Fall Party!

So here are the final results for the cupcakes and the leaf cookies!

Leaves are falling!

Okay, well I made WAY too much orange royal icing.  I just iced some large leaf cookies and I still have icing left.  I think I might just throw it away.  I never thought I would hear myself say this but, I am done with orange cookies. Enough is enough!

Naked cookies pre-icing.

First I outlined the cookies.

Then I filled the cookies with icing and smoothed it out with a spreader.

Then I added orange sprinkles!

 I added vein lines to one of them, but my husband didn't like it, so I left the other ones plain.  
Happy decorating!

Royal Icing Transfers!

Ok, so Saturday night I made my first royal icing transfers.  There were a few small bumps along the way, which is to be expected.

Printed papers covered in wax paper. Hershey candies, delicious paper weights!

Close up of the piping of the leaves.

I created a template so I could easily trace the leaves, keeping them uniform and even.  I placed the printed papers on a cookie sheet and covered them in wax paper.  You can see that I used Hershey candies as weights so that the wax paper wouldn't move once I started piping.

A picture of me piping!

Finished sheet of leaves!

Close up pic of leaves piped.

I piped some small circles, as well,  just to see how they would come out.  I have to say if you have the time and left over icing, pipe a bunch of extra simple shapes.  You will always find a use for them.

I let the tray dry over night, so that they would thoroughly harden.  The next morning, first thing, I went over to the tray and started pealing them off.

Pealing leaves off wax paper.

The transfers came off quite easily, the only problem was that I didn't pipe the stems thick enough, so many of them broke.  It might not matter since they will be used as a topper for cupcakes, but my concern is having them look like orange lumps.  I figured if they look weird on the cupcakes I could just add some extra piping to make a stem.  Most of them did come out perfectly.

Some of the finished leaves.

This is definitely a technique that will come in hand for all sorts of baked goods.  The key is to plan ahead! They will last in air tight containers forever.

MARTHA STEWART!

Just wanted to share that I met Martha Stewart today at her book signing!  (Williams Sonoma - BH)

Cookie Cutters!

So, I am prepping for my holiday cookie decorating!  I realize I have about a month before I even have to think about it, but this stuff takes time and planning.  I am trying to decide which cookie shapes I should make.  I just purchased a bunch of cookie cutters on amazon.com, including these awesome ornament shape cutters.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VH2OSS

I know I am definitely going to make some ornaments, but I can't decide on the other options. There are just so many!!!  I think snowmen would be cute, as well as stockings.  Oh but a Christmas tree or a candy cane could be FABULOUS as well.  On Martha Stewart's site she has an awesome snow globe cookie, designed by Dani Fiori, that is very charming. Take a look I think you'll fall in love with it.
http://www.marthastewart.com/271303/snow-globe-cookies

Hmmm, any suggestions?  I know I should make some Chanukah (or Hanukkah) cookies as well...maybe a snow flake because it's neutral?

Oh, so this weekend I am going to try and make royal icing transfers.  They are basically decorations you make on a piece of wax paper and then you can transfer them to anything you want.  I am going to do orange leaves, for fall, and because I have a ton of left over orange icing.  My husband and I are having a party in a couple weeks, and if all goes as planned, the leaves will be the topper of some mini cupcakes.   I know very ambitious, but in life you never know what you are capable of until you jump in and try it!

Adventures in cookie decorating!

Okay, so I have decided to start a blog about my cookie decorating.  I think the reason I wanted to do it was to motivate myself to keep practicing and to see my progress over time.  I have always wanted to make awesome royal icing cookies for every holiday, but I never seem to make it happen.  Well this Halloween I forced myself to do it! I made my very first royal icing cookies.  I have to be honest, I started out with just simple pumpkin cookies.  I didn't want to get too crazy on my first try.  Anyways, by the end I was covered in icing from head to toe, but the result was well worth it! Now I am thinking about all the cookie making I have in my future.  I've been looking at other people's blogs and suggestions and I think it's time for me to start my own.  Here is a pic of my first royal icing cookies!