Cookie Recipes and Decorating Ideas
Scroll down to find newsletters from to Aug. 5 to Sept 23
IN THIS ISSUE FROM SEPT. 23:
Recipe of the Week
Friandises aux Amandes
Gingerbread Men
Site of the Week
Crisco FAQs
Decorating
Hints the Tips
Tante's Cookies
Jodi's Fabulous Shoes
Highlights from
Previous Issues
Cookie Baking and Decorating Tips
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Do not marry a person that you know that you can live with; only
marry someone
that you cannot live without. (Anonymous)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Gone Fishing
A man phones home from his office and tells his wife: "Something has
just come up.
I have a chance to go fishing for a week. It's the opportunity of a
lifetime. We leave
right away. So pack my clothes, my fishing equipment, and especially my blue
silk pajamas.
I'll be home in an hour to pick them up." He goes home in a hurry and grabs
everything
and rushes off.
A week later he returns. His wife asks: "Did you have a good trip, dear?"
He says: " Oh yes, great! But you forgot to pack my blue silk pajamas."
His wife smiles and says, "Oh no I didn't. I put them in your tackle
box!"
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
In 1980 I bought myself The Gourmet
Cookbook Volumes I and II. They have been close
at hand in my kitchen ever since. Here are two great cookie recipes from
Volume II.
Friandises aux Amandes
1/2 cup grated blanched almonds
scant 1/2 cup fine granulated sugar
4 egg whites
3 T flour
1/2 t. vanilla
scant 1/2 cup cooled beurre noisette (butter cooked slowly until slightly
browned)
Mix thoroughly almonds and sugar.
Add egg whites a a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in flour, vanilla and beurre noisette.
Turn the batter into small buttered and floured molds (like a Madeline pan) and
bake in a moderate
oven (350 degrees) for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the
molds.
Remove from molds to rack to cool.
Gingerbread Men
2 3/4 cups cake flour
3 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 t powdered cloves
1 t ginger
1 T. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1 egg beaten
1/4 t allspice
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup butter
Soft cake flour. Ad baking powder, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon
and salt. Sift again
In a separate bowl, combine egg, allspice, brown sugar, molasses, and
butter, Mix well
Stir the egg and sugar mixture into the the flour mixture. Using both
hands, mix the dough
until all the flour has been absorbed.
Divide the dough and roll out half at a time to 1/3 inch thick.
Cut the gingerbread men with floured cutter
Transfer to buttered baking sheet. Use raisins, candied fruits and nuts to
make eyes, nose
and mouth.
Bake in hot oven (375 degrees) for about 12 minutes or until they are lightly
browned.
********
SITE OF THE WEEK
Last week Clair sent me an email asking if it's OK to substitute shortening
for butter. While I was
doing some research for her I came upon the Crisco web site. They have
lots of good information
about using their products. Check out the FAQ page at: http://www.crisco.com/faqs.htm
********
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Jodi, a KCI customer, bought several of
our cookie cutters and was kind enough to
send pictures of her incredible work. I'll share the shoes with you this
week, the
dresses next week and the martini glasses after that. I don't know about
you, but
I'm inspired to make shoes.
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HIGHLIGHTS
FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
COOKIE BAKING AND DECORATING TIPS
These came from issues #18 & #19
1.
When making royal icing, make certain your mixing bowl, and utensils are
clean and
completely free of grease. Any bit
of shortening will turn your icing into a mess --
trust me on this one.
2.
A right-handed person should always decorate from left to right.
A left-handed person
should always decorate from right to left.
The exception, of course, would be if you
were writing or printing.
3.
If you use liquid coloring keep in mind that it will thin the icing.
4.
To thin paste food coloring that has gotten too thick for use, use a few
drops of glycerine.
5.
If you're serious about coloring icing, invest in a color wheel. You'll
find it helpful when mixing
colors to get purple, lime green, aqua, etc.
6.
For those of us who cook via that "that looks about right"
method, baking can be a challenge.
When you bake cookies you need to measure carefully and follow the directions.
Too much
butter (see newsletter 15), failing to cream the butter and sugar, or too little
baking powder
can totally change the consistency of your cookies.
7.
Jules sends this great idea. To clean decorating tips, take a clean 3-liter bottle, put
used tips
inside, add hot water and little bit of dish soap, then shake.
This will take the excess icing off
and then you can use a little brush to clean anything that's left. She says she
usually
doesn't need to have she has shaken them.
8.
Always preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes.
The initial heat seats the cookies so they
don't spread and burn around the edges.
9.
To outline cookies, use a #2 tip for small cookies and a #3 tip for
larger cookies. Outline icing
(I like Royal Icing) should be thick enough to pipe a clean, consistent line on
your cookies, but
not so thick that when you pull the tip away the icing curls back toward
you. Practice,
practice, practice.
gently squeeze the bag. Raise the
tip a bit and, with one steady motion, outline the perimeter of
the cookie. Outline all major
lines and let dry for at least 30 minutes before trying to fill inside.
********
HELP!
Fran's granddaughter is in the Navy and she misses homemade cookies.
Fran would like
suggestions on the best kind of cookies to ship (her granddaughter's favorites
are soft
and chewy chocolate chip and spritz cookies) What's the best way to pack
and ship?
She also would like to send fudge. Any suggestions? Any recipes
you'd like to share?
Sheila
would like any recipes we have for straw cookies.
Judy would like to know if anyone has ever seen or heard of a recipe for candy
charcoal.
It is sold at Christmas time and looks like real charcoal and is cinnamon
flavored.
Michael
and I are thinking about our naked gingerbread house. Do any of you have
suggestions
for candy? Best suppliers, unique ideas? Any help will be
appreciated.
Jodi
(who made the beautiful shoes above) would like to buy Chinese take-out
containers. She
is looking for the white ones with metal handles. She has found a few
sources that sell colored
ones but she needs a source that will sell the white ones in quantity.
(She'd like to pay less
than 50 cents each) Anybody know of a place?
Great
questions this week. I'm counting on you guys to help us out with
these.
This
is one of the great parts of the newsletter, we really rely on your help with
these questions,
if you do have suggestions please contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
Al and the girls at the shop finally put together some mini designs to add
to our collection.
Below are the mini flowers which are approximately 2" x
2". They are working on the fruit
designs this
week. I really like the mini cutters when I take cookies to pot
luck dinners or teacher appreciation events at school. They are
priced the
same as the regular cutters (keep in mind that it is harder to hand shape a
mini
cutter than a large one) but I think they'll be a popular addition to our line.
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecutters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
Thanks to those of you who contributed to this week's newsletter. I
really depend on your input
to keep this newsletter interesting. Anyone who has ideas, recipes,
thoughts or questions please
feel free to send them to me: cookiecutters@qwest.net
I just turned on CNN to see what was new in today's world. The
commentator made the
comment that everybody has a story about the World Trade Center, whether they
took a tour
through it, know someone who worked there, or just flew over it one time.
From talking to
friends it seems that it's true. My mother and I went to New York several
years ago and met
my friend Cynthia's brother-in-law at his office on the 65th floor of one of the
towers. He then
took us to lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the Statue of Liberty.
I'll never forget climbing
the stairs out of the subway and then turning around to see the World Trade
Center for the
first time. What an awesome site it was. What an incredible act of
insanity to destroy it and
all of the innocent people who perished in the explosion. God Bless
America!
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE FROM SEPT. 18
Recipe of the Week
Banana Bites
Trust Cookies
Site of the Week
Epicurious Cookies
Decorating
Hints the Tips
Tante's Cookies
Using Fondant
Keeping Cookies on Their Sticks
Marble Cookies
Highlights from
Previous Issues
Tips for First Birthdays
Betty Crocker's Jello Cookies
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Wise men talk because they have something to
say; fools, because they have to say something.
--- Plato
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Neighbors
Every time the man next door
headed toward Robinson's house, Robinson knew he
was coming to borrow something. "He won't get away with it this
time," muttered
Robinson to his wife. "Watch this."
"Er, I wonder if you'd be using your power-saw this morning," the neighbor began.
"Gee, I'm awfully sorry," said Robinson with a smug look, "but the fact of the matter is, I'll be using it all day."
"In that case," said the neighbor, "you won't be using your golf clubs, mind if I borrow them?"
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Banana Bites
1 banana
10 shelled walnuts
1 cup rice cereal
2 t. honey
Peel banana then mash in bowl with the back of a spoon
Put walnuts in plastic baggie and crush into small pieces
Mix nuts with banana, pour in cereal, add honey and stir
Spoon mixture into an ice cube tray
Stick a toothpick into every cube
Freeze one hour. Enjoy!
Trust Cookies
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1 cup flaked coconut
1 pkg. (12 oz) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 pound of trust
Layer ingredients in order in a 9 by 12 inch pan. Do not stir.
Remember to trust!
Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until golden brown
Cool for 15 minutes then cut into bars.
********
SITE OF THE WEEK
Epicurious.com is one of my favorite online sources when I need a
recipe. They have done a lot
of work on their site and one of the great new features is searching for recipes
by main ingredient,
preparation, cuisine, and season/occasion. You can sift through their
numerous cookie
recipes this way if you click on this link: http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/browse?this=course&orderkey=&course=COOKIES
********
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Jeannie in Nashville checked in with this information on fondant:
Jeannie said if we have any more questions, let her know.
In response to last week's question about keeping chocolate chip cookies on the
stick, Karen
wrote that she makes hers a little thicker than normal and then uses small
tongue depressors.
Marci said she always bakes her cookies with the sticks in the cookies.
They rarely fall off,
but the ones that do she just "glues" them back on with a little bit
of frosting piped into the hole.
Debbi checked in to make nice
comments about our newsletter and to tell us that for the past
3 years her little country church has had a Christmas cookie sale. They
sell candy by the pound
and last year they sold 800 pounds! They are always looking for better
ideas for streamlining
the operation and of course, new recipes (which is one reason she likes
us). Anyway, one great
idea they have come up with is at the end when they have leftover cut-out cookie
dough they add
some melted chocolate, chopped nuts, shape it into a log, cut into slices and
bake.
I've
mentioned this site before, but for you new folks here is a really easy
way
to make REALLY impressive cookies. The example shown is an egg but you
can use this
same decorating technique for hearts, balloons, jelly bean shaped cookies,
numbers, letters,
mittens, etc. Step by step directions can be found at: http://www.kitchengifts.com/marbleeggs.html
I teach this technique in all my beginning cookie decorating classes and the
students are always
thrilled with their results.
********
HIGHLIGHTS
FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
In issue #15 Jen asked for ideas for her child's 1st birthday party.
Here is what you contributed.
BIRTHDAY PARTY SUGGESTIONS
Lauri remembered that when she was younger she made special
scalloped edged, round cookies
with a finger-sized hole in the middle. It
was a special way to eat the cookie, eliminated arguments
about which cookie belonged to whom, and solved that drop-problem.
Jules suggested baking a two-layer cake.
Lay the first layer down like you normally would and put
icing on it. Then tie ribbons
around small trinkets and lay them on the icing.
Add top layer and ice
as normal. Decorate with borders
and such. When it's time to cut the
cake, have each party guest
pull a ribbon for a surprise.
She also suggested using cookies to spell out the child's
name and a goodie bag that includes cookies.
Gina suggested using a fish shaped cookie cutter and making
yellow/orange frosting so the cookies
will look like Goldfish crackers.
Angie remembered how when her daughter turned one she loved
Blue's Clues. She did the
entire
party in blue, from blue kool-aid to blue pawprint cookies. I liked her thoughts about making the
first birthday special. It only
happens once and even though the child won't remember it, Mom
and Dad will.
Another reader reminded us to consider safety when planning
a party for little ones. Hot dogs
are a bad idea because the kids can choke on them.
I suggest throwing the party outdoors if possible.
That way, you can hose down the eating
area after the party and won't have to worry about the little people truly
enjoying their
cake or cookies.
Also in issue #15 we gave you this recipe for Jello cookies.
Betty Crocker's Jello Cookies
1 pkg. gelatin (any fruit flavor)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
21/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
gelatin glaze (below)
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Reserve 1-tablespoon gelatin (dry) for the glaze.
Mix remaining (dry) gelatin, the powdered sugar and butter. Stir in flour
and salt. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until set, but not brown about 8 min. Cool
slightly. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.
To prepare the glaze: Mix reserved tablespoon gelatin and 3 tablespoons hot
water. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon
vanilla until smooth and of desired consistency. Dip tops of cooled cookies
into glaze. Decorate with coconut, nuts, cherries, colored sugar, small
candies or chocolate shot, if desired. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen cookies.
Hint: If you use different gelatin flavors for two different doughs, you can
easily add more variety and color to the cookies, since you will have two
different colored glazes.
********
HELP!
No questions this week. If you think of one before next Sunday, let me
know.
This
is one of the great parts of the newsletter, we really rely on your help with
these questions,
if you do have suggestions please contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
What a horrible week this has been. My thoughts and prayers go out to
all of you. We were all
affected by the senseless acts of terrorism against the United States.
Thanks to the many of you,
especially those of you overseas, who wrote to express your thoughts about
Tuesday's events.
As we come out of shock and start to mobilize there are many things we can do to
help. We can
donate to the relief organizations, give blood to the Red Cross, fly our
flags proudly and offer our
support to President Bush and all US allies as they try to make decisions about
how to react
these "hidden" enemies.
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecutters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
Thanks to those of you who contributed to this week's newsletter. I
really depend on your input
to keep this newsletter interesting. Anyone who has ideas, recipes,
thoughts or questions please
feel free to send them to me: cookiecutters@qwest.net
Have a BETTER week.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE FROM SEPT. 9
Recipe of the Week
Sunflower Crispies
Almond Butter Balls
Sites of the Week
Halloween Treats
Decorating Hints the Tips
Tante's Cookies
Cookie Cutter Gifts
Tip for Keeping Icing in the Bag
NEW! Highlights from Previous Issues
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
JOKE OF THE WEEK
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house and after eating the
wives left the
table and went into the kitchen. The two elderly gentlemen were talking
and one said,
"Last night we went out to a new restaurant, and it was really great.
I would recommend
it very highly."
The other man asked, "What is the name of the
restaurant?"
The first man though and thought and finally said, "What is the name of
that flower you
give to someone you love? You know... the one that is red and has
thorns."
"Do you mean a rose?" asked the second man.
"Yes!" the man said. He turned toward the
kitchen and yelled, "Rose, what's the name
of that restaurant we went to last night?"
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Ida sent us these yummy sounding "healthy" cookie recipes.
Sunflower Crispies
1 cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease two cookie sheets
Stir butter in large bowl until light and fluffy
Mix in brown sugar, oats, flour, baking soda, sunflower seeds and milk
Use your hands to roll the dough into 1-inch balls. You should get about
36 cookies
Place the balls 3 inches apart on cookie sheets and bake for 12 - 15 minutes
until golden brown.
Let the crispies cool before lifting them carefully off the sheets with a
spatula.
Almond Butter Balls
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
Mix almond butter, honey and wheat germ
Roll into small balls
Roll the balls in the unsweetened coconut
You can serve them fresh or freeze them for later.
********
SITES OF THE WEEK
If you are having a Halloween party for kids you'll want to check out these
sites. You'll
find lots of fun recipes for making Halloween treats. http://www.childfun.com/menus/halloween.shtml
and
http://www.debsdomicile.com/grstones.htm
********
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Here is another picture of Janis' cookies. Aren't they incredible?
COOKIE CUTTER GIFT IDEA
Giving cookie cutters is a great idea. Even those who
don't bake will appreciate
receiving their favorite collectible. Here is a fun way to give a cookie
cutter. Trace around
the cookie cutter onto a sturdy piece of cardboard. Cut out the cardboard
piece and put
it under the cutter. Fill the cutter with appropriately colored jelly
beans and then wrap it
in cellophane. If you are craftier than I am, you can use shrink wrap and
a hair dryer
to seal the plastic around the cutter. Below are three I did this morning.
I left the last
two unwrapped -- they photographed better that way.
What a great gift for teachers, baby and wedding showers,
bosses, and new neighbors.
KEEPING THE ICING IN THE PASTRY BAG
When I teach cookie decorating classes most of my students have never held a
pastry bag
before and I frequently found them squeezing the icing the wrong direction.
To solve this
problem, I started putting small rubber bands on the top of the pastry bag.
I fold the top
of the bag over once and wrap the band around the end several times. Now,
our icing all
goes in one direction.
********
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
In issue #14 Jules asked for a recipe for Colossal Oatmeal cookies. Within
two hours of the
post we had this terrific recipe.
Colossal Coconut-Oatmeal Cookies
2 cups
old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 package shredded coconut (7 oz.)
1-cup chocolate covered raisins (6oz.)
Heat oven to 350*. Grease large cookie sheet. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in bowl. Set aside.
Beat butter and
sugars in large mixer bowl at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs
and vanilla. With mixer at
low speed, beat dry ingredients. Stir in coconut and raisins.
Using a 2
1/4-inch ice-cream scoop or level 1/4 measure, scoop cookie dough onto prepared
sheet, placing scoops
3 inches apart. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden. Cool cookies on wire racks.
Repeat with remaining dough.
MORE COOKIE DECORATING TIPS AND TRICKS
1.
Yes, you can bake cookies ahead of time and freeze them.
Actually, it's a good idea, the icing
sets up much faster and easier if the cookies are cold.
2. Invest in a bottle of clear vanilla flavoring. It's subtle, but the brown vanilla does darken white icing.
3.
Invest in a set of small paintbrushes.
You'll be amazed how much you'll use them to spread icing,
clean-up rough edges, and "paint" your cookies.
Try dipping a small brush in water then using it to
smooth a piped joint.
4.
Parchment paper decorating bags are much cheaper than disposable or
featherweight decorating
bags. Once you get the hang of folding them they work just as well.
********
HELP!
Teri wrote that the cookies she makes for the showcase in her shop are OK
for a week
and then the icing comes off -- in a whole piece! She's pretty discouraged
by this
any suggestions?
Kitsie is making rectangle cookies, like business cards and doing a logo on
them. She'd
like some tips on writing on cookies.
A different Teri is trying to make chocolate chip cookies for a cookie bouquet.
She's having
trouble getting them to stay on sticks. She has tried the thick white
cookie sticks, skewers,
making different sizes, etc. Her sugar cookies work great but those
chocolate chip ones
won't stay put. Any suggestions or recipes she might try?
Carol
is making petit fours. The cake is perfect, she's now an expert at
covering the cakes
with a thin layer of apricot glaze, but the pouring of the fondant has her
asking for help. Any
fondant experts out there?
This
is one of the great parts of the newsletter, we really rely on your help with
these questions,
if you do have suggestions please contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
Lately, as I prepare for another cookie decorating class I find myself
feeling a little bit
put off with all the work of making the cookies, preparing the icing, and making
sure I have
everything I need. Then, when I get to class and my eager students come in
I am so glad
that I am there. As they leave, thanking me over and over for such a great
class and scurrying
home to show their families their four beautiful cookies, I quickly forget about
all the work
that I went to. It is so much fun to expose new folks to the joy of baking
and decorating cookies
and think that maybe they'll be starting a new family tradition at their houses.
In this month's
Oprah magazine she talks about finding what you are meant to contribute to
society. I think
I've found mine.
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecutters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
Thanks to those of you who contributed to this week's newsletter. I
really depend on your input
to keep this newsletter interesting. Anyone who has ideas, recipes,
thoughts or questions please
feel free to send them to me: cookiecutters@qwest.net
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE FROM SEPT. 2
Recipe of the Week
Sesame Cookies
Overnight Macaroons
Site of the Week
Packaging Cookie Gifts
Decorating Hints the Tips
Tante's Cookies
Gingerbread House - Step by Step Directions and Tips
NEW! Highlights from Previous Issues
Making red, blue and black icing
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
We know what a person thinks not when he tells
us what he thinks, but by his actions.
-- Isaac Singer
JOKE OF THE WEEK
Jimmy is almost 29 years old, his friends have already gotten married, and
Jimmy
just dates and dates.
Finally a friend asks him, 'What's the matter, are you looking for the
perfect woman? Are
you that particular? Can't you find anyone who suits you?'
'No,' Jimmy replies. 'I meet many nice girls, but as soon as I bring them
home to meet
my parents, my Mother doesn't like them. So I keep on looking!'
'Listen,' his friend suggests, 'Why don't you find a girl who's just like
your dear
ole Mother?'
Many weeks go by and again Jimmy and his friend get together. 'So, Jimmy, did
you
find the perfect girl yet? One that's just like your Mother?'
Jimmy shrugs his shoulders, 'Yes I found one just like Mom. My Mother loved
her,
they quickly became friends.'
'Are you and this girl engaged, yet?'
'I'm afraid not, my Father can't stand her!'
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Judy from Yreka was kind enough to send us these recipes
SITE OF THE WEEK
Packaging cookies to send or give is always a big topic in this
newsletter. I found this page
on the Fabulous Foods web site. It should give you lots of ideas for those
cookies
you'll be baking this fall. Go to: http://www.fabulousfoods.com/holidays/xmas/packaging.html
********
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Janis, owner of Tante's Cookies in New York City was kind enough to send me
eight incredible
pictures of her cookies. Actually, most of the pictures were printed on
postcards -- which I
thought was terribly clever. I will share one with you each week.
Enjoy!
GINGERBREAD HOUSE - STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
I was a busy girl this week. I made and put together a gingerbread house
using the kit I mentioned
last week. It went reasonably well and you can see it at: http://www.kitchengifts.com/gingerhouse.html
I'll let you in on secret. I have been told that I am sometimes one
ingredient short of a full recipe and
I proved it again when I was working on the gingerhouse. I made a double
batch of the dough and 
just as I was rolling the last of it out into a jellyroll pan I looked over and
saw the baking powder sitting where I had left it. I had forgotten to put
any in! Now, what do I do? I went ahead and baked the dough.
It came
out OK, but it was, as you can imagine not very thick. Rather than have
uneven sides I omitted it on the third batch as well. Anyway, when you
make your house, do put it in. If you scroll the very bottom of the page,
I added a link to some decorated houses to inspire you.
Paula, after reading about the gingerbread house project, sent us these tips:
1. Use pretzel rods on the inside corners for extra support. Just
squeeze frosting along edge then place
the rod tight into each corner.
2. Use cans of soup on the outside and inside of each wall to brace them
while the icing sets. This
helps keep the walls straight as well.
3. When putting the roof on, tie string together coming under and then
over the roof. That will keep the
roof pieces from slipping down. After it is dry, just cut the string away
from the outside.
********
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
In issue #13 we discussed the question of getting your icing really red or
really blue, or really
black, etc. This is how reader's responded:
Donna says she uses professional paste food coloring.
To get a brighter red, mix your frosting
a day or two ahead of time and put a tiny bit of yellow (a dab on a toothpick)
into the red frosting
mix. Cover tightly and put into the
refrigerator until ready to use. For
darker and true black you
put a dab of red color in a let it set a day or two.
Another reader suggested that to get a really red color you
add a little cocoa powder to the icing.
Melissa said she uses chocolate confectioners sugar and
then adds black paste food coloring.
Irene suggested using powdered colors.
She said you need at least 1 teaspoon of color to a copy
of icing to get dark colors. She
agreed with Donna that you need to let your colored icing sit in
the refrigerator for one to two days to let it darken up.
When I make black icing, I melt a unsweetened chocolate and mix it with my
icing. Then I
add the black food coloring. It takes less color and tastes good too!
Also in newsletter #13 we had these decorating tips:
1.
Highlight your printing, writing and general decorating by over-piping
design in a different
color with a tip that is a size or two smaller.
2.
Add piping gel to your icing for pointier leaves and stems that don't
break. Use 1/2 teaspoon
piping gel for each cup of thin consistency icing.
3.
After rinsing your tips and couplers, put them in a small hosiery bag and tie
the it to the top rack
of your dishwasher. Run as usual.
********
HELP!
Nan would like to know from Bonnie how she mixes the candy fondant when
using it for cookie icing.
Nan's attempt was then than successful.
As always, if you have suggestions you can contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
Most of the kids are back in school and folks are starting to think about
holiday baking again
Business at the shop has been incredible this week. The football designs
are rolling out the
door pretty quickly. Somebody was looking at our Halloween designs and
suggested a
scarecrow cutter. Al and I started sketching designs and when we were done
our ideas
looked almost exactly like our "Mini Michael" cutter so I just added
him to the Halloween page.
I think he would be adorable with a pumpkin head and little straw hands.
(The person who
suggested the idea thought so as well)
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecutters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
Thanks to those of you who contributed to this week's newsletter. I
really depend on your input
to keep this newsletter interesting. Anyone who has ideas, recipes,
thoughts or questions please
feel free to send them to me: cookiecutters@qwest.net
Have a GREAT week and a relaxing Labor Day.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE: August 26
Recipe of the Week
Zucchini Cookies
Egg Yolk Paint and Glaze
Site of the Week
Recipezaar
Decorating Hints the Tips
Flower Cookies
Cookie Recipes and Pictures
Whale fries
NEW! Highlights from Previous Issues
Uses for Broken Cookies
Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
JOKE OF THE WEEK
A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who
was a rabbi,
if they could discuss his use of the family car. His father took him into
his study and said:
I'll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your Talmud a
little, get your
hair cut and then we'll talk about it."
After about a month, the boy came back again and asked if father if they
could discuss
his use of the car. They again went into the father's study where the
father said: "Son, I've
been very proud of you. You have bright your grades up, you've studied the
Talmud
diligently, but your didn't get your hair cut."
The young man waited a moment and then replied: " You know Dad, I've
been thinking about
that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long
hair, and even
Jesus had long hair."
The rabbi said: "Yes, and they walked everywhere they went."
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
In response to last week's Tomato Sauce recipe, Jeannine sent us
this cookie recipe using
those every prolific zucchini in our gardens.
Zucchini Cookies
Mix 2 C sugar and 1 C margarine (softened)
Add: 2 eggs & 2 C shredded zucchini
Mix well
Then mix together and add 4 3/4 C flour, 2 t. baking soda, 1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt & 2 t. cinnamon
Add: 12 oz pkg. chips (chocolate, butterscotch, etc) and nuts if desired
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 230 degrees for 10 to 12
minutes.
Lidia sent us these two recipes for Egg Yolk Paint
Egg Yolk Paint
1 egg yolk
1/4 t. water
assorted colors of paste food coloring
Combine egg yolk and water; mix well. Divide mixture into several custard
cups; tint as
desired with paste food coloring. Cover until ready to use. If paint
thickens, add a few drops
of water and mix well. Yield: 1 1/2 tablespoons
Egg Washed Glaze (Stained Glass)
This flavorless glaze is great for molded or stamped cookies It is a very
thin, clear glaze that
gives the cookie a base when painting the cookies.
1 egg white (it is best to use powdered egg whites because of
salmonella)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Add the powdered sugar.
Paint the cookie with
this thin glaze. When the glaze is dry, thin down food colors and paint
the details.
Thanks for Lidia and Jeanine for helping out this week. If
you do have a great cookie
or icing recipe that you are hiding, send it to me. I'm generally here -- cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
SITE OF THE WEEK
I can't remember how I came upon this site, but it has a lot of great
information. Not only will you
find tons of recipes, but you can search for them by special diet restrictions.
There is a measurement
converter, you'll find a link to coupons you can download, and they have a
featured ingredient
of the week -- this week it's blueberries. Go to http://www.recipezaar.com
********
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Flower Cookie
| Sabine decorated this cookie
using KCI's simple flower cookie cutter. She covered the cookie with the background color. While the background was still wet, she added the dark blue icing and pulled it out with a pick. She did the same with the white icing on the edges of the petals. She then added golden yellow piping to outline the petals. She used matching sparkling sugar highlight the piping. Finally, she added peach and green details to the center of the cookie. You can see more of her flowers on the top of our fruits and flowers page: http://www.kitchengifts.com/fruits.html |
|
Cookie Recipes and Pictures
In response to Barbara's question about cookie recipe sites, Bonnie
suggests Sugar Craft
at http://www.sugarcraft.com. She
says there are 31 pages of icing recipes alone. She
suggested the cookie icing using dry candy fondant. She said it's great
for the "dam and flood"
method and doesn't dry rock hard like royal icing. It also dries shiny!
She did add that if
you try to freeze this icing the shine is gone afterwards.
Bonnie also said she freezes cookies decorated with buttercream icing and has no
trouble
at all. She always uses real butter for the icing.
Nan wrote to remind us that the December issue of Women's Day
will contain cookies
designed by joyofcookies.com ( http://www.joyofcookies.com
) She says that Joy's site
is her inspiration for decorating and developing a business -- great cookies
too!
Uses for Cookie Cutters
While reading about Martha Stewart using potatoes to make stamps in last
week's issue, Nan
wrote about using her while shaped cookie cutter to make "whale fries"
for her grandson. She cuts
a large potato in thick slices and cuts them into a whale shape using her cookie
cutter. She then
browns the cutouts and the leftover shapes with the whale "hole" in a
nonstick skillet then puts them
on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam to bake at 375 degrees until tender.
Sprinkle them with a little
salt and Enjoy!
********
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
In issue #12 readers were asked for suggestions for using broken cookies.
Theresa suggested storing broken cookies in a Ziplock bag
in the freezer to use as
toppings for sundaes.
Debbie suggested using broken cookies as toppers for
pudding or, if there are a lot, for
crusts for pudding pies.
Ida had a great idea for those of you with your own ice
cream maker. Include them in your
recipe and make your own cookie ice cream!
Cheryl suggested freezing, crumbling, or using a food
processor on your broken cookies.
You can mix them with graham crackers to make a crust.
She also suggested layering them
with ice cream of whipped cream desserts.
Sue suggested freezing them till you have enough to make a cheesecake.
Missy suggested using
larger broken cookies for neat little ice cream sandwiches
or adding them to fruit cocktail.
Also in issue #12 we had the famous cream cheese cut-out
cookie recipe. This is
the one most people talk about when they remember their favorite sugar cookie.
Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies
2 sticks butter or margarine
8 oz. Block cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. Almond extract
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1. Place
butter and cream cheese in large mixing bowl.
Mix with electric mixer
until blended.
2. Add
sugar and extracts. Mix until
blended.
3. Add
egg and mix until blended.
4. Place
flour and baking powder in medium bowl and blend with a whisk.
5. Add
flour mixture to creamed mixture and mix on low speed until just blended.
6. Divide
dough into two portions. Wrap each
portion in plastic wrap and
chill 1 1/2 hours.
7. Roll
one portion on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin (don't
roll with plastic wrap) to 1/8"
thickness. (Keep other portion
chilled.) Cut
into shapes.
Sprinkle with sugar or colored sugar if desired.
8. Bake
375 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 9 to 12 minutes.
9. Remove
immediately to a wire rack to cool.
Makes 36 to 48 cookies.
********
HELP!
Valerie would like a gingerbread cutout cookie recipe that is soft.
The ones she has
tried are hard on the old teeth. Any ideas?
Here is a challenge for us. Nicole is looking for a lasagna recipe that
appeared in Better
Homes and Gardens about 5 years ago. The cover said something about
cooking with
grandma or cooking like your grandmother. The recipe was called something
like
"Grandma's Lasagna". It used ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
As always, if you have suggestions you can contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
The offer on the new cookie sprinkles will end Friday of this week so if you
haven't called
and plan to, don't delay. I did get some of the Halloween sprinkles
photographed and
on our Halloween page ( http://www.kitchengifts.com/halloween.html
) The Halloween set |
includes black cats, black bats, ghosts, tombstones, and pumpkins. The
five bottles
are $8.60 instead of $13.25. The Christmas set includes Christmas
lights, bright
sequins, trees, holly & berries, and stars & moons for the same
price, $8.50, instead
of the retail price of $13.25. If you are starting to think about
your holiday baking, call the
shop 888/593-2436 and be sure to let them know that you read about the
special in the
newsletter.
By popular demand, Al created a gingerbread house kit. I have a picture
of it and am working
on the page, but you can take a look at what I have done so far at:
http://www.kitchengifts.com/gingerhouse.html. My project this
week is to mix dough for the
entire thing and take pictures of the step by step creation of a gingerbread
house. I'll
need to buy myself a new jelly roll pan as mine is NOT in any shape to be
photographed.
Anybody want to come over and help?
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecutters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
I count on you guys to help with this newsletter. Please send your
questions, recipes, ideas,
sites you have found, etc. to me so I can include them.
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE
FROM AUGUST 13 - #122Recipe of the Week
Michael's Tomato Sauce
Site of the Week
King Arthur's Decorating Supplies
Decorating Hints the Tips
Baby Shower Cookies
Potato Stamps
Cookies from YOU
Freezing Royal Icing
Painting Cookies
NEW! Highlights from
Previous Issues
Rum Ball Cut-Out Cookies
Tackle Box Storage
HELP!
FROM THE EDITOR --better not skip this part
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Smart is when you believe half of what you hear. Brilliant is when you know
which half. - Robert Orben
JOKE OF THE WEEK
A little boy was afraid of the dark. One night
his mother told him to go out to the back
porch and bring her the broom. The little boy turned to his mother and
said, "Mama,
I don't want to go out there. It's dark."
The mother smiled reassuringly at her son. "You don't have to be afraid
of the dark,"
she explained. "Jesus is out there. He'll look after you and protect
you."
The little boy looked at his mother real hard and asked, "Are you sure he's out there?"
"Yes, I'm sure. He is everywhere, and he is always ready to help you
when you
need him," she said.
The little boy thought about that for a minute and then went to the back door
and
cracked it a little. Peering out into the darkness, he called, "Jesus? If
you're out there,
would you please hand me the broom?"
********
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Nobody sent me a great cookie recipe this week so I decided to
switch gears on you and share
our families tomato sauce recipe. If, like me, your tomatoes are
coming on like gangbusters, you'll
appreciate this recipe. If you don't grow tomatoes, go to the nearest
roadside stand and get
some, this sauce tastes GREAT, it's easy, it's low fat, and kids love it.
Michael's Tomato Sauce
8 to 10 tomatoes, cored and quartered - no need to peel them
1 handful of basil, washed and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup wine (optional)
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 T. salt
2 T. sugar
Throw everything into a large pot, turn to medium high and cook for an hour or
so until the
tomatoes and onions are cooked to mush. Don't worry about adding
liquid, tomatoes are
90% water -- you'll have plenty of liquid in a few minutes. Taste and
season with additional
salt and/or sugar to taste
Pour the cooked mixture into a sieve set on a smaller saucepan and squish with
the back of
a wooden spoon to get as much liquid out as possible. Pitch the stuff left
in the sieve.
Put the juice on the stove and cook over medium heat for another
hour to reduce
some of the liquid.
Serve over pasta or use as a pizza sauce. You can freeze it too!
If you do have a great cookie recipe that you are hiding, send
it to me. I'm generally
here -- cookiecutters@qwest.net
SITE OF THE WEEK
The Hintons sent us this week's site of the week. We have talked about the
King Arthur website
before, but you can check out their cookie decorating supplies which include
some nice pastel
sanding sugars. Click on this link: http://ww2.kingarthurflour.com/cgibin/start/ahome/main.html
and then the Shop Online" link in the upper left hand corner. Then
click on the "Shop the Online
Catalog" link. Finally, click on the link to Cookies, Cake, Pie
and Pastry link.
DECORATING HINTS AND TIPS
Baby Shower Cookies
| These baby feet are adorable and easy to make. Use a # 4 or #5 tip to outline the cookie in colored icing -- pink, blue or yellow. Quickly, sprinkle matching colored sugar on the outline. Shake of any sugar that fell inside the design and fill the inside with white icing. If you're doing a baby shower, try using our baby hand print cookie cutter too and making matching hands. |
|
Potato Stamps
Jodi saw a neat trick for using cookie cutters on Martha Stewart
a couple of weeks ago. She
was cutting potatoes in half and then pressing a simple cookie cutter into the
end about 3/4 "
deep. She then cut around the cutter with a knife about 1/2" down and
removed the excess. It
made a simple and precise potato stamp for decorating wrapping paper, party
tablecloths,
good bags, etc. She then just dunked them on a stamp pad and went to town.
She thought
it would be cute for baby/wedding shower decorations to match decorated cookies.
Cookies from YOU
Check out Tibisay's beautiful cookies on our cookies page:
http://www.kitchengifts.com/cookies.html
Tibisay is the girl from Mexico who, with a friend, started her own cookie
bouquet business last
spring. For somebody who only recently started decorating, she does
incredible work.
Freezing Royal Icing
On the subject of freezing cookies with royal icing, Nan wrote
that she has the same star cookies
she decorated three years ago -- she pulls them out of the freezer to hang on
her tree at Christmas
time. Of course, she bakes new ones to eat each year, but the old ones
look fine.
Painting Cookies
Conya checked in on the subject of painting cookies. She
does hers with egg yolk and gel
food coloring. She paints the design on before baking. She added
that this method works best on
shortbread of other cookies without much baking powder as it will crack and
distort if the cookies
spread very much. It turns out shiny and translucent, very pretty.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
I found this recipe in Newsletter #9 -- kind of a nice, adult, variation for cutout cookies.
Rum Ball Cut-Out Cookies
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. finely chopped pecans
1 T. Cocoa powder
1 T. light corn syrup
1/4 C. rum (or 2 T. bourbon)
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Pat dough into a 1/4" thick rectangle on a foil lined baking sheet. Chill 1 hour.
Cut shapes with mini cookie cutters and leave shapes in
place. Rechill 15 minutes.
(If dough gets
too soft any time while you are working with it rechill a few minutes.)
Remove shapes with a plain table knife. Reshape dough scraps and continue until all is used.
Store covered in the refrigerator.
These have a better flavor after 1 week.
Yield: 36
small cookies
Stacy from Tacoma, who I haven't heard from for a while, gave us this
tip -- also in Newsletter #9.
"When you have as many decorating tips as I have you
need them to be organized. A tackle
box works wonderfully for people with a medium amount of stuff!
Plan has a medium tackle box
that I got from Fred Meyer. It
opens on both sides. One side
has the tips and adapters and the
other side has my cake stuff.
HELP!
Barbara
is looking for great web sites for cookie and candy recipes -- with lots of
pictures.
I sent her to Sweet Annie's site but maybe you have some other ideas.
Gail
recently saw a spritz cookie in a magazine that was shaped like a Scottie dog.
Does
anybody know where she can find it?
Nan would like some tips on doing lettering on cookies. Any experts out there?
As always, if you have suggestions you can contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
FROM THE EDITOR
I just love adding that title to my list -- wife, mother, webmaster, lawn
mower, business
owner, laundry lady, teacher, litter box control person, etc.
Thanks so much to all of you who responded to my question about how to
present the newsletter
now that Listbot has gone under. You overwhelmingly agreed that you like
the web page format
but also wanted a weekly reminder. Neither will be a problem. For
those of you who only
have email access, I will copy and paste the newsletter to an email and send it
to you separately.
I'm only doing this for those that request it, so let me know if you need that
format. You can
find me at: cookiecutters@qwest.net
At the shop we just got in a new selection of decorative cookie and cake
sprinkles. They include:
ghosts, bats, lips, pink bears, blue bears, holly & berries, mixed wild
flowers, pumpkins, white
wedding bells, black cats, and brown bears. They come in 2.8 oz jars and
sell for $2.65. I haven't
gotten pictures of all of them on the web yet -- it's hard to photograph
those little things, but if you
look at the pictures here and the sprinkles on our products page http://www.kitchengifts.com/products.html
you can make the connection. Anyway, I talked Al into offering
sets of them to you guys at 35% off.
He put together a Halloween set which includes black cats, black bats,
ghosts, tombstones, and pumpkins.
The five bottles are $8.60 instead of $13.25. The Christmas set includes Christmas
lights, bright
sequins, trees, holly & berries, and stars & moons for the same
price $8.50 instead of the
retail price of $13.25. If you'd like to get read for your holiday baking, call
the shop 888/593-2436
and be sure to let them know that you read about the special in the
newsletter.
If you are new to our newsletter and wish to receive a weekly reminder that
the newest edition
is ready, please email Lesley at cookiecuters@qwest.net
. Type "subscribe" in the subject
line and I will add you to the list.
Remember, this newsletter is MUCH better when you send me your ideas,
thoughts, recipes,
questions, and comments. Keep in touch!
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
IN THIS ISSUE from August 12: Issue #121
Recipe of the Week - Fondant for Cookies
Site of the Week - Cookie Decorating
Hints the Tips
Cookie Success Story
NEW! Highlights from
Previous Issues
HELP!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Astronomers
say the universe is finite, which is a comforting thought for those people
who
can't remember where they leave things." (Anonymous)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
God and Cars
Most people assume WWJD is for "What would Jesus do?"
But the initials really stand for "What would Jesus drive?"
One theory is that Jesus would tool around in an old Plymouth
because "the Bible says God drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden
in a Fury."
But in Psalm 83, the Almighty clearly owns a Pontiac and a Geo.
The passage urges the Lord to "pursue your enemies with your Tempest and
terrify them with your Storm."
Perhaps God favors Dodge pickup trucks, because Moses'
followers are warned not to go up a mountain "until the Ram's
horn sounds a long blast."
Some scholars insist that Jesus drove a Honda but didn't like
to talk about it. As proof, they cite a verse in St. John's gospel
where Christ tells the crowd, "For I did not speak of my own
Accord..."
Meanwhile, Moses rode an old British motorcycle, as
evidenced by a Bible passage declaring that "the roar of Moses'
Triumph is heard in the hills."
Joshua drove a Triumph sports car with a hole in its muffler:
"Joshua's Triumph was heard throughout the land."
And, following the Master's lead, the Apostles car pooled in a
Honda..."The Apostles were in one Accord."
(Thanks Kim)
********
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Last week Tibisay asked about cookie
fondant. Susan was kind enough to send us
a recipe that appeared in a previous newsletter. She says it is GREAT!
Fondant
for Cookies
1 cup Marshmallows
1 T water
1 t flavoring
Heat 'till marshmallows melt and you can stir mixture
Add 1 C or so of Confectioners Sugar or enough to make fondant. Knead in
sugar so you can roll it out.
Roll out on sifted confectioners sugar
SITE OF THE WEEK
Also in last week's newsletter we had a request for information about painting
cookies.
Several of you pointed us toward http://www.cookiedecorating.com
which I believe we had
mentioned before but it certainly bears repeating. Click on the cookie
icings link and then
pick your medium. I emailed Autumn, the sites creator to let her know you
were coming.
HINTS AND TIPS
On the subject
of those Spritz cookies, Missie said that she works fast when making her
cookies,
she tries to get it done before the kitchen gets all heated up from the rest of
the baking. Her favorite
recipe is the Pampered Chef one that comes with their gun. She also said
she substitutes lemon or almond
flavoring for the vanilla.
| Those of you who have Toba Garrett's
"Creative Cookies" book have seen this heart. It is very easy to make. Outline your cookie then fill half with one color and half with the other. Use your small paint brush to brush the two colors together in the center. Then, use a toothpick to drag from the darker color to the light. Don't wipe your pick between drags. I've been doing this with my beginning cookie decorating classes and everyone has been really pleased with the results. Toba's book has lots of great ideas like this one for decorating beautiful cookies. If you don't have one yet, we have them at the shop. Call 888/593-2436. |
|
COOKIE SUCCESS STORY
Ceri wrote to us last week to tell about the cookies she made:
"My husband is a
member of an inline skating group and they had a big party yesterday,
so I made the speed skater cookies with mini M&M's as wheels, the jerseys
looked
similar to the ones they wear. I used the edible markers to make the
details. Everybody
was VERY impressed! I used the No-Fail Sugar cookie recipe, which is
great, and
Sweet Annie's frosting, which really did taste good. Did I take a picture?
No! I'm sorry! But I will be making them again.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM PREVIOUS ISSUES
In newsletter # 6 Kim gave us this great idea:
"If you use a non-stick canola cooking spray on the
paddle or whisk of your mixer, you'll find that it's
much easier to mix heavier doughs, like doughnut or cake batters.
The batter won't stick to the
mixing paddle, allowing for more even and thorough mixing.
Also, cooking spray applied to
the inside of paper muffin cups allows for easier removal."
From newsletter #8 (there were about 160 of us then):
Bev from Sacramento offered these tips for cookie baking and decorating:
"I live and die for my food processor ---especially
for cookies. I make up a batch of
cookie
dough in just a couple of minutes. I
tried tinting sugar in it and it worked great.
I just put in
sugar and several drops of color and process for a few seconds!
I add more color if needed.
Jennifer offered these ideas:
"I have made cookies (snowflakes as party favors for a friends winter wedding and ducks,HELP!
Ceri
isn't happy with her outlining. She doesn't think hers looks as
professional as ones she has seen.
not as "smooth". Any suggestions?
Jeannie
read in Sugarbakers Cookie Cutter Cookbook that you are not supposed to freeze
royal icing
because it will pull away from the cookie once frozen. That was a new one
on me. I've been
freezing cookies with royal icing for years with no problems. Any
thoughts?
As always, if you have suggestions you can contact me, Lesley, at cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
Thank you for your patience as I worked through my newsletter dilemma.
I would appreciate
any feedback on this format. I will archive issues, including the last
issue, as
a link but if you need something else just let me know.
Please continue to send me you questions, ideas, recipes, quotes, jokes, and
howdys. I'll be
waiting to hear from you.
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
In this issue from August 5: Issue #120
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Fruit and Coconut Bites
Snickers Cake x 2
SITES OF THE WEEK
The Queen of Clean
Cookies by YOU
SPRITZ COOKIES
COOKIE SUCCESS STORY
HELP!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“There is no one luckier than he who thinks himself
so.” -- German proverb
JOKE OF THE WEEK
One Sunday morning the pastor noticed little Alex staring
up at the large plaque that hung in the foyer of the church.
The plaque was covered with names, and small American flags were mounted
on either side of it.
The seven-year old had been staring at the plaque for some
time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the lad and quietly said, “Good
morning, Alex.”
“Good morning pastor,” replied the little fellow, still
focused on the plaque.
“Pastor Shaw, what is this?” Alex asked.
“Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and
women who died in the service.”
Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque.
Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he asked,
“Which service – the 8:30 or the 10:45?”
(Thanks Kim)
********
RECIPES OF THE WEEK
Fruit and Coconut Bites
(They’re low fat!)
2 cups mixed dried fruit
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup wheat germ or crushed reduced-fat granola
2 tsp. finely grated orange or lemon rind
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
crushed reduced-fat granola or toasted coconut
Process dried fruit, raisins and coconut in food processor using pulse, until
very finely chopped, or chop fruit and raisins very finely by hand.
Combine fruit with remaining ingredients, except wheat germ, granola or coconut.
Mix well until blended.
If mixture is too dry to stick together, add the additional tablespoon of honey
and/or orange juice.
Roll fruit mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in granola or coconut.
Store in airtight containers. Makes
5 dozen cookies.
SNICKERS CAKE
Last week Rebecca asked us for a recipe for a Snickers cake
like they make at Albertson’s. Two
readers were kind enough to send us recipes.
4 eggs
3/4 t. baking soda
16 fun size bars Snickers candy
1/4 t. salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
2 cups white sugar
2 T. peanut butter
3 t. peanut butter
3 t. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour two 9 inch square cake pans
In the top of a double
boiler, combine the cut up Snickers (TM) candy bars, water, and peanut butter.
Heat and a stir until well melted and blended. Set mixture aside to cool.
Mix together the flour,
baking soda, and salt. Set aside
Separate the egg whites
from the yolks. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream
butter or margarine thoroughly. Gradually add the sugar and beat in the 4
unbeaten egg yolks, vanilla, and cooled candy bar mixture. Mix until smooth and
add 1/4 cup of the buttermilk. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with the
remaining 1 cup of buttermilk, mix only until just blended. Gently fold in the
stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175
degrees C) for 45 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 5 minutes then turn out
onto a cake rack to finish cooling. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if
desired
Makes 2 – 9 inch square pans.
– 260 calories per serving
Tara got this one from a friend
of hers who works at Albertson’s.
SNICKERS CAKE
1 Package German Chocolate cake mix
1/4 Cup milk
1 Package Kraft Caramels
6 Ounce Chocolate Chips
1 TBS Butter or Margarine
1 Cup Salted peanuts
Mix cake as directed on package.
Pour 1/2 the mix in a greased/floured 9xl3pan and bake at 350 for 20 min.
While cake is baking melt caramels, butter and milk together. Also slightly
chop nuts.
When cake is done remove from oven and pour caramel mixture over the top.
Cover with chocolate chips, peanuts, and spread the remaining cake mix over
the top.
Bake for 20-30 more minutes at 350.
Let cool about 2 hours & Enjoy!
********
SITES OF THE WEEK
You’ve probably seen
her book, but did you know she had a website too?
The Queen of Clean offers her cleaning tips online.
This would be a great site to bookmark for future reference.
You can find her at: http://www.queenofclean.com/tips/index.html
A while back, Susan sent me an
email asking for suggestions for her son’s pirate birthday party.
She knew KCI had a pirate ship – would be a task to decorate – and a
sword but she couldn’t find any other pirate related items.
I sent her a message agreeing, but suggested the “Mini Michael”
cutter and told her the story of how is was created for my son’s eleventh
birthday. She took me up on it, and
created the most adorable pirate cookies you have ever seen.
Her swords are adorable too. You
can find them on the page we have created featuring YOUR cookies.
Go to http://www.kitchengifts.com/cookies.html
********
SPRITZ COOKIES
Last week I mentioned that Al
had found a new cookie press he wanted me to try and that I was having trouble.
A couple of you offered advice. Laura
wrote that has a Pampered Chef press which is MUCH nicer than the Wilton one she
had before. Through practice she
has learned to use recipes specifically designed for a press and not to
refrigerate the dough. Consistency
is the most important thing. Never
substitute margarine for butter or low fat cream cheese for regular. Measure carefully. She
admitted that there was learning curve involved. She also recommended using the baking stone.
She was kind enough to send use here cream cheese spritz recipe that she
loves.
SNOWFLAKE SPRITZ COOKIES
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
3 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk (reserve egg white)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. orange rind
2 ½ c. sifted flour
½ t. salt
Cream shortening and cream cheese. Add sugar gradually. Beat in yolk,
vanilla, and orange rind. Add salt and flour. Press with cookie
press.
Moisten with egg whites. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
Makes 6-7
dozen.
Dena sent us the recipe that her family uses.
It came with her mother’s press and this recipe has been around for as
long as she can remember. She added
that making spritz cookies on a non-stick cookie sheet doesn’t work very well
– too slippery to get a good shape.
Spritz Cookies
1 cup
butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix
together and put in cookie press. Bake @ 375 for 10-12 minutes.
********
COOKIE SUCCESS STORY
Tibisay from Mexico wrote to tell us about how she started
her cookie bouquet business. She
and her friend Ileana used the KCI web site, Wilton’s magazines, and anything
else they could find to teach themselves how to decorate cookies.
They took some of their examples to the office she used to work at and
showed her old friends. To their
surprise, they sold every cookie bouquet and all the single cookies that they
took. The friends also ordered 9
additional cookie bouquets for father’s day.
She is now doing bouquets for birthday parties and for table
arrangements. They have also
branched out into making and decorating cakes.
In a very short time they have made a very successful business.
She said she sent me pictures of her work but I do believe I was over
zealous with the delete key and didn’t save them.
I’ve sent her an email asking her to resend them.
When I get them I’ll add them to our page – see Sites of the Week
above.
********
HELP!
Laura wrote that several years ago she saw a lady
decorating cookies from mlds with rather vivid edible paint that she believes
was egg based. It was rather
translucent and very pretty. Does
anybody know anything about it?
Tibisay would like to know which type of fondant to use on cookies. Is there special recipe?
If you have any thoughts for Laura or Tibisay you can
contact me at: cookiecutters@qwest.net
********
Michael goes back to school on August 14.
I can’t believe our summer together is almost over.
We have had such a great time. Besides
the trips to Italy and Minneapolis, we went to Grandma’s house several times
(she has a swimming pool) and visited regional sites including the fabulous zoo
here in Omaha. He started taking
guitar lessons and I have spent a lot of time perfecting my Italian cooking. Al has been busy at the shop stocking up for the holiday
rush, which will soon be upon us.
We all agree that this has been our best summer ever – I think we say
that every year. I hope that your
summer has been as magical.
Have a GREAT week.
Lesley
