As I’m taking a moment to think out my schedule this week which will include a cupcake tower with a snowflake theme and snowflake cookies, I’m also thinking of two strangely polar dining events that are taking place today. My brother and his wife are on day 4 without electricity from the Santa Ana winds that blew through Pasadena last week. They are eating of out an ice chest where there’s going to be a curbside drop off lane for… [Read More]
This week I received a couple of disgruntled emails. These two readers have been following my blogging baking adventures as of late and feel deprived and left out of the baking loop, so to speak. It seems I have forgotten college boys cannot live on Physics and Chemical Engineering classes alone and need chocolate chip cookies sent from home. These cookies are my grandmother’s recipe. She made them. My mother made them. I make them. They are crunchy on the… [Read More]
Our power was off all morning to mid afternoon so I’m a little late in posting to wish you a happy Halloween so “Happy Halloween” at last! Late, late, late last night after we returned home from a wonderful dinner with our lovely friends I began this project- Yep, sometimes I can be a little batty when it comes to making and decorating cookies. When I’ve got an idea I’ve got to see it through. The cookies were for a… [Read More]
I know you’ve seen this picture before from a recent post on decorated fall leaf cookies but today it is featured on Martha Stewart’s Dreamers Into Doers! It is such a thrill for one of my babies to be featured.Thank you Martha, & staff, for this honor!
As the wedding dinner in the vineyard was transitioning into evening, Adirondack chairs painted specially to complement the colors of the wedding were set up around the large fire ring. Plum colored pillows added coziness when the sun fell as did a basket full of purple and blush hued pashminas for the ladies. Such a thoughtful touch. One last push on the swing. A perfect dinner. With perfect company. Magic. Enchantment. Good conversation. Music. Dancing. And what kind of a… [Read More]
When making party favors for my dear friend Suzi’s birthday party hosted by her equally lovely sister, Kathi, last Saturday, I thought of what images I could capture in a cookie that reminded me of her. Specific images came to mind when thinking of her style – simple elegance, sparkle, mirrors, silver balls, purple and white. Suzi, I love having you be a sweet part of my life and the icing on my cake. (I know, corny). Wishing you many,… [Read More]
The ceremony and garden party. Scott’s 5 o’clock shadow was a bride’s request. Happy wife. Happy life. I love this photo. Lela’s veil floated to embrace Scott’s face at the moment of the kiss to give them just a hint of privacy. Soon it was time for the sunset dinner in the vineyard. Guests were seated at one long elegant table. Our wine charms pointed us towards the tables we were to sit at. Mirrors with our names at our… [Read More]
I had the honor of designing and creating decorated cookies for a beautiful vineyard wedding in Sedona this past weekend. My time in the kitchen was made even more special since it was my nephew’s wedding. I love making cookies for people I know (and love). I think of them the entire time from sketch to the tying of the ribbon. How lucky can a baker girl and auntie get? The destination wedding location was unique and lovely and not… [Read More]
With the autumn breeze swirling colored leaves to my kitchen back door, I had an idea for decorated leaf cut out sugar cookies using rolled fondant that created a different look than using royal icing to decorate them(to see leaf cookies decorated with royal icing click here). With fondant, I could blend the colors together to make them softer and muted. The first step was to make individual colors of fondant. I used Satin Ice rolled fondant… [Read More]
This is where I am today. This is where I’ve been all week. I’m second guessing all my design possibilities for a vineyard wedding. The save-the-date announcement was decorated with a wine bottle cork so I thought I would tie the cookies into the theme. The cookies will be attached to the front of the out-of-town baskets. No pressure to be front and center! The creative process has not exactly been flowing as smoothly as thinned royal icing. I started… [Read More]
Make-Ahead Frozen Buttercream Cake Decorations
Colonial Williamsburg Sweet Potato Muffins
The Best Pecan Pie and Painted Dough Cut-Outs
Decorated Ghost Cookies With Fondant
Cocktail Napkin Swap!
Carlo’s Bakery Cannolis and Lobster Tail Pastries
Staircase Decorations – Two Holidays In One
Pumpkin Spice Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
