First Communion Cookies

Continuing on with the sacrament cookie motif ;)... (Remember the confirmation cookies earlier this week?  These are for the same sweet family.)


I was really looking forward to making these cookies again.  The last time I made them was for kiddo's First Communion....FOUR years ago.

{That picture on the left is one of my favorites ever.  Rockin' the powder blue suit, yo. Maybe we can find a blue tux for prom in a few years.}

OK...thanks for letting me reminisce.

These cookies start out with the perfect cutter.  I love this cutter...it's pricey because it's copper, but so worth it.


For the cookies, you'll need:

• chalice and host cookies
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Regal Purple and Leaf Green
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• decorating tips (#1 & #2) and couplers
• gold luster dust
• vodka (yep.)
• small paintbrush

With a #2 tip, outline the chalice.


With another #2 tip, outline the host.

Thin the white & gold icings (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to squeeze bottles.


Fill in the chalice with the thinned gold icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.


Fill in the host with the thinned  white icing.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners.

Let dry at least one hour.


Add the detail with the reserved white and gold piping icing.

Let dry overnight, or at least 6 hours.


Get out your luster dust supplies:  Luster dust, small ramekin, small paintbrush and vodka (a good excuse to always have vodka in the house).

This is "Golden Charm" luster dust.  I LOVE it and bought it at a little shop in Houston.  Can't seem to find it online, but any gold luster dust will do.


Mix up your luster dust with a few drops of the vodka and brush it on. (The alcohol will evaporate, leaving just the gold sheen.)  Add a few drops of vodka to the ramekin as you're working if it starts to get clumpy on you.  A little goes a long way, so don't worry about using all of the container in one shot.  (Here's a video about applying luster dust...)


Then, with #1 tips, add the grapes and leaf/stem detail.

All ready for First Communion!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Warm from the oven gluten-free crumble with quinoa flakes.

We've been blessed with fecund weather here in West Hollywood. Love is in the air. House finches are singing. Mourning doves coo. Roses are unfolding their velvet petals. Jacaranda trees are bursting with violet-blue corollas. In other words, picnic perfect.

I've been messing around with crisp and crumble dessert recipes this week, intent on creating an easy summertime dessert for backyard get togethers and grill side dining. So although I have featured a strawberry rhubarb crisp in the past (kissed with a hint of balsamic vinegar) I decided to play around with an alternative topping to the classic pairing of tart rhubarb and sweet ripe strawberries. And I grabbed a secret ingredient from my pantry.

Can you guess what it is?

Continue reading

Confirmation Cookies . . .

There is something so sweet about a dove cookie.  Maybe it's the occasions they represent?  I've made them before for a baptism.  A friend's son is getting confirmed this week and these are for his confirmation class.


I really love the way the personalized ones came out. I think everyone likes to see their name on a cookie, don't you?


Wanna make 'em for a special occasion of your own?

Here's what you need:

• royal icing in white, green and yellow (Americolor Bright White, Leaf Green and Egg Yellow)
• tips: #2 and #1
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottle
• toothpicks
• oh, and dove cookies! The cutter is from Sur La Table.

 
Using a  #2 tip, outline the cookie in white royal icing. 

Thin the white icing (reserve a bit for later) with water, a little at a time, until it is the consistency of thick syrup.  Cover with a damp dishtowel and let sit several minutes.

Stir gently with a rubber spatula to pop any large air bubbles that have formed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

Fill in the outlined cookie with the flood icing.  Use a toothpick to spread into sides and corners.

Let sit 1 hour.

 
With the reserved white icing and #1 tip, add detail on wings, tail and add an eye.   Personalize, if you want.


Using another #2 tip, pipe the branch in leaf green.


With a #1 or 2 tip, pipe yellow flowers on the branches.

Let dry overnight before packaging.

Happy Confirmation, Matthew. :)

Casio Watches

The Best Casio Watches
Silver Mix with Black Casio Watches
Casio Watches Performance
Elegant Casio Watches
Casio Watches with Tachymeter
Casio Watches Limited Edition
Casio Watches Shock Resist

Casio Sun Watches

How to transfer flood icing to a squeeze bottle . . . Works for Me Wednesday

Over the last few weeks, I've gotten this question over and over again in the comments, in my email and on twitter:

"How do you get flood icing from the bowl into the squeeze bottles?"

Here's my secret...I don't have a secret.  I just pour it in.

Take an empty squeeze bottle,


and icing thinned for flooding,


preferably, do not try to do this while holding a camera in one hand.


Pour in s-l-o-w-l-y.


There we go; that's better.


I'm right-handed, so normally, I hold the container of icing in my left hand and with a silicone spatula in my right, carefully guide the icing into the bottle.


{Sometimes it gets messy, but usually I can make it with no spills.}

If it does plop over the side, wipe it up with a damp paper towel.

There it is...my non-secret secret.

I guessing someone has a better (neater) way.  Spill it, sister (not literally). 

Papertake Weekly sketch week with hAnglar and stAnglar

Good morning and happy Tuesday! Hope you're having a wonderful start to your week and that you're having some nice spring weather. It's time for a new challenge from Papertake Weekly, and this week is sketch week! I love working with Dawny's amazing sketches! And with it being the last challenge of the month, that means we're being sponsored by the amazing and generous Simon Says Stamp!!

I used one of  my new stamps from hAnglar and stAnglar and colored her with Copic markers.

Cardstock is Bazzill and DP are from Three Bugs in a rug. There's lots of machine stitching and the flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts. The ticket is from a set of Whimsy stamps using the ticket punch as well that I got from Bunny Zoes Crafts. I used a little chalk ink around the edge to soften its edges a smidge. I also added some vintage buttons from PTI and for the horizontal portion of the sketch, I used May Arts silk ribbon that I got from Stamp and Create.

The inside is decorated to complement the card front. Please be sure and pop over to Papertake Weekly to see the fabulous creations from the rest of the design team. Then we'd love it if you'd grab your paper and glue and join us in the challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by to see me today, and hope to see you back again soon!  Hugs!

Copic markers used:
clothing : R81, 83, 85, 89  B93, 95, 97
skin: E11, 01, 00
wings: T1, 2

This card is for sale in my Etsy shop

this is entered into the Lovely hAngler Only Challenge Blog - use your favorite stamp

Beer Bread, 4 ways

 
You might as well know...I like beer.  I come from a family of beer drinkers.  "I come from a family of neurosurgeons" might sound more impressive, but there ya go.

Even though I'd never had a beer until I was 21 *cough*, I'd gotten a little taste from my mom's famous beer bread.  It couldn't be simpler to make (FOUR INGREDIENTS), no kneading, no rising....just stir, bake, done.

Since my sister and her family were coming over for Easter, we decided to do a little "beer bread sampling."  Four beer breads, made with 4 different New Belgium beers.


Our breads were:

1. Mom's Classic, made with Fat Tire,
2. Gruyere & Rosemary, made with Blue Paddle,
3. Orange Nutmeg, made with Mothership Wit, 
4. and Cinnamon Chocolate Chip, made with 1554

Now, this was a tough, tough assignment.  Eat bread and drink beer. But we survived...and one bread came out the winner...

Gruyere & Rosemary was hands-down everyone's favorite.  And it IS delicious....especially served warm, with butter running down the sides.

I have to tell you though, I really loved the sweet versions.  (You're shocked, right?)
 
The orange nutmeg bread had these little flecks of orange zest throughout and the sweet orange glaze on the top? Oh so yummy.  And smells SO good!

Let's talk cinnamon chocolate chip bread, shall we? It's is calling my name right now.  This bread was so decadent at room temperature with its little pockets of bittersweet chocolate chips, but toasted? With butter? For breakfast?  Yes please, I'll have another.

And I can't forget the original....mom's classic beer bread.  Seriously, try it.  Warm bread, straight from the oven in one hour?  Try it with dinner tonight. You'll be glad you did.

Mom's Classic Beer Bread

3 c. self-rising flour
3 TBSP sugar
12 ounces room temperature beer
melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x 5" loaf pan with shortening.

Stir together the flour and sugar.  Add the beer and stir until combined.

Spoon into prepared loaf pan,  and bake 1 hour.  Remove immediately from pan and place on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet.  Pour melted butter on top of the bread, letting it drip down the sides.  Enjoy!


variations:

• Gruyere-Rosemary: use a beer such as New Belgium's Blue Paddle Pilsner-Lager.  Stir in 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese and 1 TBSP fresh rosemary to the basic dough.  Brush the top with melted butter after removing from the pan.
• Orange Nutmeg: use a wheat beer, such as Mothership Wit. Zest a large orange and add the zest and 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg to the basic dough.  While the bread bakes, juice half of the orange.  Whisk with some powdered sugar to make a glaze.  Remove cooked bread from the pan, poke several holes in the top with a toothpick.  Pour the glaze over the bread, allowing it to drip down the sides.
• Cinnamon Chocolate Chip: use a dark beer such as 1554.  Substitute brown sugar for the granulated.  Stir in 3/4 c. bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli) and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the basic dough.  Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon-sugar before baking.  Rub the top of the bread with butter after removing from the pan, if desired.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend to purchase New Belgium beer and ingredients. Thanks, FoodBuzz!