Here Comes the Sun (flower)...

 

Sunflowers always make me smile.  I love that they are big and showy without being pretentious.  I love the contrast of dark and bright.  I love that they shout "SUMMER" but without making me think of putting on a bathing suit.

So, what better cookies to help ring in summer than sunflowers?!?  You might want to know where the cutter came from.  I don't know.  If I remember correctly, this is a cutter my neighbor gave me when we lived in Alabama. It was hers and she thought I might be able to put it to good use.
{She probably didn't think it would take 7 years.}

If you still have a few more days of school left, these make really sweet teacher gifts...at least, I hope they do because it's what kiddo's teachers are getting. ;)

First things first, sometimes it's hard to pipe a good circle.  (Actually, it's always hard for me.)

So, before these cookies baked, I lightly pressed a circle cutter into the dough to help with outlining.

Oh, and a deep brown color is sometimes hard to achieve without vast amounts of coloring.  I added just as *smidge* of black coloring to my brown...but just a smidge, though.  It can go from brown to black very quickly. 

To make the sunflower cookies, you'll need:

• chocolate sunflower sugar cookies (this recipe is good!)
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Chocolate Brown with a smidge of Super Black, Egg Yellow, and Leaf Green
• disposable piping bags
• couplers
• icing tips: #2 (2) and small star
• toothpicks
• squeeze bottles
• meringue powder
• small paintbrush
• chocolate sprinkles

Use a #2 tip to outline the center of the sunflowers with brown icing.

Use a #2 tip to outline the petals in yellow.  Don't worry about doing each on individually now, you'll pipe over them later.  Plus, small filled spaces can sometimes collapse and crack. (Reserve some of this piping consistency yellow icing.)

Thin the brown and yellow icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the centers with brown icing.  Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Flood the rest with yellow icing.  Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Let the cookies dry for at least one hour.

Use a small star tip to pipe green detailing around the center of the cookie.  Use a pulsing motion going around the cookie to create the "ruffle."

Use a #2 tip to add details to the flower petals.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours or overnight.

The next day, mix together equal amounts meringue powder and water.  Brush on the center of the cookies and shake on the chocolate sprinkles.  Shake off the excess.

{My original thought was to use chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the centers.  Do you know how hard it is to find BROWN chocolate covered sunflower seeds?  Well, it's hard.  Therefore, Chocolate Vermicelli. I kind of love it, too.} 

{They're like thin, delicate jimmies...and they taste really good and chocolatey.}

I hope your summer is filled with sunflowers...the real AND the cookie versions!

So Long, Summer.

Dear Summer,  
this is what you're supposed to be about, right?

{darling camper found via Jen's pinterest board & from this blog}

Tooling around the country with a cute little vintage camper?  Visiting national parks, roasting hot dogs, making s'mores?

You are NOT supposed to be about massive flooding, wildfires, and drought.
 
So long, summer.  This is the end of the road; we're breaking up.  I'll miss your delicious tomatoes and juicy, sweet peaches.  But still, we're through.  It's not me, it's you.

My new love Fall will be along any day.  And guess what?  We're going camping.
 


Well, at least we're making camping cookies.


To make the vintage-y camper cookies, you'll need:

• camper-shaped cookies (I used a template)
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Turquoise mixed with Leaf Green, Bright White, and Super Red
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips: #2, #1 
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

 
First, with a #2 tip, pipe a wheel on the camper.
{Yes, the cookies are speckled...a recipe I'll share with you *someday.*  <<< that's called a teaser.}


Outline the campers in black, using a #2 tip.

Since we're working with black, give it a little extra time to dry.  I outlined the cookies, folded laundry and ran to the grocery store before filling.

Thin the white and green icings 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 camper with the thinned icings.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners, edges and pop any air bubbles.


Let the cookies sit for at least 1 hour. Again, since we're working with black, I'll give it a little more time.  Go for a walk, play a board game, watch Real Housewives...give the flood at least an hour to set.


Use a #1 tip to pipe the window in black.


Use a #2 tip to add details in red.

 
 {Thanks to Jen for the camper inspiration!}

See ya next year, Summer.

Desserts for Dudes : Fried Chicken Cookies !

So, here's our family chicken story.....

You know how we all ask questions to little kids, like, "What's your favorite color?" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Well, kiddo was about 6 or 7 and a friend was asking him all of these questions....

She got to "What's your FAVORITE food?"  I'm pretty sure he said Skittles.  Next, she asked, "What do you think is the GROSSEST food?"

A horrified look crossed his face, he shivered a little, and said:
"Chicken....with the BONE in it."

Apparently, a kid in his class had a lot of leftover fried chicken in his lunchbox and our little sheltered kiddo had spent all his life (well, 6 years) eating boneless chicken breast.

So, that's our chicken story. 

Kiddo aside, I think meat on the bone is definitely MAN FOOD. Not that I'm opposed to a giant turkey leg at the Renaissance Festival, but I sure don't feel ladylike eating it. ;)

Maybe you'll want to make some fried chicken leg cookies for your man for Father's day.  They're really simple...let me show you how.

Psst...this is the secret ingredient...


Here's what you'll need:

• chicken leg shaped cookies (I used a template)
• royal icing tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Gold mixed with Chocolate Brown, and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• #3 icing tip
• toothpicks
• small paintbrush
• cornflakes
• and, optional, a KFC bucket :) 

 
With a #3 tip, outline the chicken leg in black. I used a #3 tip because I really wanted the outline to show.

Thin the white & brown/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.

 
Flood the chicken leg with the thinned icings.  Use a toothpick to guide into corners and edges and to pop and air bubbles.
 

Let sit overnight.


The next day, mix 1/2 teaspoon meringue powder with 1/2 teaspoon of water.  With a small paintbrush, brush the mixture onto the "meat" part of the chicken.  Sprinkle on crushed cornflakes.  Press lightly to adhere.


Let dry for 15-30 minutes.  Pop into a bucket from KFC...they'll sell you an empty for only 25 cents!


You know what would be really good with fried chicken cookies?  Mashed potato cupcakes! ;)

{Oh! And speaking of meat on a stick, I'm in LOVE with these corndog cookies from Munchkin Munchies!}

Make 'em for your favorite dude!

Gingerbread for Summer !

 
We love our gingerbread cookies around here.  Poor, neglected gingerbread....it only gets trotted out in December, but it's so, so good.

How about a summery spin on gingerbread?  It's completely EASY and you won't have to wait for December for your gingerbread fix.

Lemon Cream Gingerbread Cookies

You Will Need:

• your favorite gingerbread cookies
• royal icing flavored with lemon extract
• marshmallow creme
• lemon curd

 
Make the cookies and let cool.


Mix up some royal icing, flavor with 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract and tint with AmeriColor Bright White (if desired).

Top half of the cookies with royal icing. Add yellow sprinkles if you have 'em.

{Or do like I did and spend 30 minutes picking through jars of multi-colored sprinkles for the yellows. THAT would be a good project for your kids when you hear the dreaded "I'm Bored" this summer.}

 
Stir together 1/2 cup lemon curd (jarred or homemade) with 1/3 cup marshmallow creme.  Adjust the amounts based on how lemon-y you like it.


Then...

Plop some filling on the plain cookies and sandwich together.



Don't want to make the filling?  Skip it!  Top the cookies with a squiggle of lemon royal icing and a bit of yellow sanding sugar.  Voila! Gingerbread cookies for summer!

Do you love gingerbread?