At least for me!  My birthday is tomorrow and oh yes there will be cake.  But you’ll have to come back to find out what I whip up.

I also know of 15 others born in this great month plus my Rowan’s birthday is February 1st, so lots of cakes to be done.  No I don’t make them all, just for a select few.  I also had the opportunity of making a cake this year for a new friend, Mark.  Mark is the owner of Mark Day Company, Caterer.  He emailed me before Christmas to ask if I would make some cookies for the holiday rush and I said sure!  Then he went through my portfolio on Flickr and saw a cake in my feed plus some day of the dead cookies and asked if I would make them for his birthday. UMMMMM…OK.

It also happened to be on the same weekend as our next door neighbour’s son’s birthday and I usually do his cake too.  I don’t do a lot of cakes and two in one week is certainly extraordinary but what the heck.

I started by making some cookies and by some I mean one hundred Day of the Dead cookies.  Now when Mark went through my Flickr he ordered based on this picture.  I’m embarrassed now but at the time I made them three years ago I was uber proud.  The picture is bloody aweful too.

I told his that they were a while ago and my piping on cookies was definitely at a different caliber now, so I could probably make them nicer.  So I made him these…actually 100 of these. And yes my hand did cramp.

The cake he wanted was a replica of the cake I did at a course I did at Swank Cake Design here in Raleigh.  It’s been two years but sure I can do that, at least I hope I can :)  But man I have to make a flower too and I haven’t done one of those in over 5 years, especially one on a wire.  I guess I better practice and so I did.

It turned out better than I expected on the first go, it ended up being the one I used.  That was a good sign. I then made the recommended gumpaste from scratch and practiced on the applique cutters and they seemed to work, so I decided I was ready.  After the cookies were complete, I moved on to the cake.  The cake was a dark chocolate sponge with fudge buttercream filling and coated with chocolate ganache.  I really like working with ganache, it smooths so beautifully. 

Add a fondant coat and it’s ready for the applique and voila…looked pretty good.  The words are an inside joke, I think :)

Now Mark also wanted some simple rosette cupcakes for which I forgot to take a picture, so lets use our imaginations, shall we.  They were vanilla bean cupcakes with a simple syrup and a vanilla bean buttercream peach rosette on top.

I dropped them all off in the swanky location, got to finally meet Mark and then I was off back into the kitchen to make cake number two!  This one was slightly less stressfull.  Tyler turned four and he wanted cookies but his mum wanted cake, so I combined the two.  He’s also all about the movie Cars and Cars 2, so I made some cookies.  I made all the big names and added Guido “pit-stop” because he’s my favourite.  Sorry about the bad picture, I forgot to take a good one.

Then I used the same vanilla bean cake as in the cupcakes and made a simple 8” cake covered in buttercream.  I tried the Viva towel method for smoothing and for the first time it worked.  I added the cookies and now cake two was done and I can take a very short break.

This week I’m making my cake and my daughter’s 6th birthday cake.  You’ll have to wait until next week to see what I made us :)

Thanks Mark for taking a chance on me for your birthday party and as always Tyler, I love making you smile!

Thanks for looking!

Recipes used this week:

• Chocolate Cake
• Vanilla Cake and cupcakes by Glorious Treats
• Buttercream
• Fondant
• Royal Icing by Bake at 350

Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr and Pinterest

Today is not only Treat Day but it’s also a Snow Day!!!!  ok, I’m not that excited about it but everyone on our street is uber excited.  They all want to spend all day outside.  I guess after 40 years of 4 months of snow each year, it’s not that big of a deal to me.  The girls are loving it too!

So what do you make on a snow day???? Well lemon bars of course!  I decided to try a new recipe.  It all started with some Nilla wafers and some lemons.  40 minutes later these came out of the oven.

Recipe:

• 1/2 package Nilla wafers crushed
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• Juice of 2 lemons plus the zest of one lemon
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour

1. Mix the butter and crushed Nila wafers and press into an 8” square pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
2. Combine the eggs, lemon juice, sugar, flour and zest together.  Pour over baked crust and put it back into the oven for 20 more minutes.
3. Let cool and then slice into bars.
4. Enjoy!

These are divine!  Simple, clean and wondrous, just like fresh fallen snow!

Thanks for looking!

The joke in our house is that I gave Rob and I children for our birthdays.  Abby is 6 days after Rob’s birthday in July and Rowan is 4 days after mine.  I’m January 28th and Rowan is February the first!  So as you can imagine lots of cake goes down at our house at least two times a year :)

My birthday is pretty standard.  Dinner with the family and then carrot cake (recipe below too)  I get to play with ideas I’ve not yet tried.  This year I decided I wanted to try the buttercream rosette cake.  Now the only issue is that I prefer my carrot cake naked, however there are others in my house who prefer icing.  This seemed like an appropriate compromise.

I didn’t get to rest on my laurels for very long because next up was Rowan’s Lavagirl cake.  First off, I hate making characters on cookies and figurines out of gumpaste.  Less so of the latter.   But when this face asks, you say yes.

Now she did give me free reign on the design but it had to look like lava; there had to be a volcano; Lavagirl had to be on it and oh yes, flowers, lots of flowers.  Right!

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of Sharkboy and Lavagirl this is the movie poster.  And yes, that is Taylor Lautner of Twilight fame.  His acting was just as bad.  But she loves it and that’s really all that matters.

First I had to make the cake look like lava.  So I used red food colouring in the cake to give it a lava look.  Filled it with chocolate butercream and covered it in marbled fondant.  So far so good.

Then I made the volcano out of rice krispie treats and covered it in black and red marbled fondant.  Then I placed it on top, added some lava fondant beads, some flowers and of course Lavagirl herself.  As requested!

I have to admit I was pretty proud of my first hibiscus.  It may not be a traditional colour, but it worked!

My Lavagirl had a great little party at Monkey Joe’s with her friends.  The bounced for an hour, ate pizza and cake and then back to bouncing.  Tired kids are happy kids or maybe that’s happy mommies.

Now I normally make cookies for goodie bags but this year I was fortunate that my friend Laurie of Cookie Bliss made them.  We got Rowan a logo for her birthday, as she wants to own her own restaurant when she’s grown up. Rowan’s Food Never Fails. 

I sent it to Laurie and these are the cookies she came up with.  They are brilliant!

We have several left and I can’t bring myself to eat them as they are so awesome.  Don’t worry, Rowan doesn’t have such an issue.  A cookie is a cookie, especially when it’s a really tasty cookie :)

Now I can rest until July for the next set of birthday cakes in this family.  I’d also like to take a moment to thank everyone who wished Rowan and I a happy birthday on my Facebook page.  The love was overwhelming.

Thanks for looking!

Carrot Cake Recipe:

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups apple sauce
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, apple sauce, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. 
3. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Ice cake with favourite icing.  I used lemon buttercream.
6. Enjoy!

I get asked a lot what recipe I use for my royal icing.  Well, it’s not a secret.  I use Bridget’s from Bake at 350’s recipe.  At least that’s where I start.  I love it, it works for me. But I do have issues; my Kitchenaid mixer is over 15 years old.  It’s an original professional series that they made for home use and the bowl isn’t completely round at the bottom.  There’s a bump at the bottom and sometimes not all things get incorporated which is bad for royal icing.

So here’s what I do! Just in case there are other’s out there with the “older” mixer in their lives.

Recipe First: all thanks to Bridget!

• 4 tbsp meringue powder
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb of icing/powdered sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice (This is for flavour but the juice will also keep the icing from becoming so hard you break your teeth.  Don’t worry, the icing will stand up to packaging to shipping)
• 2 tsp clear corn syrup

1. In the bowl of your mixer, add the meringue powder and water.  I use Wilton.  I know you either love or hate it, but I’ve never had any issues so that’s what I use.  But feel free to use what ever brand you want.
   
   
2. Take a whisk and completely mix together.  My issue is that the little hump in the middle of my bowl doesn’t allow the mixer whisk to completely mix together.
   
   
3. Then put the bowl on a scale and add 1lb of the powdered sugar.  Whisk again by hand and once incorporated, put onto the mixer with whisk attachment on number two.
   
   
4. Add lemon juice and syrup and whisk for up to 10 minutes.  You can always turn the mixer up but by keeping it on the lower speed, any of the sugar that’s too big will have time to dissolve and you shouldn’t get any clogging issues (Thanks Arty McGoo for that tip!)
   
   
   
   Don’t over whip your icing, it will also ruin your icing.  It will seem fine while piping but will dry looking cratered and grainy.
   
   
5. When the icing can stand up it’s done!
6. It can be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 3-4 days or in the fridge up to two weeks.  It will separate, just stir it up and add a teaspoon of icing/powdered sugar to reactivate before colouring.

Now when it comes to decorating cookies, I tend to use one consistency for outlining and filling and then another for detailing.  I can’t tell you if it’s 10 second icing or 20 second icing.  I just know that as I add water one drop at a time to thin down the icing to fill a cookie and then the icing comes off my spoon in a ribbon and soon loses all it’s shape, then it’s done.  For piping, I just use the stuff right out of the bowl.  With colour it loosens up a bit but not too much.  Just experiment and see what works for you.

It’s not much, but that’s it!!!  Royal Icing doesn’t have to be daunting.  Your first batch may not be perfect  but then neither was mine!  Mum was right, practice makes perfect!

Thanks for looking!

I’m back, sorry.  Super busy here at the homestead but I do have a little something to share.  Now I made these a few weeks ago and they were just delicious.  I gave a few to a friend down the street and she said these were the best she’s ever had, so there you go!

I love granola bars but know that deep down they ask like they are good for you but really they aren’t.  I decided to make my own.  I tried to cut the sugar and oil and keep them yummy.

Recipe:

• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Place oats, almonds and coconut on ungreased sheet pan and bake until golden brown.  About 10 minutes.  Set aside in large mixing bowl.
3. In medium sauce pan, melt butter and mix in honey, sugar, vanilla and salt.  When sugar is dissolved, pour over oats mix.
4. Once all coated add the chocolate chips.  Don’t freak out when they melt, that’s the trick!
5. Pour the mixture onto a sheet pan that’s been covered in foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Makes it very tricky to get out if you don’t.  Press down to get it flat.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Remove and let cool before cutting.
7. Keep in air tight container for up to two weeks.  In my opinion they get better with age :)
8. Enjoy!

So there you have it, super easy and super tasty.  I may have eaten them all because I used really dark chocolate and the girls prefer milk chocolate.  It might have been intentionally, hehe.  Also, each slice was less than 100 calories :)

I have some cookies and cakes to share but want to make sure the intended see them first.  Have a great weekend!

Thanks for looking!

I hadn’t planned a post today or about Dr. Seuss but yesterday I posted a poem on my Facebook page that I wrote to celebrate his birthday.  The poem was promptly stolen and used elsewhere as their own work and while I won’t point fingers here, because that’s not me, I wanted to share it with you.  I’m also going to share some of my favourite posted treats made by some pretty amazing people.

First the poem:

Today's the day we celebrate,
A cat, his hat and a man so great.
He gave us some strange fish and introduced the Who's,
An elephant named Horton plus Thing one and Thing Two.
But for me it's The Lorax and The Grinch that I could watch everyday,
So I thank you Dr Seuss on this your birthday!

and now on to the treats.  Please visit their facebook pages and share them some love,

First the cookies:

Yankee Girl Yummies

Melissa Joy Fanciful Cookies

Chris’ Creative Confections

QTZIE Cupcakes

Sweet Dough

Sweet Ivy Confections

Sweet C’s Bake Shop

The Cakes!

Cakes by Kerrin

It’s A Piece of Cake!

The Royal Bakery

The Yellow Rose Cakery, LLC

The Fondant Flinger

Thank you Thank you to this man so great,
And to these artists who make these to celebrate.
You wow and awe me, each and every way,
So I honour you all here today!

****All photos are properties of their respective pages/creators and both poems are copyrighted to Trilogy Edibles.

If you live in the world of cookies as I do, then you may know that in three weeks CookieCon 2014 is a coming!  It’s a conference for cookie decorators where we all get together in Salt Lake City and talk cookies.  Ladies and a couple of men come from all over the world for the four days and have a ton of fun, learn a little something and yes, eat cookies.  This will be the second edition of CookieCon and it’ll be bigger and better than the first.

Now just like every conference there is a trade show, key note speakers and goodie bags, however, unlike a regular conference there is also a sugar show.  It’s where those who come to the conference can show off their mad skills.  Two years ago I was only a year or so into my cookie adventure and even though I knew I wouldn’t even come close to winning, I brought a few cookies.  These actually:

Now fast forward a year and half and it’s time to create an entry for this year’s show.  The categories are:

• Spring: It’s that time of year - flowers are blooming!
• Once Upon a Time: Let fairy tales, fables, and stories inspire.
• Home Sweet Home: Where are you from? Represent your hometown, state, or country. What makes your home special?
• Anything Goes: Let your imagination run wild! (Must be G or PG rated!)
• Mystery Shape: The shape will be unveiled and decorated at CookieCon!

I had no idea which one I was going to do until I was watching Beauty and The Beast with my girls last week.  As the movie concluded the final stained glass window appeared and I knew then and there that that was my entry.  Now to figure out how to do it.

I turned to my guru of detailed cookies, Mallory of Butterwinks.  It was time to try something out of my comfort range. I posted my idea and Mallory’s encouragement gave me strength to do it.

I rolled and cut my 10” x 6” cookie, then baked it off.  I printed off the window and then sketched it out using my Kopycake overhead projector.  I got some details but left most of the blocks blank.  This took about 40 minutes.

Time to mix the colours. CRAP, so so so so many. UGH, I hate mixing colours, who’s with me???? Maybe if I painted it I’d get better colours and I wouldn’t have to spend hours mixing and mixing and mixing.  Sold!  I used white royal icing and filled it the sections.  I wanted the cookie to have dimension and also thought it would be easier to paint if I sectioned it off.  I was right by the way :)  This took a little over an hour to do. I then let it dry overnight.

Next morning I started to paint.  I used Americolor gels with vodka.  I picked a colour, put a drop on a plate and then used a little vodka to thin for paint and painted.  By mixing the colours this way I could control the intensity and the shades.  This is where I had the most fun.  It took about an hour and a half to do. I’m sure you can do it faster but since painting doesn’t come naturally, I took my time.

Last up was to mix up black piping icing. You want it thick so it holds up but not so thick your hand falls off when piping.  I used a PME 1.0 tip and almost immediately it clogged and I even ran the icing through a sieve prior to putting into the piping bag.  You all know what I mean.  Now I had heard of putting the icing into a pair of nylons and squishing it through but since it was already in the bag it was an extra step this lazy girl didn’t want to take.  I had one pair and yes they were used but they were clean.  DON’T FREAK OUT, THIS COOKIE WAS NEVER GOING TO BE EATEN.  Always use new/unused nylons for this please.  I cut out a square and placed it over the coupler and then secured the tip.  It was brilliant, never clogged again! The beer in the corner was for when I finished :)

Then with the original window blown up on my iPhone next to me,  I piped out the black lines.  This felt like it took all day but probably took an hour and a half.  My back was an unhappy camper after all this bending.  I spent the rest of the day on the floor :(

But it was so worth it because after it dried it looked like this:

Now next to the original window:

And then the best thing happened.  I posted it to my FB page and my world blew up.  In the next 24 hours it was viewed over 25,000 times, reposted 60 times and the comments made me smile from ear to ear so hard my cheeks hurt.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!  I made this cookie to see if I could and all this amazing love towards it proved to me that I should continue doing what I do.

Now to get it to CookieCon to show it off in person.  I don’t care if it wins anything at this point because due to all of your love, I already won!

So if you are wondering if you should bring a cookie to the show, do it do it do it.  We all have to start somewhere and it’s not everyday that you’ll be in a room with such amazing people who will support everything you do in the world of cookies! I love my family but they don’t get it, especially when you tell them they can’t eat it before it’s had it’s picture taken.  (you know what I mean, hehehe)

Thanks for looking!

You ever have one of those days?  I’m having one :( 

I woke up hoping I get more answers about my back and all I got were more questions, so I came hope and made these for my girls.  S’mores Brownies!

From where I come from, s’mores were things that you ate in the summer whilst camping, at least that’s what I thought.  Here in the US, y’all love them 365 days of there year and in all shapes and sizes.  Ok, I can work with that :)

Now my girls love graham crackers and marshmallows, but when we tried the traditional way of making s’mores they were a no go.  Then I thought I’d try a twist and use brownies.  Another one of their favourites and mine too!

So I made a graham cracker crust and pressed it into a 9’x13” pan and then poured the brownie mixture on to the top.  Baked for 30 minutes.  Once cooled I cut into bars and then put onto another baking sheet, topped with a marshmallow and toasted in oven until browned about 3 minutes.

Et voila a new twist on an old classic or for us a new twist on a new classic!

Graham Cracker Crust

• two packages graham crackers
• 1/2 cup melted butter

1. Crush crackers in food processor until fine crumbs.
2. Add butter.
3. Press into baking sheet.

Brownies

• 1 cup melted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup good cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. Melt butter and mix in sugar and cocoa.
2. Mix in eggs until completely combined
3. Add remaining ingredients until just mixed in.
4. Pour into baking dish, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Thanks for looking!

Well it was inevitable that my two loves of baking and teaching came together.  After spending an amazing 3 days at CookieCon14 in Salt Lake City this past weekend, I’m inspired to share the love of cookie decorating.  Four hundred plus participants came together to talk cookies and learn new techniques and now I want to pass on to you what I know.

I have one currently scheduled as of right now but plan to do more.  First Up:

Cookie Decorating 101

Ever wanted to make beautiful decorated cookies but didn't know where to start. Trilogy Edibles is offering classes on basic decorating.

You will learn how to:

• How to make flat vanilla bean sugar cookies.
• How to use royal icing (flood, pipe and details)
• Learn how to fill piping bags the easy way.
• Learn how to write on cookies with ease.
• Essential learning resources.

Come and hang out! We'll decorate a half a dozen cookies to take home and impress your family and friends.  And most importantly we’ll laugh and have a great time while you learn how to decorate cookies.

When: May 4th from 2-5pm
Where: Cary, NC
Fee: $65 per person
Limit: 6 registrations

Your registration will not be complete until payment is made in full. Class will be on a first come first serve basis. If interested, please contact me at trilogyedibles@hotmail.com with the number in your party and I'll forward you an invoice via Paypal. Once paid you will receive a confirmation email with receipt and more details about location.

Private classes will also be available for parties over 4, please contact me directly to schedule.

Thanks for looking and I hope to see you too!

I have a special treat today, literally! My good friend Melissa from The Baked Equation is here to share a wonderful little recipe.  If you haven’t visited her website you really should.  So many yummy recipes to choose from that are beautifully photographed you may want to lick the screen :).  I give you Melissa!

*******************************

We love waffles. We love waffles so much we served them at our wedding. Yes, that is right, we had a waffle bar. But I have not had waffles in a really long time. We try to limit the amount of gluten that we eat due to my son’s eczema. Many times I don’t eat my favorite foods anymore because I prefer the “real” thing. But I have been craving waffles. Can I have gluten-free waffles with the same great flavor? Oh yes, you can! Whether you like them soft or crispy this gluten free buttermilk waffle recipe will not disappoint.

You might be wondering who is this “we” that she talking about? My name is Melissa, and I blog over at The Baked Equation. Karen and I decided to swap gluten free blog posts. You will have to head over to my blog to read about her gluten free quinoa brownies and yummy veggies that are perfect for dinner.

Gluten Free Waffle Recipe

• 2 Cups Cup4Cup Gluten Free flour mixture
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp. baking soda
• 2 tablespoon malt powder **optional
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temp.
• 2 eggs, separated, at room temp.
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tsp. vanilla

**NOTE: In my research, some GF eaters don’t mind and some do. Malt comes from barely so you can just omit it if you do not eat it. But I love the slight malted flavor that it adds.

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Combine dry ingredients together. Mix together buttermilk, egg yolks and vanilla with a large spoon and combine with the dry ingredients. You don’t want to over stir a gluten free mixture that has xanthan gum in it.
3. Whisk in the egg whites till mixture comes together
4. Spoon batter on to you waffle iron. I used an ice cream scoop. Gluten free mixtures can have a gummy texture. The scoops helps it come out easily My iron beeps when the waffle is ready. Approximately, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Serve immediately. Or you can freeze leftover waffles in a freezer bag.

Any time I write a gluten free blog post I receive many questions about Cup4Cup gluten free flour blend. In fact, I am pretty sure I sound like a spokesperson. While I am not a spokesperson for Cup4Cup, I love it. When I first started delving into the world of gluten free foods, I felt overwhelmed. There are so many ingredients that you need to go buy to make a gluten free flour blend from home. Then to only buy all the ingredients with lack luster results. Cup4Cup was my happy alternative. I could use my same recipes and just swap their flour. What a relief? I didn’t have time to start developing new recipes and I definitely didn’t like spending all the money to have mediocre gluten free treats.

My favorite syrup is Nature’s Hallow Sugar Free Syrup. Many people who are gluten free also watch their sugar intake. I love Nature’s Hallow products. Their sugar free syrup plus gluten free waffles make the best partnership.

Karen, thank you so much for letting me guest post on your blog today. I hope you enjoy the waffles!

*****************************

Thanks Melissa, I can’t wait to try these!!!

And Thank you for looking!

So last week I took a wee vacation to my favourite city in the world…London, England.  It was a fabulous 5 days spent with my great friend, Lisa, who works at the Canadian Consulate and what’s better was that it was a gift from my hubby for the craptastic year I had last year!  So I got to be in my favourite city with a fabulous friend and not be a tourist.  Now don’t get me wrong, we did a couple touristy things like high tea at Kensington Palace, Portobello Market in Notting Hill (too many people for this claustrophobic), went to the top of the Shard for the view (it was raining so not so great but fun non-the-less) and took pictures in front of Big Ben to prove I was there.  But mostly we did not-so-common things including a morning trip to Richmond, tea at Peggy Porschen’s Cake Parlour and going out for pizza.

After the crazy of the Portobello market, Lisa took me to her favourite pizza joint where we shared an appetizer of avocado and crab bruschetta.  It was the tastiest thing I’ve eaten in a very long time.  I immediately had to figure out the recipe and I did :) yay me!

Avocado and Crab Bruschetta

• 1 ripe avacado
• 1/4 cup crab meat
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8-10 cherry tomatoes sliced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 cup onion finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp parsley

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
2. Toast favourite bread and top with mixture
3. Enjoy!

So now I’m back to reality and saw the avocados at the grocery store and my mind immediately went to that little pizza joint in Notting Hill.  I knew what I needed to do and you should too!  Now if you aren’t a crab fan, you could omit it but as a fan, it was soooooo good.

I hope you get a chance to visit London, but if you can’t you can certainly make this tasty treat at home.

Thanks for looking!

Hi there!!!!!

I’m back, for today.  Big news, we are moving.  Nothing drastic really but we’ve decided that we want more outdoor space. So baking and blogging will be sparse for a while.  You know the drill when you are trying to sell a house.  You must live in a home you can’t actually live in.  Good times indeed.

So for some fun, I made these giant garbage cookies.  Meaning they are big cookies with tons of stuff from the pantry thrown in for fun :)  I saw a version on the Pioneer Woman’s show and I liked the concept so I made my own version.  I started with her base and then used what I had.  Her version is awesome too but we are a nut free house, not because we have to be, just because no one but me likes nuts.

Recipe: (inspired by Ree Drummond)

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups oats
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups rice krispies
• 1/2 cup m&ms
• 1/2 cup large chocolate chips
• ideas you could throw in: raisins, chopped nuts, dried fruit, different flavoured baking chips (PB, white, caramel, etc), just have fun with it.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cream butter and sugars together.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add flour, baking powder, soda and salt until just combined.
4. Add the rest.
5. Using a 1/4 cup ice-cream scoop,  place 1 1/2” apart on a parchment or silpat covered baking sheet.
6. Bake for 12mins or until golden brown. 
7. Let cool and enjoy!

I wasn’t sure about the rice krispies but I really like the extra crunch they give.  I may add them to different drop cookies from now on.

So I hope you enjoy these as much as the girls and I do.

Thanks for looking!

This might be a day late in posting but these treats were definitely on the counter when the girls got home from school yesterday.  This is also another treat made with what I had on hand in the fridge and pantry.  My favourite kind.

We, as you may know, are selling our house.  So baking and cleaning as you go bites.  I feel like you just can’t get into baking without making a mess.  Have you sold a house?  If so, then you know what I’m going through.  I mean I’m not a dirty person, lazy maybe, dirty no.  But when you have two hundred pounds of dogs, two kids and a husband; it all makes for an unreasonable amount of cleaning when there could be a showing at any moment. It’s also very stressful and when I’m stressed I bake and there you see my dilemma.  Good times indeed :)

I may not be blogging or baking cookies regularly but I wanted to keep the Wednesday treat day going for the girls.  Plus I happen to have an hour to sit down and write the blog post.  Yay me!

Here it goes!  Lemon Curd Cheesecake Bars

Crust

• one package graham crackers
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp melted butter

Cheesecake

• one 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Lemon Curd

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Pulse graham crackers and sugar until finely ground.
3. Add melted butter until they graham crackers come together.
4. Press into 8” square pan. Set aside
5. In a medium bowl, cream together the cheesecake ingredients.
6. Pour on top of graham cracker crust.  Bake for 17-20 minutes until cream cheese is set. Let cool.
7. In medium saucepan.  Whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice.  Add the zest and butter.  Turn onto medium heat and cook.
8. Continually whisk until the mixture thickens.  Pour mixture through a mesh sieve to remove any larger bits.  Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge until cool. 30-40 minutes.
9. Pour curd over cheesecake and chill for at least an hour.
10. Remove from fridge and cut into bars.
11. Enjoy!

Now these are some tasty little treats.  Little bars of sunshine. 

Whilst I don’t recommend living through the sale of a house if you are a baker but I do recommend these bars!

Thanks for looking!

First off, these should be illegal and that’s saying something from me since I’m not the biggest fan of cupcakes in general.  Don’t hate me but I’d rather eat a cookie or a piece of cake than have a cupcake.  Most cupcakes have too much icing on them.  In my opinion there should always be more cake to icing ratio and in all those fancy cupcake stores, the icing is usually twice as much as needed.  It’s a cupcake not a cupicing.

I digress.

So why did I make cupcakes?  Someone asked me if I would and I said yes.  When I asked what they wanted they asked if I could do a salted caramel and a strawberry.  So there you have it :)

I already had a kick ass chocolate cake recipe and a vanilla cake recipe that I could rework into a strawberry.

First the Chocolate Salted Caramel cupcakes.  These require three things, the cake, the icing and most importantly the caramel.  Now you could make your own if you have the gift.  I don’t so I use the salted caramel sauce from Trader Joes.  You can eat this right out of the jar if you were so inclined. I was ;) 

I then needed a really luscious icing recipe.  I thought a cream cheese icing might work really well with the salted caramel.  The icing should always balance out the cake not over power it.

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup freshly brewed coffee

1. In bowl of stand mixer, combine dry ingredients.
2. Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla slowly until just combined
3. Slowly add coffee until just combined.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold to make sure all in incorporated.
4. Scoop into regular cupcake pan. I use a standard icecream scoop to make all the cupcakes the same size.
5. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Let cool 15 minutes before removing to cool  completely.

Salted Caramel Icing

• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 8oz package softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce (I use Trader Joes)
• 6 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese.
2. Add the caramel sauce and vanilla until combined
3. Mix in the 6 cups of sugar until the icing stands up on it’s own.  The thing with using cream cheese, the icing is a lot softer than traditional butter cream.

Putting it together!

1. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip (1M).
2. Starting in the centre, pipe circles outward to create a rosette.
3. Drizzle more salted caramel sauce over the icing.
4. Sprinkle with Fleur-de-Sel and chocolate curls.

Next up in the Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes.  I use actual fresh strawberries but add a small package of strawberry jello powder to really enhance the flavour.  I got this idea from Sweetapolita.  I also used fresh strawberry puree in the buttercream as well.

Fresh Strawberry Cake:

• 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (85 g) package strawberry flavored Jell-O
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup strawberry puree

1. To make the puree, remove 1 cup of frozen strawberries and add to a blender.  Let them sit out for about 5 minutes.  Add 2 tbsp of apple juice and blend until no big frozen chunks are left.  Put aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and jell-o until fluffy.
3. Add eggs until combined.
4. In one separate bowl, combine milk, vanilla and strawberry puree.
5. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Alternate adding each bowl contents to butter mixture.  Starting and finishing with dry ingredients.
7. Scoop into prepared cupcake pan.
8. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Let cool.

Fresh Strawberry Icing

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1/2 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4-6 tbsps strawberry puree
• 4 cups confectioners sugar

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and Crisco until combined.
2. Add the 4 cups confectioners sugar
3. Add the milk, vanilla and strawberry puree.  Whip until nice and fluffy but holds it shape.
4. Pipe onto cupcakes using the 1M Wilton star tip. This time start at the outside and circle to center.
5. I made small fondant strawberries and added them to each cupcake for a little accent.

Each of these recipes makes two dozen cupcakes.  I only needed three dozen total, so the last dozen I froze and will use when I need a quick dessert.

So I hope you don’t hold it against me that I’m not a cupcake lover but I would totally make these again in a heartbeat!

Thanks for looking!

And the nominees are…

Well not so fast :)  I’m really excited about this year’s group of amazing.  I also love that the ones I would have chosen myself, were the ones that past nominees have chosen.  Yup that’s right, past profilees are the ones who chose this fresh new batch of awesome cookiers.  Just in these past four years, the cookie community has jumped from just a handful to more than I can count.  I mean this year’s CookieCon had over 400 cookie enthusiasts.  I’m loving this community!

So if you don’t remember the past profiled, go check them out here: http://www.trilogyedibles.com/search/label/National%20Sugar%20Cookie%20Day

This year I’m letting our nominees do their intro’s because, to be honest, they reactions to being nominated are better than anything I can say about them!  If you click on their photos it will take you to their Facebook pages.  All pictures are copyrighted to the nominees and I have been given permission to use here.

The Painted Box

Thank you for even considering me and thank you for doing this every year. I honestly had no idea there was such a huge cookie community out there until February of this year. Cookie peeps are the best. ♡ –Angela

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thepaintedbox
Instagram: @thepaintedbox
Website(in process): http://www.thepaintedboxbakeshop.com
ETSY: http://www.etsy.com/shop/thepaintedboxco

1. When did you start baking?  I don't think I remember a time when baking wasn't a part of my life. My grandmother's father ran a successful bakery in Port Isabel, Texas. It specialized in Mexican styled sweet bread. The bakery still exists today and is run by grandmother's only surviving sibling. Baking was always a part of our lives. I can honestly say baking became a serious part of my life February 2013. I left my job to pursue this "baking thing" full time.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my FB page April of 2013. Only because a friend was going to have a giveaway for her photography business and she forced me to get one started. Thanks, Ily!

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? The Painted Box name came from a need to make extra money. I wanted to have a successful cupcake sale for Mother's Day 2010. My first love is art so I decided I would use it to help me sell my cupcake boxes. I painted flowers on the outside of my BRP boxes. I sold 50 boxes and the rest was history. I came up with that name then and kept it top secret till I registered it Feb 2013.

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? My favorite desert is anything lemon. I dream about this lemon cheesecake a fellow cake club member makes. I can eat it all day.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  My favorite blog right now is by Rebekah from Love at First Bite York. http://loveatfirstbiteyork.blogspot.com/?m=1

I love all things color related and her dedication to breaking down color theory and the magic of mixing color is amazing. Everyone should know about this blog.....it will save your life (okay maybe just keep you from a breakdown)! Thank you Rebekah for your time you dedicate to color.

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I actually heard of it days before I received your email. Someone mentioned it in a group forum.

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? Geez! That's a tough one with so much talent out there! That being said, I would pick Elizabeth from Güdbytes. I love her work! I love her sense of humor and I could see us getting into some serious cookie trouble if we were in the same room.

You Can Call Me Sweetie

HOLY WOW!!!!  I am so flattered!!!! Thank you so much and to those who nominated me!!!!  OK here I goooooooooo :) :) :)

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/youcancallmesweetie    
Instagram @youcancallmesweetie

1. When did you start baking? Hmmm, I really don't remember...I think it was when I was a teenager and I was helping my grandmother one year at Thanksgiving. I decided to make the dinner rolls from scratch and everyone LOVED them. I was so proud to say they were from scratch LOL. But I baked and decorated my very first sugar cookie Oct. 2012 after I went to a local bakery and saw an Elmo cookie decorated with Royal Icing. I was so curious how they got the icing so smooth onto the cookie. The obsession began that very same day :)

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? January 2013 :) My friends and family finally got me to go public with my cookies.  At the time it was just a little hobby I did for them and they encouraged me to open a page to show everyone else :) 

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Oh goodness... this is a funny story. My husband is the coach of my sons' little league baseball teams.  One year, after a game, one of the player's mother approached him very upset that he did not let her son play 2nd base.  My husband very calmly told her "Sweetie, I have to rotate the kids..." Well, she blew a gasket and didn't let him finish his sentence and started yelling "SWEETIE? Don't you dare call me SWEETIE!!!!" So after that whole mess and we were on our way home...we starting exaggerating calling each other "Sweetie" So years later...I don't know why...but I thought of that day and You Can Call Me Sweetie was born LOL

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? Rice pudding aka Arroz con leche. My grandmother used to make it all the time. My family is from Cuba and arroz con leche is a way of life in our culture. LOL My cousins and I would fight over who would get the empty pot and stirring spoon to eat the scraps LOL 

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? So many....so so so many but I tend to visit Jill FCS frequently.  I just love how she airbrushes her cookies to add dimension to her designs. 

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I think I did see something about it last year. But I was relatively a newbie then .

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? Definitely Callye (Sweet Sugarbelle) and Liz (Arty McGoo). Callye inspired me and taught me everything there is to know about baking and decorating a sugar cookie.  Liz inspired me to try to paint on a cookie.  I had never ever painted a picture in my life and this experience has taught me that its never too late to try something new. Took me 38 years to find out I could paint artistically LOL 

Thank you again...you have really made my day!!!!

SugarBliss

Hi Karen!  Wow!  We are so excited you would ask us to do this!  Thank you!  

Our blog is sugarblisscookies.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SugarBliss-Cookies/120996387990732 
Instagram @sugarblisscookies

1. When did you start baking?

We grew up baking with our mother.  We had the most incredible Valentine's Day tradition in our home.  Our mom would bake GIANT heart shaped sugar cookies and frost them with the most delicious butter cream frosting!  We looked forward to that holiday all year long!  We made cookies for other occasions as well but Valentine's Day was our favorite because first of all... who doesn't love a giant cookie with their name on it :)  and second of all, she took the extra time to create something unique for each one of us.  As we got older, we were more involved with the baking and decorating this is probably where our love for making fancy cookies got started.  Even as adults, we still enjoyed baking and it was something we did as a hobby together.. sister bonding time!  Over the years, we tried a bunch of other baked goodies like cupcakes, caramel apples, chocolate dipped anything, etc...  but we ended up back where we started - with sugar cookies!  In 2009 we decided to adapt our mom's recipes and take the decorating to the next level.   It took us about a year before we felt like we had out feet underneath us and shortly after we turned SugarBliss Cookies into an official business.  Some of you might be wondering who the "we" is that we always talk about.  There are two of us behind SugarBliss Cookies and yes, we are sisters.  Our names are Laurie & Jeanette.  

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? We started blogging right after we started our business.  Our blog was originally intended to be more of a catelog of pictures that we could refer customers to if they wanted to see examples.  We started our FB account shortly after and it has been a great way to meet and contact other cookie artists!  

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Wow... we struggled with a name for quite a while.  We ended up making a list of all the things that came to mind when we thought about cookies.  When we put sugar and bliss together it seemed to fit!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies?

Jeanette - It is pretty safe to say I love anything lemon.  My absolute favorite would be my husband's homemade lemon cream cheese ice cream!  

Laurie - I like to go with something light like creme brulee ;)

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? There are so many it is hard to pick a favorite!  Jill FCS, Sweet Tweets, Sugarbelle, Arty McGoo, Sweet Ambs, Cookies with Character are always on the top of our list!  They were also some of the artists that helped us get started on our cookie journey with their inspiring designs and life saving tutorials!  Art & Honey is our newest cookie crush!  We love the simplistic sweetness of her designs and have I mentioned how much we love clean lines??  She is amazing!

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Yes!  Absolutely!  

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  Since Cookie Con 2014, we have been painfully aware of our weaknesses. The sugar show was amazing with such a variety of designs, styles and techniques.  Some of our favorites from that show were the hand painted characters created by Cookie Cowgirl and Killer Zebras adorable critters and arm chairs.  We are still trying to wrap our minds around the concept.  The idea of starting with a blank white cookie and a paint brush and ending up with a dozen or so characters from a TV show is the most intimidating thing we can think of!  Unfortunately, neither one of us is skilled with a paint brush but our goal this year is to start learning!  So, while we briefly met at Cookie Con, we would love to spend more time with both of these ladies and learn and thing or two! 

The cookies in the picture were a remake of the set we had at Cookie Con this year.  There were a few things we didn't love about the way the originals turned out so on a slow week, we decided to give them another go!

Sweet Bella Bakery

FUN, Karen!! Here you go! :)

Amanda - Sweet Bella Bakery
website: http://www.SweetBellaBakery.com  
Facebook: Sweet Bella Bakery
Instagram: @sweetbellabakery
Twitter: @sweetbellabaker

1. When did you start baking? I made my first sugar cookie with royal icing in April 2010. I've always baked, but rarely sweets. I love to bake artisan breads, and haven't had much time to do that since April of 2010...hmmm.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? Within a day of making my first set of cookies, I thought of a name, started the Facebook page, bought a website domain, reserved a Twitter handle, and made business cards. Sounds extreme, but I knew I was on to something. Good thing I didn't know how to make t-shirts!

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? My daughter's name is Isabella. At home, we call her "Belle" so my first thought was Sweet Belle Cookies. She said that she really likes to be called "Bella" (that's what her friends call her) and suggested that I call it Sweet Bella Bakery in case I wanted to make more than cookies one day. She's a pretty smart little cookie herself! 

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? I really don't like to play favorites and have hurt feelings among desserts, so I will start with giant, chocolatey brownies with nuts, warm and soft chocolate chip cookies (also with nuts), chocolate, mexican chocolate cake (spicy!), and chocolate. I also like chocolate. But just so you don't think I'm a chocolate snob...I love a dessert that my mom made just for me growing up called Strawberry Delight. YUM.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Since I work about 10-12 hours a day, I rarely have time to read blogs. That's why I love social media and depend on it to give me little snippets of what's going on around the web. Thank you Twitter. 

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Wait. Isn't every day National Sugar Cookie Day?!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? I want to hang out with the Georgetown Cupcake sisters! (Is that weird? It's not weird.)

There is no way to choose a favorite - almost every set becomes my new favorite. Except for last week when I lost my cookie mojo and said mean things to several cookies. But I'm all better now and I said I'm sorry. So here's a set I did a few weeks ago that I just LOVED.

Dolce

Hi Karen – I am beyond flattered to be asked!!  Thank you so much!! Christy

Christy Di Lello – Dolce

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/dolcedessert?ref=br_rs
Instagram– @dolcecookiescanada

1. When did you start baking? I bought my first baking book at a school book fair when I was 8 years old and have been a passionate baker ever since. I didn’t discover decorated cookies or try my hand at them until three years ago, though. I wanted to make cookies for my daughter’s second Birthday and although they weren’t great, I was hooked!

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page?I started my Facebook page about two years ago so that my friends on my personal page didn’t have to be tortured by constant photos of cookies. I kept it very quiet at first, though. It’s really just been a hobby that got out of control.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? It actually took me a long time to come up with my page name. I was trying so hard to come up with something original and catchy but in the end I chose Dolce because it’s simple, much like my cookie style, and was also a bit of a shout out to my husband, who is Italian. He’s been incredibly supportive of my cookie obsession!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies?  I have a huge sweet tooth and love all things chocolate, but my all time favorite dessert is Coconut Cream Pie. A close second would be Cheesecake. When I was at Cookie Con, in the spring, my cookie friends took me to The Cheesecake Factory for the first time and can I just say, “Wow!”. I think we had Cheesecake three times over that weekend!

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  This is such a hard question. I’m inspired by and am a huge fan of so many. I love the beauty of simplicity, but I’m so impressed with those that can go all out with detail. My brain just doesn’t work that way! If I had to choose, I’d say Sugar Cravings. I love her style, her attention to detail, her mad airbrushing skills and the sheer perfection of every set she does.

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I have heard of National Sugar Cookie Day and am so honored and flattered to be chosen for this blog post! Happy National Sugar Cookie Day!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  I was super fortunate to go to Cookie Con in March. I met a lot of my idols and also finally got to meet most of my online cookie friends in person, but one person I would still love to meet is Christine Shen. She is so talented and incredibly kind as well.

Sweet Tweets

Wow!  Thank you!  What a great honor.............

I’m Vicki from Sweet Tweets

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickisweettweets?ref=hl
Instagram @vickisweetweets

1. When did you start baking? I actually have a home economics degree, but started baking when I had my second child and saw cookie pictures on the internet.  This was back in the day (ha!  about 5 years ago!) of Flickr.  I would press the “control +” buttons on my computer and look at everyone’s cookies up close and try to figure them out.  I remember thinking, “I would NEVER post a cookie picture on the internet”.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I think it was back in 2011.  I started it and posted a couple of local orders I had done.  I did a TON of local giveaways.  Facebook was “kinder and gentler” back then and everyone saw my posts.  My local fan base grew very quickly, but with that growth and publicity, came the all dreaded, “getting turned in” to the health department!

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Honestly, you would think I would “Tweet” on Twitter more.  I think I was just thinking of a cute birdie and something that rhymed with Sweet.  I wish I would have thought harder about my name back then!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? I LOVE a good flan or panna cotta

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  I am going to go non-cookie because I have so many cookiers that I love and adore.  I am going to Jen Hatmaker because she’s a mom that is keeping it real.  http://jenhatmaker.com/

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Yes!  But I have never officially celebrated it!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? I have had the privilege of meeting many of my cookie friends and idols and have become very close to many of them and talk to them on a daily basis.  If I started naming them here, then I would leave someone out and that would just be wrong – however, there is a special place carved in my heart for Jill, (Jill FCS) Anita (Sweet Hope) and Krista (Cookies with Character).  I enjoy morning coffee with them a few times a week – although it is “cyber coffee”!  As far as someone I have not met yet, but would love to....Lucy from Honeycat.  We do not have similar styles, but I appreciate her artistry and willingness to share.

Color Me Cookie

Thanks so much for including me in your fabulous post. I remember reading it last year and seeing many of my cookie friends on your post. I am honored to answer your questions and send you a pic.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColorMeCookie 
Instagram: @ColorMeCookie_ 
Website: www.colormecookie.com

1. When did you start baking? I started baking about 3 1/2 years ago when I saw other cookie bakers and their blogs and Facebook pages. I wasn't much of a baker for my family, but when I saw the cookies these artists were posting, I thought, 'I wonder if I can do that.' Guess what? I found I CAN do that!

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my Facebook page about 3 years ago, making cookies for friends and family. After being inspected by the PA Dept of Agriculture, I quickly turned my hobby into my full time business. I have a Facebook page and a website right now. There is a blog feature on my website, but I haven't gotten around to putting up any blog posts just yet. I've got ideas swirling around in my head, but just don't have the time to put it all together online.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Trying to come up with a name for my page was a fun challenge. My kids tried to help with names, but my page name just popped into my head one day, and I've loved it from the start.

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? My favorite dessert has to be tiramisu, although I've never attempted to make it. Any time I can get it in a restaurant, I order it.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? One of my all time favorite blogs, and one that I started reading three years ago when I started this cookie adventure, is Callye's Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle. She has taught me so much about cookies. Sometimes I feel like she should get my cookie credit!

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I had heard about National Sugar Cookie Day from reading your blog post last year. I loved reading about all of your profiled bakers. 

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? I have had the pleasure of meeting about 20 of my cookie idols when we got together in State College last year. The one cookier that I didn't get to meet yet, that I would LOVE to meet in person is Georganne from LilaLoa. She is probably one of the most creative cookie gals I know. She amazes me every time she posts or blogs about cookies and her life. She has a great sense of humor, and I can't wait to meet her....someday! 

I've attached a photo of a set that I just did this week, and that I'm very proud of! If it's too large, let me know. 

Thanks again for including me!
Adrianne

Yankee Girl Yummies

Hey Karen!  Yeah! Are you sure it is me that someone asked to know more about?! ;)

Kari Arroyo from Yankee Girl Yummies. I feel like I'm everywhere...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YankeeGirlYummies
Instagram: @yankeegirlyummiescookies
Website at www.yankeegirlyummies.com 
Pinterest as Yankee Girl Yummies
Google+ but inactive due to lack of time!

1. When did you start baking? 3 years ago I had never baked anything that didn't come out of a box. I started with cake pops and then started playing around with cookies. Once I started making cookies, I just couldn't stop. That's how I knew that I had found my 'thing'! 

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? Within a year of making cookies, I started my FB page and blog. I never maintained it or used it to interacted with any other bakers until January 2013. One day I wrote on LilaLoa's page as Yankee Girl Yummies and realized this whole baking community existed! Mind blown!

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? The name Yankee Girl came from me relocating from central New York to the mid-south (Memphis and now NE Arkansas). I am not technically a 'Yankee' as I grew up in the military but I used to get referred to as one so I embraced it! 

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? Chocolate cake. And I rarely make it because I would eat it all. All.By.Myself.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? That's a tough one. You can usually find me hanging out over at the Cookie Connection. I do also faithfully read blog posts from Sugarbelle, LilaLoa, Make Me Cake Me and Melissa Joy Fanciful. 

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Of course!! Hasn't everyone?! 

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? That's another tough one! I did get to meet a ton of cookiers at Cookie Con this year. There are numerous people who were there and I did not get to meet as well... If I had to pick ONE - Butterwinks, I want her to sketch out a baking themed tattoo for me! 

Thanks for including me Karen! I can't wait to read it! Kari 

The Cookie Architect

Rebecca Weld- The Cookie Architect 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheCookieArchitect 
Instagram: @thecookiearchitect 
Pinterest: The Cookie Architect

1. When did you start baking? I started baking a gingerbread house every fall five years ago.  When I had my second baby I switched to cookie decorating- probably a year and a half ago now.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started by Facebook page on March 4th, 2013.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Well, I'm an architect.  Haha! But I also wanted something that referenced my gingerbread work, and my real work.  As the owner of my own business, everything I do kind has to remind people that when it is time to get your house designed, I'm your gal!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? Pralines.  I went to school in New Orleans, so I know of what I speak.  Butter, cream, brown sugar, pecans.  Done!  Hmmm, I should develop a praline sugar cookie recipe.  Or maybe I shouldn't....

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Oh Dear..I joke that I have a lot of favorites, but it is totally true!  So with the caveat that I could make a list as long as your blog post, I will say that someone who I feel like is rocking her game right now is Fernwood Cookie.  The set she just did with the little hedge hog and the face carved out of "rock" was masterful!

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I had, thanks to your blog posts! I remember finding the second one when I was first starting out and poring over it and finding the other one, and nominating people last year.  I am super honored to be here right now!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? Thank goodness for Cookie Con, or this list would be impossible too!  I have already met so many of my idols there and had such a good time.  But I have made some really good cookie friends online that I have not met.  The one that springs to mind is Lucy from Honeycat Cookies.  She is all the way over in England, so to meet her one of us is going to have to get on a plane.   If my wish came true, it would be me- so I could see the sights in England, and peer inside her cookie brain too!

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your cookies! This one is my favorite because it was my most "creative" process to date, and because I stopped myself from adding the million details I had planned and went with the simplicity of these colors.  I just knew it was "done".

Thanks again Karen- can't wait to read this year's installment!

Flourish

Hello,

My name is Lacey Brown & I operate a home based bakery, Flourish. I produce a variety of baked goods for multiple occasions; however, my focus is creating custom cookies. The majority of my business is conducted through my Etsy store. Flourish is both a hobby & a passion of mine, therefore the "work" aspect is nothing but enjoyable. Let's get started shall we,

Instagram is: @Flourishcakes 
Facebook page is: Www.facebook.com/flourishcakes

1. When did you start baking? I became interested in baking at a very young age. One of my favorite childhood memories is rolling out cookie dough on my kitchen table to make Christmas cookies with my mother and sister. I began baking more steadily when my children entered grade school.  I was the mom sending in way too many desserts for the class parties.  I only recently started decorating cookies "properly" last winter.  I had always attempted royal icing cookies, but never could quite get it right.  After reading up on a few blogs, watching Youtube tutorials, and voila - I now feel like I know what I'm doing.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started my facebook page as a spinoff of my personal page. It has steadily grown in popularity, but most of my social media interaction is performed on Instagram. I have never blogged but my newly developing website has the option to attach a blog, something I can not wait to try out in the future.  www.flourishcakes.com

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name?  I chose the name "Flourish" because of the core word "flour". The word has a smooth flow and an artistic connotation. 

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies?  My favorite dessert has to be ice cream in any way shape or form. I would eat it morning, noon, and night if the universe blessed me with a small frame. 

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  My favorite blog at the moment is Semi-Sweet Mike. I really admire how Mike thinks outside the box and has an artist's eye for detail. I'd like to think he would be Jerry Seinfeld to my George had we lived closer. (I, of course, would be George)

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today?  Before Tiffany emailed me, I had never heard of National Sugar Cookie Day. I live a sheltered life I guess, but I am truly honored to be a part of it!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  This is such a tough question because there are so many talented decorators out there.  If I had to chose just one, it would be Liz, the fabulous Arty McGoo.  I mean, what's not to love?  She is fun, beautiful, brilliant, and insanely talented.  Ya, I like her just a little. <Insert girl-ish squeal here>

Palestine Painted Cookie

Hi my name is Natalie Byrd of the Palestine Painted Cookie.  I can be found at:

Instagram: http://instagram.com/natalieppc 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Palestine-Painted-Cookie/117050834995523?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark

1. When did you start baking? I started baking decorated cookies January of 2006.   I used be a restaurant manager and I had about 60 kids (employees) they always called me mom and I always did something special for each birthday but it seemed to add $$ up and I wanted to do something that would be personalized to each one, so I thought why not cookies? I can do that!  Welllllll, I originally made 10 motorcycle cookies for this employee but  only three made it to the basket, I could not just put three cookies in the basket!  Agh! so at 3 am I hastily made some peanut butter drop cookies to add to my three decorated cookies  that survived.  When I brought those cookies to her for her birthday she just cried and cried, she said, I've never had a boss who put so much thought and care into the staff birthdays.  So I knew I just had to keep practicing and making more cookies,  I had 59 other kids to make cookies for!  Then one day my brother came to visit and he said you really need to market your cookies I just shrugged and said yes maybe someday... then a few weeks later my brother surprised me with business cards and a website! That's how Palestine Painted Cookie {PPC} was born, I knew he worked hard to create these for me and I really did enjoy making them, even when they did not all survive!  So I kept kept truckin, cringing when my phone would ring,  unsure if I was ready to accept money for something I wasn't sure I was really any good at, but prayers and perseverance and I started to feel more confident!  So anyone out there that loves cookieing, keep truckin!  In the end you'll be amazed at what you can do!

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page?      2010

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Originally I was named by my brother, he told me that since I used a paint brush to flood cookies, he thought Painted Cookie would make a great name! Shortly after I met Susan Schmitt, of The Painted Cookie and made a quick decision to add Palestine to Painted Cookie. And yes, you read that right,  I used a paint brush to flood cookies! I know, crazy times!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? Pretty much anything chocolate and peanut butter

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment?  I don't think I could possibly decide! There are so many talented cookie artist and sugar artists that I admire.

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today?  Yes I sure have! Thank you for the opportunity to be included in this years celebration!

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  I could name about 100 cookiers that I would like to meet! I've met so many cookie artist and built wonderful online friendships through Facebook and Instagram,  I've not yet had an opportunity to go to Cookie Con and meet any of them in person. I do hope that I'll be able to next year!

Chapix Cookies

Hi Karen!

I thank you sooooo much for considering me to participate in this year's National Sugar Cookie day, I am so excited!!

My name is Myriam Sánchez owner of Chapix Cookies. 

My principal social media outlets are:

• Website: www.chapixcookies.com
• E-mail: contacto@chapixcookies.com
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChapixCookies
• Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/ChapixCookies
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChapixCookies
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/chapixcookies
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/chapixcookies
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/chapixcookies

 1. When did you start baking?  As a cookier, I started baking and decorating in the middle of 2008 and I was hooked. Before that I baked with friends to raise some money and for fun. I never thought someday I would do it full time.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started posting my work in Flickr back in June 2009 almost 1 year after my start. There, I met some great cookiers and thanks to some of their support, I opened my FB page back in 2010. I have a blog, but there is just 1 post in it (I still need to learn how to blog, and find the time to do some posts :P)

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Chapix is the nick name of my oldest daughter, it's the diminutive of our spanish word "Chaparrita" (my daughter seemed very tiny to my husband and I when she was born). We mexicans use this word to call with affection to someone that is short, the correct way to write the diminutive is "Chapis", but when my husband proposed to use her nickname to call my page, I changed the "s" for an "x". As I bake cookies we got the name really quick "Chapix Cookies"

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies?  I like many desserts, impossible to chose just one! I like the taste of a soft brownie, (I love when they are chewy). The bittersweet taste of a lemon pie or the amazingness of a tartlet full of fruit, love fruit.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? I don't read blogs often, but I admire many FB pages, it’s hard to chose a favorite, I wouldn't want to leave someone out because I think there is a lot of talent out there, and I mean it, my list would never end!

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Yes, I  have US friends since I started, so I've heard about it because of them and also because of you last year :)

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  I've had the chance to meet many of my talented cookie friends and idols in person thanks to one Cookie Camp and two Cookie Cons, all of them are awesome and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to meet them in person and share some time with them. But there is one more cookie lady, Jill from Jill FCS, she is one of the cookie artists that I would like to meet someday.

Killer Zebras

Thank you for the email Karen, I can hardly believe someone nominated me considering all of the awesome cookiers out there! It is so hard to decide on a favorite set of cookies... I really want to send the ones I'm working on right now but I can't share them yet! So here's my recent ocean one instead... I do love that one, and it definitely seems to be my most popular so far!

Thanks again!

Melanie

Facebook: http://Www.facebook.com/killerzebras 
Instagram: Www.instagram.com/killerzebras 
Website: Www.killerzebras.com

1. When did you start baking?  As soon as my mom would let me. Except as a kid I hated sugar cookies... not because I didn't like to eat them but because it made me crazy to make the dough and then have to just let it sit in the fridge for an hour! No patience for that.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I started about 3 years ago but it's been irregular, especially with my blog! I never know what to post because I feel like there are so many cookie blogs out there that have just about everything covered! So I focus more on Facebook and Instagram, but I'd like to get back in to blogging.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I get asked this question more than anything! What, like 'Killer Zebras' is unusual or something? But seriously the answer is fairly simple - it came from a book. One of my favorite authors is Robin McKinley (mostly fairytale type of stuff, pick up "the Hero and the Crown" and thank me later!), and in one of her books there is a baker named Sunshine who is known for making these amazing cookies called Killer Zebras. I had just finished reading the book and that name had gotten stuck in my head! I will say this about it, few people forget it!

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? That is so hard! I have a major sweet tooth... but if I had to choose, maybe cheesecake? I'm also a big cake person. And ice cream. Ok, I have no idea what my favorite is.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? This is another hard one, but a favorite of mine will always be Sweetapolita! Her photos are just so dreamy. And the recipes I've tried of hers are always delicious!

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I hadn't - but if there can be a National Talk Like A Pirate Day (typically celebrated in my family) then there should absolutely be a day for cookies! (Actually every day should be for cookies.)

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? Just a few months ago this would have been a long list! But after attending my first Cookiecon, it's hard to say! I think maybe Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes. I played around with cakes in high school but it wasn't until about 5 or 6 years ago that I picked up her book and started really baking again. That book is what ultimately led me to make cookies... well before I knew anything about the online community!

Cookievonster

Thanks so much for the invite and kind opportunity. It truly is an honour. 

1. When did you start baking?  I’m not a professional baker, but I started baking when I was really young. My mum loved to bake and I loved to help and she baked all the time.  When I bake I find that I get lost into my own little happy world, and I get to (force) feed all my friends and family. I’m actually known as' the friend who always bakes'… like, ALL the time LOL! 

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? I tried blogging years back but I’m not very good with words, so I jumped on over to Facebook instead in 2009 because I can just quietly share photos. I’m also very much an ‘online and tech-hermit’. In fact, I just started to learn how to use Instagram, come visit and join me on IG, I’m under “cookievonster cookies”.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? Well, I have to give credit to Dave my partner for coming up with Cookievonster. My name is Evon. Get it? Get it? CookiEVONster? :)

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? Ssshhh…. I’m not much of a dessert fan, I’m just addicted to baking and decorating cookies. BUT, I love anything and everything chocolate, you throw anything chocolate at me, I’ll eat it! 

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Oh gosh! Really? My favourite? ALL of them! I love ‘em ALL! I do!   I’m a Libran, I can’t settle on just one, or 5 or 10… or 100!  Sometimes I am too afraid to go online, or click the FB “Home” button because I get stuck for hours, days, just visiting blogs, and Facebook pages, and now… Instagram too!   I have my cookie and cake heroes, but they know who they are. Hello idols!!! :)   Ok so I’m copping out, so I don’t offend anyone incase I list them and I missed some, and it’ll probably take me a whole day to list them all. But I will say, I am very fortunate to call many of my idols ‘friends’. Love the cookie world.

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? Yes I have, but never really knew what day it was on. 

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? Ah ha! Trick question! You’re tryin to get me to name my favourites! Ok, when I first started FB, I was/am obsessed with Liz from Arty McGoo. I was proud to be her biggest stalker too AND… I got to meet her last year. I was so thrilled, and so lost for words when I met her, and tried very hard not to look like a total geek but failed miserable!!! Liz and her family are the sweetest loveliest most magical people in the world, which made it extra special.  Jill… from Jill FCS… I will say is on the very top of my ‘wish to meet’ list, because I love her, her artistry and her spirit. 

Whip It Good Cookies

Hi everyone! I'm Erin, from Whip It Good Cookies. I'm all over the place but spend most of my time on Instagram (my happy place). You can also find me hanging around at:

• http://whipitgoodcookies.blogspot.com
• http://facebook.com/whipitgoodcookies
• http://instagram.com/erinaheflin
• http://twitter.com/erinheflin
• http://pinterest.com/eheflin

1. When did you start baking? I started baking when I was on maternity leave with my youngest son who is now four.  I became addicted to baking and party blogs and saw a picture of a decorated cookie and thought to myself, "I can do that." My first cookie was an ice cream cone. It wasn't amazing but I kept trying and and here I am four years later.

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page? After I posted a few of my first cookies/dessert creations on my personal Facebook page, my friends began asking me to make them for their kids' birthday parties and other events.  I started my Facebook page and blog about 6 months after I made my first cookie. I wish I had more time to devote to my blog but sadly it's been neglected due to my long cookie hours.

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name? I just remember thinking that Whip It Good Cookies would be catchy and folks might remember it.

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? I LOVE to make cupcakes and small cakes as well when I have the chance.     

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? It would be too hard to narrow it down to one. I find a lot of inspiration from (or currently stalk) Sugarbelle's blog as well as Semi Sweet Designs, Sweet Temptations by Nicole, Seahorse Sweets, Dolce, Sugared Hearts Bakery and Sweet Treats by Casey

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today?  Yes, I have loved reading about my favorite cookiers in years past.  I feel honored to have been asked to participate this year.  National Sugar Cookie Day should be every day.

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be?  I was fortunate enough to meet a lot of my cookie heroes at CookieCon 2013, however I would LOVE to meet Callye from Sweet Sugarbelle, Marian from Sweetopia and Jill from Funky Cookie Studio. I have learned so much from all of them over the years and admire their work. I'd also like to meet and thank Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie.  It was a picture of her cookies that I saw four years ago that got me interested in decorating cookies.

Sweet Face Cookie Boutique

Hi my name is Amy Hayes of Sweet Face Cookie Boutique.  And oh wow...nominated?? THAT just made my day!!  Thank you SO much!!

Website: sweetfacecookies.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SweetFace-Cookie-Boutique/196892507065096

1. When did you start baking?  I started baking back in 2004.  Our first son, Rylee, passed away at 13 months from a rare form of infant brain cancer that January and I needed to find an outlet while I learned how to live with my "new normal".  I had painted just about every wood shaped plaque and every size of canvas from Michael's craft store and my crazy plan to make 250 sheriff badge cookies for our church's VBS was somewhat of a success. (long story there!  I actually hand dipped each cookie in a bowl of royal icing soup.  The genius idea to actually pipe the base coat on did not come until after I had completed them!  It was sad. So. Very. Sad.)  But I got an actual order out of those sad little cookies, so cookies just seemed to fall into the next category of a canvas for me.  Then much to my surprise and comical amusement, another order and then another order came in.  So I became the Cookie Lady at church and then it just honestly snowballed from there.  This certainly was not what I went to college to do...but God had a completely different plan and I am SO glad He did!!

2.  When did you start blogging/FB page?  I started my official Facebook page SweetFace Cookie Boutique in 2011.  I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook...but it works to keep me connected!  And it allows me to share my cookie pictures and get all squealy and giddy when my cookie idols like one of them....or "gasp" comment or share one!!  TOTAL day maker.  I do have a blog...(if you can still call it a blog even if you never remember to blog) at SweetFace Cookies.  I am horribly horrible at blogging but I honestly do have a plan somewhere in my head to make time for it and become AT LEAST a monthly blogger.  I am amazed by all of the cookie bloggers and want to be just like them when I grow up. ;)

3. Why did you choose your blog or Facebook Fan page name?

I chose SweetFace because it was one of the little nicknames that I called both of my sons as babies...there faces were just so squishy and sweet. It was only fitting that the name of my business be in honor of who I was most passionate about and "Hot Stuff Cookies", after my hubby, just did not sound quite as good, so SweetFace Cookies was born!  I eventually added Boutique to it because I plan (there's that funny word again, "plan") on adding other baked yummies at some point in time....plus, Boutique is just a fun word to say.  It makes me feel all Parisian and sophisticated....of which my yoga pants, ponytail, and hot pink slippers (aka work shoes) will tell you I am not.

4. What is your favorite dessert other than cookies? My husband is an AMAZING chef and his Creme Brulee is honestly Heaven in a bowl. That's the only food I have ever been willing to actually lick the bowl clean in front of people without care of judgement.  It is seriously THAT good.

5. What is your favorite blog/FB page at the moment? Oh my gracious...that's an unending answer.  There are SO many amazing written words out there...I wish I had just one day a week to sit and read blogs.  I love reading how other minds think!!  And pictures!!  I LOVE to look at cookie pictures!!  With cookie pages and blogs....I love to see Jill FCS's page...she blows muh' mind on a daily basis.  Oh Sugar Events...insane level of greatness right there.  Sugar High, Inc...not only is she ridiculously talented but she shares so many others' work that it's like walking through a sugar museum!  Love it!!  LilaLoa...Cookies by Missy Sue...and how could anyone NOT want to seriously stalk Callye at SugarBelle's?  Non-Cookie would be the Momastery.com blog.....it makes me feel connected and normal as a perfectly imperfect wife and mom (since I have somehow managed to misplace the rainbows, unicorns, and fairytales that were supposed to come when I planned out my life) It's just always a great read that helps keep me grounded and forgiving of my imperfections as a momma and a wife.

6. Had you heard of National Sugar Cookie Day before today? I have!  I just never get to actually celebrate it because I am usually working...on cookies no doubt! 

7. If you could meet any of cookier/baker, who would it be? I dream of going to CookieCon so I can actually meet people!!   There are SO many I would love to meet in person, but I would Love to sit down and have coffee with Jill at FCS....she just has that fun, funky style of cookie that just makes you want to smile....so I can only imagine her personality matches that!!  Anita from Sweet Hope Cookies...I just want to hug her on a daily basis.  I only know her though her cookies on Facebook but she just seems so warm and amazingly sweet....and her love for why she does what she does just warms my heart.  Liz from Arty McGoo...world rocker right there.  Georganne  of Lilaloa....Nicole from Salsa Sweets....Mike from Semi-Sweet (I think he and my hubby could be great friends...Chef meets Cookier)  And not only because she is so wickedly talented that it makes my head spin, but also because she is a Texas gal from my neck of the woods, I would love to raid Hobby Lobby with Callye from Sweet SugarBelle.  I think we could do some serious damage together in there.  Then we would sit down and I would pick her creative cookie brain.  In all seriousness, this list could go on and on!!!  If you make a cookie I want to know you!! 

Don’t forget to attach a picture of your cookies! These were cookies I did for a little girls birthday...I actually got to make cookies for her momma when the little girl was born and have made cookies for her birthday every year since!!  These cookies made me want to go back a "few" years, put my hair in piggy tails again and go to this party!!  These just always make me smile no matter how many times I look at them.

**************************************

So there you have the batch of awesomeness for 2014!  I’d like to thank all past and present profiled cookiers for their time!  I’ve learned so much, as well as been introduced to some amazingly talented women.  I so enjoy doing these posts, especially since I just text edit the post ;)

If you are looking for me, plain old me.  You can find me at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trilogyedibles 
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/trilogy_edibles 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/trilogyedibles 
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/trilogyedibles/ 
Website: http://www.trilogyedibles.com

Thanks all for looking!

Karen

So it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and even longer since I’ve posted my recent cookie creations.  I’m so sorry.  My goal now that school is back in session to be a little more consistent with my blog.  So to start things off this week, I’m going to post some of my recent cookies.  Information on how to order can be found in the tabs above.

First up are Rio 2 Cookies I made for a dear friend’s daughter.  I decided to paint/draw using edible markers.

Next up, I did a pay-it-forward set for someone who did something nice for me. A little brushed embroidery and simple piping.

These were for my nephew Eamonn’s birthday.  He’s a big gamer boy and loves Plants vs Zombies.

I made these for the opening of the local Ronald McDonald House ground breaking ceremony.

These I made for my kids teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day.

These were made for a graduate of NC State.

These were made for a lover of running for her birthday.

So those are just some of what I made, I’ll post some more later this week.

Thanks for looking!

Alleluia school is back in session!!!  I can finally get more done in a day without having to hear “I’m bored”, “I’ve got nothing to do”,  “play with us”, or my favourite “entertain us”.  Nobody told me that when you had kids you were to entertain them 24-7, not sure I would have signed up.

But now they are back at school and I can go back to doing what I love to do, test recipes.  So what sparked this attempt?? As a Canadian, we love our donuts and this week news spread like wild fire about Burger King buying a Canadian icon, Tim Hortons or Timmies as we call it.  Now this could mean that Timmies might come farther south and I’d be down with that.  I love me my Timmies.

So that being said, I was craving some donuts.  I’ve never made fried dough donuts before and since the kids were gone, this was my chance.

I made the dough on Tuesday, as it requires to be chilled for 24 hours.  Of course, I was anxious and after 3 hours of chilling I pulled off some dough and tried to make some.  Bad idea, they didn’t rise  much and I burned the crap out of them.  I stepped away and left the rest in the fridge over night.

The next morning I took the dough out to proof and then I rolled it out and cut the donuts and let them rise.  This is my kryptonite, I hate waiting.  But the waiting paid off.  The donuts doubled in size and when I fried them up, they turned out perfect.  Apparently you shouldn’t guess when the donuts are done, timing is everything.

Donut Dough:

• 1.5 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 2.5 cup cold milk
• 8 cup flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 ounces egg yolks
• 1.5 cups shortening

1. Add all ingredients in order to bowl of a stand mixer.  Using a dough hook, turn on low and mix until dough becomes smooth and elastic (15-20 minutes)
2. Put dough into a greased bowl.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Take out of fridge and let come to room temperature (about two hours).  Don’t rush, trust me.
4. Roll out on floured surface and cut out donuts using either a donut cutter or two round cutters (3” and 1”).  Cover and let proof one hour in dry warm spot.
5. Preheat 6 cups canola oil in a dutch oven or deep fryer.  Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.  Don’t let the oil get hotter than 350 degrees.
6. Fry one or two at a time.  If too many, the oil temperature will drop.  Fry each donut 45-60 seconds per side.  They should be a beautiful golden brown colour.
7. Remove from oil and let sit on paper towel to drain.  Continue until all donuts and holes are done.
8. While still warm, the donuts can then be dipped in vanilla bean glaze or cinnamon sugar.
9. Enjoy!  Lets just say I ate a few of these.

Vanilla Bean Glaze

• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1. Whisk together until combined.  If too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar.

Cinnamon Sugar

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cinnamon

1. Mix together until combined.

So what did the kids think?  Abby loved them, even brought a few friends over to try.  Rowan decided she didn’t want to try and asked for cheesies.  We joke that Rowan isn’t a true Canadian, she’s been in the US longer than she lived in Canada, hence why she doesn’t appreciate a really good donut.

I also offered them to friends on our street because I made a double recipe, so I had a few lying around.  They got thumbs up all around.  Even the guys who came to clean the carpets gave them 4 thumbs up. So I’ll say success all around.

So these are a must!

Thanks for looking!

Not only do I made cookies, but I sometime dabble in cakes too!  Here’s a few that I’ve made for family and friends.

This fun cake I made for a friend’s son who loves Cars.  Buttercream with cookies.

This one I made for my daughter’s friend Maiah.  Buttercream with fondant details.

I made these guys for a friend’s daughter’s birthday.  I’m mad at myself because I took awful pictures of the cake.  But these guys turned out awesome.

I made this Monster High cake for my daughter Abby.  It’s a 6” buttercream with fondant details.

This Buzz Lightyear cookie cake I made for a friend’s one who was turning 3!

I had fun surprising my husband with his favourite movie in cake form.  This was an 8’ black forest cake!

This adorable 4” cake I made for a baby shower.  Vanilla bean with chocolate ganache filling.

And this was for the office party.

Thanks for looking!

And the cookies continue…

I made these for my father and father-in-law.  We took them to the US Open golf tournament since it was nearby this year.

I made these for my daughter’s swim team banquet.  The second set is what the coaches were given as a thank you.

We are trying to sell our house and I made these for the Agent’s open house.  Every little bit helps, sadly these weren’t enough. Anyone want to buy a house????

I made these for July 4th when I didn’t have time to fully decorate.

One of my hubby’s friends is getting married, so I made these for the boys golf weekend.

I made these Mehndi cookies I made for the Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge at Cookieconnection, and for my good friend Gitanjali who came to visit me for a few days.

Thanks for looking!

I know I’m shocked too, two weeks in a row for Treat Day. Crazy!

Now it’ll be hard to follow up after last weeks super successful donuts post, but I’ll try.  The next couple of weeks are going to get pretty crazy around here.  Two very dear friends of ours are getting married on different weekend and in different countries.  One is happening in High Point, NC and the other is in Ottawa, Canada and of course I volunteered to make a little something for each :)  When they are done, I’ll be sure to post.

Anyway, I wanted to make sure I continued my Treat Days, but I also wanted to make sure I made something super simple.  I went to Pinterest for some inspiration and I kept seeing all kinds of different bars.  But they also seemed really labour intensive for the amount of time I had put aside to make today’s treat.  Then I went to the pantry and four ingredients caught my eye.  Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, sweetened condensed milk and nilla wafers.  OOOOOOH I know fudge but then turn it into a bar with the nilla wafers. Yeah baby!

So here it goes.  Super Simple, Easy Peasy Fudge Bars!

• 10 oz chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 box nilla wafers
• 1 stick melted butter

1. In the bowl of a food processor, grind wafers.  Add melted butter.
2. Press into 9” square pan that you lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Set aside.
3. In a medium sized sauce pan, melt chips and milk together until smooth.
4. Pour over wafer crust and smooth out.
5. Drizzle with white chocolate.  Chill for 30 minutes.
6. Cut into squares and serve.
7. Enjoy!

See, super easy!

The girls both gave these a thumbs up!  So that’s pretty impressive since they tend not to like the same things ever.

I hope you’ll give these a go because every one loves easy peasy recipes!

Thanks for looking!