #112 & #68

Bake and let the cookies cool completely.

Make Amanda's buttercream.  I followed the recipe almost exactly, just changing up the extracts a bit to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.  The rose cookie idea was inspired by Amanda as well.  Y'all, she makes the prettiest sweets!

{note: This crusting buttercream involves shortening.  You know when people say they don't like grocery store cake because of the frosting?  I'm the girl timing my approach to the cake table so I'll get the corner piece with the big ol' honkin' rose.  Apparently, shortening is my love language.  Anyhoo...I know we all have foods we don't do; mine is aspartame.  If this you don't do shortening, this is not the recipe for you. :)}

Place the buttercream in a piping bag, start in the middle of each cookie and twirl the frosting around.  It's almost like a fat number 6. (I used an Ateco #828 for the large and medium cookies and a #96 for the small.) Peel the leaves off of the waxed paper and place right onto the frosting.

{Don't even get me started on how much I love this little guy...}

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!  You are missed every day!  ♥  

---

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Posted by admin No comments

If you've read the blog for a while, or have stopped by for a cut-out cookie recipe, you may have met my mom already.

{Um, how cool is that HAIR?!?}

Today is her birthday.  (Or was...I'm never sure how to phrase that.  I mean, this day always *will* be the day of her birth.  Gah!  So confusing.  See, my mom would know these things.)

I think of my mom every day.  This year, though...I've really wondered what life would be like if she were still here with us.  My sister had her 4th baby (a girl!), and I see so much of my mom in her eyes.  Kiddo is about to start high school, and I know she would have been so excited to hear all about his classes and activities.  My dad had surgery last month, and it was...strange...not having her there. (He's doing great, by the way....hi, Dad!)

Yellow roses were her favorite, so I thought I would make some to celebrate.  And, unless she figures out a way to get back here, I guess I'm going to have to eat them, too.

These are vanilla-almond sugar cookies topped with a swirl of crusting buttercream and royal icing leaves. (Keep scrolling for the instructions to make them.)

Here are some things I remember about my mom:

• she always had a project...a quilt, sewing costumes, making Christmas ornaments,
• her love of all things Irish,
• she would reapply her mascara and lipstick just before my dad came home from work,
• our house was *always* clean,
• going to a school open house and watching her ever-so-politely put my bully of a band director in her place,
• she loved the Miss America pageant and watched it every year,
• every time we drove from Houston to Tulsa to visit my grandmother, she would sing "Oklahoma" as we crossed the Red River,
• her grammar lessons,
• she fiercely loved her family and friends,
• her lasagna, chicken & rice, cabbage rolls, spinach salad, mint chocolate ice cream pie, cinnamon rolls...and a million other meals.

To make the yellow rose cookies, you'll need:

• one batch of vanilla-almond sugar cookies (I used 3.5", 2.5" and 1.5" cutters)
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Leaf Green
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips
• Amanda's perfect crusting buttercream, tinted with AmeriColor Egg Yellow

First, make the royal icing leaves.  On a sheet of waxed paper, pipe the leaves and let dry.  The piping process is fast, but they need several hours to dry.  You can make these weeks in advance and store at room temperature.  Tips used: Ateco leaf tips #112 & #68

Bake and let the cookies cool completely.

Make Amanda's buttercream.  I followed the recipe almost exactly, just changing up the extracts a bit to 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.  The rose cookie idea was inspired by Amanda as well.  Y'all, she makes the prettiest sweets!

{note: This crusting buttercream involves shortening.  You know when people say they don't like grocery store cake because of the frosting?  I'm the girl timing my approach to the cake table so I'll get the corner piece with the big ol' honkin' rose.  Apparently, shortening is my love language.  Anyhoo...I know we all have foods we don't do; mine is aspartame.  If this you don't do shortening, this is not the recipe for you. :)}

Place the buttercream in a piping bag, start in the middle of each cookie and twirl the frosting around.  It's almost like a fat number 6. (I used an Ateco #828 for the large and medium cookies and a #96 for the small.) Peel the leaves off of the waxed paper and place right onto the frosting.

{Don't even get me started on how much I love this little guy...}

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!  You are missed every day!  ♥  

---

Brusha, brusha, brusha: Brush Embroidery Cookie Tutorial

First, for all of you who thought immediately of Jan in Grease when you read that post title, I love you.
Here's a clip.

{Brush embroidery cookies look so romantic, almost like they belong in Victoria Magazine.}

Over the last couple of weeks, my dining room and kitchen tables have been covered in cookies.  Pint glasses filled with piping bags have collected on the kitchen counter.  We were eating a lot of take-out...and ice cream. (That has absolutely nothing to do with cookie decorating, but it happened.)

This is how things typically run at the end of a school year.  I even tried the ol', "I bet your teachers would like gift cards instead of cookies this year."  Kiddo was having none of it.

So, in my mad rush to make and package cookies, I neglected to photograph any tutorials.  I popped a quick picture onto Instagram and, well, the masses spoke.  OK...3 people spoke, but I decided to take some quick how-to pics.

Here's what you need to know about brush embroidery: IT'S SUPER DUPER EASY!!!  I think the first time I ever saw it was a Ali Bee's beautiful blog.  I used a method almost exactly like hers except, I used a damp brush.

To make brush embroidery cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies that have been outlined and filled with royal icing, and have dried overnight (I used a mix of AmeriColor Dusty Rose + Lemon Yellow for the base color.)
• royal icing for the embroidery, I used AmeriColor Ivory (piping consistency) 
• disposable icing bag
• coupler and tip (#2)
• clean, flat paintbrush
• cup of water
• paper towels

{Please note that I had already decorated all of the cookies BEFORE taking pictures for this tutorial. I scraped all of the brush embroidery off of one cookie to show you. Hence, the weird finish on the base.}

Use a #2 tip to pipe squiggly lines as an outer layer of petals.

Dampen the brush with water, then blot very well on a paper towel.  Place the brush right into the icing and pull towards the center.

Make another layer,

and then another.

In the center, pipe some dots for the flower center.

Done.  See?  EASY!

And, who says brush embroidery has to be soft and pastel?

Who wants to try it?!?

{Some of the links above are Amazon Associates links.}

---

Brusha, brusha, brusha: Brush Embroidery Cookie Tutorial

Posted by admin No comments

First, for all of you who thought immediately of Jan in Grease when you read that post title, I love you.
Here's a clip.

{Brush embroidery cookies look so romantic, almost like they belong in Victoria Magazine.}

Over the last couple of weeks, my dining room and kitchen tables have been covered in cookies.  Pint glasses filled with piping bags have collected on the kitchen counter.  We were eating a lot of take-out...and ice cream. (That has absolutely nothing to do with cookie decorating, but it happened.)

This is how things typically run at the end of a school year.  I even tried the ol', "I bet your teachers would like gift cards instead of cookies this year."  Kiddo was having none of it.

So, in my mad rush to make and package cookies, I neglected to photograph any tutorials.  I popped a quick picture onto Instagram and, well, the masses spoke.  OK...3 people spoke, but I decided to take some quick how-to pics.

Here's what you need to know about brush embroidery: IT'S SUPER DUPER EASY!!!  I think the first time I ever saw it was a Ali Bee's beautiful blog.  I used a method almost exactly like hers except, I used a damp brush.

To make brush embroidery cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies that have been outlined and filled with royal icing, and have dried overnight (I used a mix of AmeriColor Dusty Rose + Lemon Yellow for the base color.)
• royal icing for the embroidery, I used AmeriColor Ivory (piping consistency) 
• disposable icing bag
• coupler and tip (#2)
• clean, flat paintbrush
• cup of water
• paper towels

{Please note that I had already decorated all of the cookies BEFORE taking pictures for this tutorial. I scraped all of the brush embroidery off of one cookie to show you. Hence, the weird finish on the base.}

Use a #2 tip to pipe squiggly lines as an outer layer of petals.

Dampen the brush with water, then blot very well on a paper towel.  Place the brush right into the icing and pull towards the center.

Make another layer,

and then another.

In the center, pipe some dots for the flower center.

Done.  See?  EASY!

And, who says brush embroidery has to be soft and pastel?

Who wants to try it?!?

{Some of the links above are Amazon Associates links.}

---

Just Dandy...

...dandelions.

OK, so maybe they're technically weeds, but they are so hard not to love.

Come on over to Parade to see the tutorial on how to make them.
Really, come on over.  :)  They're such EASY cookies to make...and making cookies sure beats pulling weeds.

{psst...if you're a dandelion lover, check out Curly Girl Design's sweet dandelion card! It was one of my inspirations when creating these cookies.}

Just Dandy...

Posted by admin No comments

...dandelions.

OK, so maybe they're technically weeds, but they are so hard not to love.

Come on over to Parade to see the tutorial on how to make them.
Really, come on over.  :)  They're such EASY cookies to make...and making cookies sure beats pulling weeds.

{psst...if you're a dandelion lover, check out Curly Girl Design's sweet dandelion card! It was one of my inspirations when creating these cookies.}