just-iced: custom handmade sugar cookies

Oreo Cupcakes

2012-01-03T21:13:00.004-06:00

Cupcakes:
1 box Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 stick (1/2 c.) margarine, melted
24 regular sized Oreo cookies
24 mini sized Oreo cookies (for the top)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Place an Oreo cookie at the bottom of each liner. Mix cake mix, buttermilk, margarine and eggs according to the directions on the box. Bake for 19-22 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. After the cupcakes are cool, top with Oreo Buttercream Frosting (below).

Oreo Buttercream Frosting:
3/4 c. shortening
1 stick (1/2 cup) margarine, room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 T. Toriani vanilla syrup
1 1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 milk or half and half
12 regular Oreos, crushed

Beat shortening, margarine and salt in a mixing bowl until blended, stopping to scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the syrup and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add half the sugar and mix well. Add the milk gradually, beating constantly at high speed for 5 minutes. Add remaining sugar and beat at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes longer. Fold in crushed cookies. Frost or pipe cooled cupcakes (I put mine in a large piping bag and used a Wilton #1A tip). Top each cupcake with one mini Oreo cookie.

Owl Cookies

2011-10-06T17:30:00.001-05:00

Owl Cookies for a 1 year old Birthday Party!

Princess Cookies

2011-08-20T08:00:00.005-05:00

Princess cookies for Snow Brooke, celebrating the birthday-which-cannot-be-named!!

Inspiration for the dress and crown by the lovely and talented Elizabeth at Lizy B Bakes - check out her cookie blog, she's phenomenal!!

Cowboy Cookies

2011-08-17T11:29:00.003-05:00

My nephew turns 2 this week. He's having a cowboy party. This is the first set of western themed cookies I have created since moving to Texas - giddyup! So glad to finally use these cutters :)

Love turquoise accents on cowboy boots - yeehaw

I don't think I've ever seen a cactus like this in Texas. I've seen lots of them in Arizona though...

My friend Katie gave me the cutter for this hat shortly after I moved to San Antonio. It is huge! 5 x 6". Just made one of these for the birthday boy.
Everything is bigger in Texas.

Mini cowboy hat

The lil' deputy is turning 2

This is a bandana. Inspiration from these Bandana Print Cookies from SugarBelle...

A bow makes everything fancier!

Baby Boy Crown Cookies

2011-06-03T11:34:00.001-05:00

For a baby shower...

Thanks Liz!!

Horseshoe Cookies for a Wyoming wedding

2011-06-03T11:23:00.002-05:00

Thank you Marcee!!

Soccer Balls

2011-05-19T14:42:00.002-05:00

Thanks Shay!

G Cookies for Gianna

2011-05-18T14:19:00.002-05:00

Thank you, Heather!

Olivia Pig Cookies

2011-05-18T14:12:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Amanda!

Onesies for Hayden Averi

2011-05-18T14:05:00.002-05:00

Thanks, Hannah!

Gumball Machine Cookies

2011-02-20T20:04:00.003-06:00

My little girl turned 6 this past week.
The theme for her birthday was Gumballs!

First, because they took the looongest to make...
I'll start with the cookie party favors:

Isn't this old fashioned gumball machine shape adorable? I purchased the cutter from ecrandal - a fabulous family-run cookie cutter business based out of North Carolina. You can find this exact fancy-schmancy copper cookie cutter here!

The cake - two-layer 6" strawberry with buttercream icing and fondant "gumballs"

Confetti cupcakes with buttercream swirls, topped with rainbow non-pareils and a gumball

the treat table - so.much.sugar.

the birthday girl :)

Giant Cookie Cake

2011-02-04T15:26:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine approached me about making a giant chocolate chip cookie "cake" for her son's birthday. I was so excited, but a little nervous too...I am not very experienced in lettering, especially with a pastry bag! I literally paced the kitchen for about 20 minutes, saying "I can do this...I can do this..." Sheesh.

I scoured the internet for pictures and recipes. I've always been a huge fan of the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.* Using a 14" pizza pan, I traced a circle on parchment paper, put the parchment on the pizza pan, greased the parchment paper with shortening, then dropped the dough onto the greased parchment paper. I used a greased spatula to spread the dough to within about 1 inch from the edges of the parchment paper. I baked at 375 for 22 minutes, then let it cool in the pan on a wire rack.

I used Wilton's Buttercream Icing recipe for the lettering and border. Because Lucas is a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, I used Americolor Gel Paste in Super Red and Super Black to tint the icing. I used a Wilton 1M tip for the border, a #22 tip for the red lettering background, and a #4 for the white lettering on top.

I really hope Lucas likes his Cookie Cake. Happy 8th Birthday buddy, and go Blackhawks!

* If you live at high altitude (above 4,000 ft), make sure you follow the "High Altitude" directions. Believe me, I've been there and it makes a huge difference!

I love Cupcakes!

2011-02-02T16:34:00.003-06:00

These cookies were made for an "I Love Cupcakes" 3rd birthday party! The design was inspired by a party package created by Michelle at Le Poppy Design. Check her out, she's awesome!! Thank you Heather!!

Arrr!! More Pirates!

2011-01-28T08:45:00.003-06:00

Wow, January must be the month of the Pirate Party...

Thanks, Jennifer!!

Pirate Cookies for Winston

2011-01-25T15:12:00.003-06:00

This weekend is my nephew's 4th birthday!! He's having a pirate party - Arrrr!

Happy Birthday, Matey!!

Star Wars Vehicles Cookies

2011-01-20T19:45:00.006-06:00

Yes!! Williams Sonoma has done it again. In addition to the Star Wars Heroes press-and-stamp cutters, now they carry these beauties:

These were made for my friend Rich for his birthday. He sort of likes Star Wars ;)

Millenium Falcon, Vader's Tie Fighter, X-Wing Fighter, and Death Star

Happy Birthday, Jedi Knight!!

Cherry Blossom Cookies

2011-01-20T19:37:00.001-06:00

To a birthday party in Japan :)

Decorating Turkey Cookies

2010-11-22T17:17:00.007-06:00

This is my first official cookie decorating tutorial! It's a little choppy so please bear with me...

Christmas decorations, music and lights are already fired up, so what happened to Thanksgiving?

I'm notorious for procrastinating, so my timing is perfect! Let's hurry and enjoy what's left of the harvest by decorating some turkey cookies, shall we? There are 2 1/2 days until the big day so we still have time (but not much!!)

Materials:

1. Turkey cookie cutter (any shape, I got this beauty at Crate and Barrel)
2. Your favorite cookie dough recipe (sugar cookie, shortbread, gingerbread, or any rollout cookie dough)
3. Royal Icing, add enough water for medium consistency (similar to Elmer's Glue), tinted with food color gel (I like Americolor) in the following colors:

Red
Orange
Yellow
Green
Brown
White

4. Wilton frosting tips #1 and #2
5. Pastry bags and/or squeeze bottles (I LOVE and use Kuhn Rikon Deco Squirt Bottles)
6. Large purple or black non-pareils, or any small round candy

Now for the fun part!!

Take your turkey cookie:

Using brown icing and #2 tip, outline all but the beak and feet:

Fill in the body, define the feathers, and add the feet and beak:

Let dry for at least 30 minutes, then fill in feathers:

Let icing dry for another hour or two. Add the eyeball:

Using clean tweezers*,
place one non-pareil in the middle of the eyeball as the pupil

With red icing, add a "snood" (the thing that hangs over the beak! had to google that one.)

Using tip #1, pipe a wing in brown:

Put your cookie on a pretty dish and take a photo:

Let it finish drying for 8-10 more hours.
You're all done!! Now go put up your Christmas lights!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

*Tweezers are a great tool to include in your decorating supplies. Buy a new pair that are used only for food (NOT eyebrows!! ew.) You can find some at the dollar store :)

Tiara Cookies

2010-10-20T15:31:00.001-05:00

Tiara cookies for a baby shower in PA.

The tag says, "A Princess is on the way!"

Thank you, Staci!

These Little Piggies...

2010-10-17T13:00:00.001-05:00

...went to a birthday party!

Thank you Robin!

To get a glimpse of these little oinkers in action, visit the party photographer's blog (they're a little hard to see - haha! look behind the cute piggie cupcakes)

Camouflage Cookies for a 1st Birthday

2010-10-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you Carrie!

Star Wars Cookies

2010-10-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

For the Draper boys

thanks guys :)

Caterpillar Cookies

2010-10-16T22:50:00.002-05:00

This 5-cookie set was created for a birthday party, the theme based on a classic children's book

Thanks Rebekah!

Baby Girl Cookies

2010-10-16T22:47:00.001-05:00

for Baby Jasmine :)

Jungle/Safari Cookies

2010-08-27T14:40:00.003-05:00

Last week I made 60 safari/jungle cookies for a party in NY.

Thank you, Kristyn!

Hawaiian Cookies for Rylie

2010-08-27T09:34:00.004-05:00

My niece, Rylie turned 3! The theme for her party was Hawaiian.

Happy Birthday Rylie - we love you!!

Back to School!

2010-08-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

I made some apple cookies for our annual neighborhood back-to-school party.

{testing for poison}

Now that the kids are back in school, what are you going to do with all that free time?

Look WHOOO turned 1!!

2010-08-26T15:10:00.004-05:00

My little nephew, Henry, turned 1 this month!

isn't he cute? don't you want to eat his cheeks?

His mom asked if I would make some owl cookies for his birthday party. I knew she would handcraft the invitations - she can do AMAZING things with scrapbook paper and a glue stick...but I FREAKED when I got the invite in the mail:

No Photoshop - she handmade EACH one (cutting out everything with scissors, then doing that spongy stuff around the edges! glueing, bradding...)- and I can't remember how many she made, but she's the youngest of 6 and her hubby's the 11th of 12 - so needless to say, she cranked out A LOT of those adorable OWL invitations.

So....

I sent some mini owls...

and I tried to duplicate the owl on the invitation - using an egg shaped cookie cutter and a circle fondant cutter to cut out the ears on top of the head.

Her husband, who is also artsy craftsy, made this tree trunk in which to display the cookies:

She also made these adorable owl cupcakes -
(how'd she keep the creme in the Oreo so perfect?):

Sadly we couldn't make the trip to attend - *sniff*, but I was so glad I was able to still help out with a small part of the party.

Happy 1st Birthday to you, Henry - that's WHO!!

Beach Wedding Cookies

2010-08-19T16:47:00.004-05:00

This set was created for a Seattle wedding. Starfish, sand dollars, seashells, and a compass rose. Love their choice of colors!

Thank you, Nicole!

Sugar Cookie Recipes

2010-08-07T07:52:00.004-05:00

Here are a few basic sugar cookie recipes. Personally, I like my ingredients to be close to room temperature before assembling, then chilling the dough at least 1-2 hours before rolling and cutting. Sometimes I'll even stick the cookie sheet with cut dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before baking. This seems to help the cookies keep their shape. Roll thin for a crunchy cookie (1/4"), thicker for a softer one (1/2").

I think it's a good idea to invest in an oven thermometer. You can get a decent one for under $5 at the grocery store. Some ovens aren't 100% accurate (the one I had when I was first married was 60 degrees off!). It can make a world of difference when baking.

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
by Jill Saunders at allrecipes.com

* 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
* 2 cups white sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Our Favorite Sugar Cookies
by Sur la table

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 heavy whipping cream

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour and baking powder, stir into creamed mixture, alternating with the heavy cream. Cover dough and chill for 2-3 hours until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets or use a Silpat liner. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1" apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes in a preheated oven until bottoms and edges of cookies are light brown. Remove from baking sheet and coll on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookies Recipe
by Alton Brown

Ingredients

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1 tablespoon milk
* Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Directions

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Royal Icing Recipes

2010-08-07T07:36:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of good, basic royal icing recipes. The recipe I use most often and prefer comes from the book, Pretty Party Cakes: Sweet and Stylish Cakes and Cookies for All Occasions by Peggy Porschen.

If you'd like to flavor your icing (vanilla, lemon, almond), add 1/2 tsp. flavored extract per 3 cups of icing.

Royal Icing
from Wilton.com

This smooth, hard-drying icing is perfect for making decorations that last. It is also useful as a "cement" to fasten decorations together. Royal icing is edible, but not recommended for icing cakes.

Ingredients:

* 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
* 4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
* 6 tablespoons warm water

Makes: About 3 cups of icing.

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).

NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.

* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.

**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.

Thinned Royal Icing: To thin for pouring, add 1 teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Use grease-free spoon or spatula to stir slowly. Add 1/2 teaspoon water at a time until you reach proper consistency.

Royal Icing
from marthastewart.com

Makes about 1 cup

* 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon meringue powder
* 2 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Combine ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed until well combined. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for further embellishing. Mix until icing holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for five seconds when you raise the paddle.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

2010-08-04T15:23:00.003-05:00

The lucky recipient of the Star Wars Cookie Cutter Set from Williams Sonoma is...

MELISSA!!

Congratulations, melissa! Please contact me within the next 48 hours to claim your prize.

Thanks to all those who entered!! (and Rich, you can BORROW my set ANYTIME :)

Star Wars Cookie Cutter Set - GIVEAWAY!

2010-07-27T16:23:00.008-05:00

Oooooh!! Check out this 4-piece Star Wars cookie cutter set from one of my FAVORITE kitchen supply stores, Williams-Sonoma. Each cutter is equipped with spring-loaded stamp, so you can trace your lines instead of freehand. Now that's what I call Space Age!

Included are Yoda, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and storm trooper cutters. They even threw in a recipe for sugar cookies and royal icing - how thoughtful! Wouldn't these cookies be perfect for that Star Wars party you've been dying to throw but just haven't had an excuse?

I loved these so much I ordered TWO sets. One for me and one for...

YOU!!
{maybe}

that is, if you enter and are chosen at random to win my...

STAR WARS COOKIE CUTTER SET GIVEAWAY!!

Here's how to enter: (don't forget to leave a separate comment for each thingy you do)

* Subscribe to just-iced cookies blog (or let me know if you already do)
* Grab my blog button & post it on your blog's sidebar
* Blog or facebook about this very giveaway
* Follow justicedcookies on twitter and tweet: I'm dying to win Star Wars Cookie Cutters from @justicedcookies http://bit.ly/bVy8B4 #giveaway
* Name your favorite Star Wars character!

Giveaway ends on Tuesday Aug 3, 2010 at 5 pm CST. One winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. I will email the winner, who will have 48 hours to claim the prize or I will choose someone else. Be sure to list your email address in one of your entries, or have it available on your blogger profile.

GOOD LUCK and
"MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU"
you didn't see that coming, did you? =D

Beach Fun Cookies

2010-07-27T15:39:00.004-05:00

This set was created as a thank-you gift for my 3-year-old nephew, Winston's swimming lessons instructor :)

...and here's Winston taking his first big JUMP off the diving board!!

AHOY!! Pirate cookies

2010-07-19T18:16:00.004-05:00

Right before we went out of town for our annual summer vacation out west, I was asked to make 2 dozen little pirate face cookies for a pirate party.

The girls over at Cupcakes and Par-Tees put on the cutest little pirate party for a 4-year old bloak and his mates - shiver me timbers!! It looks like there was much booty to be had for all...and all I can say is, ARRR!

Northrop P-61 Black Widow...Cookies!

2010-05-26T23:34:00.005-05:00

I was approached to make some airplane cookies to look like a P-61 Black Widow for a 75th birthday party over Memorial Day weekend. Apparently the birthday boy is a big fan of these bad boys...and I don't blame him - they're COOL!!

The P-61 Black Widow: used in WW-II, the first U.S. military aircraft to use radar technology,
flown mostly at night.

Talk about scary. How would you like to have one of those creep up on you in your sleep?

I didn't have have a twin-boom, twin-engine airplane cookie cutter, so I did the best I could with what I had...

P-61 sugar cookie - not quite as intimidating...but may induce a sugar coma

They also wanted some cookies on sticks to use in centerpieces:

tada!

So there's your history lesson of the day, kids! Bon appetite, and Happy Birthday!

Mini Horseshoe Cookies shipped to Beverly Hills...

2010-05-20T21:39:00.006-05:00

...Michigan, that is!
I received a special request to make mini round cookies with little lavender and purple horseshoes as favors for a bridal shower. The lovely bride-to-be works for Camp Casey - a nonprofit horse camp for kids battling cancer. (Before you visit the website, grab some tissues). What a fantastic organization!!

There were 35 favors in all, so I ended up making 200 of these bad boys -- I always make extra, in case any drop, break, or I've somehow miscalculated. (I've learned this the hard way. I've had to whip up another entire batch of cookie dough, just to cut-out 1 or 2 cookies - ridiculous).

The horseshoes were done using one of my favorite techniques, royal icing runouts (as briefly described in this post).

The lavender ones were dusted with a touch of disco (edible glitter). Each favor included 5 cookies tied with matching purple or lavender ribbon. The tag on each said, "Molly & Nick, Lucky In Love." Awww!

Congratulations to the "Lucky" Couple!!

Milk, Cookies, 1's and Le Poppy Design

2010-05-20T08:02:00.011-05:00

I did a trade last weekend with Michelle at Le Poppy Design - cookies for party decor!! She needed cookies for a "Milk and Cookies" Party for a 1-year-old whose nickname is "Morsel." I needed decorations for my Baby's 2nd Car-Themed Birthday Party. So we helped each other out!!

Old-Fashioned Milk Bottles

Personalized Round Cookies

#1's for the Birthday Girl

Here they are in action. First of all, can I just say - Doesn't she do an INCREDIBLE job??? CHECK OUT THIS TABLE!!

I've never seen so many cookies in my life!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

...and this is what I received in return:

PERSONALIZED cupcake toppers!!

a CUSTOMIZED banner!

a PARTY hat!

and last but not least: PARTY INVITATIONS!

My only regret? Not flying her town to Texas to set up my party! Man, I could have really used her help!

Pretty amazing, right? Le Poppy Design also has a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, an Etsy shop, where one, two, or all of the items above can be purchased - and they're totally customizable!! And can I just say, first hand, the quality is TOP NOTCH! If you're fortunate enough to live in the Seattle area, Michelle can hook you up with a party that will be the talk of the town - but she's booked out for months so plan ahead and get on her list ASAP!

The END is near...

2010-05-19T17:50:00.006-05:00

Summer is quickly approaching...are you ready? (I'm not!!) You know what this means...letting all those great teachers who have been enriching your kids lives for the past 9 months how much you GREATLY APPRECIATE them!!

I'm making these for Mrs. Dodge and Mrs. Lodge (I know, what are the chances?), and some mini-bags for all 7 periods of middle school...

They're just the right size to pop in your mouth (1.5 inches). Talk about getting your apple a day (or two, or three, or...24!) Yes - 2 dozen red and green apples fit in this cute little bag.

Want some for your teacher?
YESSS - TAKE ME THERE!!

Hey batter batter!

2010-04-20T13:23:00.003-05:00

Baseball/softball/t-ball season is officially in "Full Swing"!

Wouldn't these be fun for a birthday or end-of-season party as favors? At 1.5", these mini baseball sugar cookies are the perfect size to pop in your mouth between innings, in the bleachers, or after the game!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Girls Day Out Set

2010-04-19T21:59:00.007-05:00

I made purses, shoes and sundresses for a craft show in Salt Lake this week...

the white skirts were sprinkled with my favorite medium
*disco dust*

Thanks Brittany!

If you would like more information about ordering this set, please contact me!

Holy Cow!

2010-04-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

I got the idea for these cow cookies when my friend across the street got "COW-ed" for her birthday.

The sign says, "Holy Cow! 'A' is 30!"

When I caught wind that a loved one was turning a milestone b-day this month, I busted out the cow cutter and came up with these:

I hope she's not "udderly" grossed out by the not-so-wholesome holsteins...they're actually quite tasty and smell ten times better than REAL cows!

Anything For a Friend

2010-04-15T23:39:00.004-05:00

When I heard about a young mom by the name of Becky Anderson and her battle with breast cancer through a good friend of mine, I was heartbroken. Even though I don't know her personally, I really wanted to help in some way...Some great friends of hers are holding a silent auction and bake sale this weekend to raise money for her treatment.

These pink ribbon cookies went to Anything For A Friend

They are still accepting donations at www.anythingforafriend.com.
You can also read her blog (pass the tissues, please), and there is a Facebook Fan Page as well.

I wish Becky and her family all the best of luck through this difficult time - Stay STRONG!!

Have You Filed Your Taxes Yet?

2010-04-08T12:01:00.004-05:00

These cookies went out to some stressed out and soon to be exhausted accountants who are punching in those last minute taxes...

The piggy bank, calculator, money bag and dollar bills were made using a technique called "royal icing runouts" or "floodwork"...basically - taking any picture printed on a piece of paper, covering it in waxed paper, and tracing the outlines with royal icing...let it dry and plop it on a wet, freshly flooded cookie. Again, a tutorial is forthcoming when I can pull my act together. In the meantime, JFGI (just friggin Google it) - that's how I learned! ;)

Have you turned in your taxes? You have one week left!!

Mini Princess Tiara Sugar Cookies

2010-04-08T11:59:00.002-05:00

the Perfect party favor for the Princess :)

Juicy Citrus Teenie Tiny Iced Sugar Cookies

2010-04-08T11:58:00.001-05:00

they even taste like lemon!

Easter Cupcakes - How To (a Tutorial)

2010-04-04T14:11:00.008-05:00

I've been promising to post some how-to's/tutorials on my blog. I know this is mainly a cookie blog, but my cookie tutorial is going to take some time for me to put together. So in the meantime, I will provide you with an Easter cupcake tutorial instead.

First, before you do anything in the kitchen...WASH YOUR HANDS!

CUPCAKES: Use your favorite cupcake recipe or packaged cake mix. Some of my faves: Duncan Hines in classic white, pineapple or strawberry; or if you're fortunate enough to live in Texas and have access to HEB: Hill Country Farm brand lemon cake mix is SUPER GOOD (thanks Amy!!)

FROSTING: I like to do the big, billowy, fluffy stuff. It's just so pretty. But I'm also not a big fan of actually eating frosting--especially if it's dense and sweet. That's why I use a Whipped Buttercream Icing...it takes some time but it's so worth it...and you aren't in a sugar coma by the time you get to the cupcake - which I think is the best part ;)

Use a disposable or large pastry bag fitted with a large star-shaped tip (I like the Wilton 2D - available at most craft stores or cake shops)

Stuff the bag with the icing (you may have to do it twice), and pipe in a spiral, starting with the outer rim of the cupcake and working inward. While still wet, apply sprinkles, nonpareils or sanding sugar. Then top with a little marshmallow-shaped bunny (Kraft) and voila...Easter Cupcakes!!!

Spring Green Sanding Sugar

2010-04-03T08:51:00.001-05:00

I was at my local Home Goods the other night and ran into this...

I don't know which I like better, the color of the sugar, or the adorable container it comes in?? Either way, when the sugar runs out (which it will), I'm keeping the bottle and refilling it with something else!!

Pedicure Party Sugar Cookie Favor

2010-04-01T18:15:00.001-05:00

I recently made these for a Pedicure Party with the girls at church:

I think the cutter was originally intended for a baby theme - not anymore!

Owls!

2010-04-01T18:00:00.000-05:00

A friend of ours recently sent us on a photo/text hunt...to find an owl's nest in the greenbelt near our house. So in return for entertaining my kids for an entire hour...I had some chocolate dough left over from the baby onesies and a newly acquired owl cookie cutter, and this is what I came up with to give him:

attached was a note that said "OWL be darned, that was a HOOT!"
Thanks, Rich!

Chocolate Onesies

2010-04-01T17:39:00.003-05:00

2 dozen of these chocolate onesies were shipped to a baby shower in Utah. I was having trouble with my SD card, so I used my iPhone to take the photo instead...that's why the color is a little off :)

Thanks Megan!

Some more Easter cookies

2010-03-20T20:10:00.005-05:00

My cute and ever-so-thoughtful Mother-in-law gave me this adorable mini-cookie cutter 6-pack Easter set from Wilton. I wondered if I'd be able to decorate cookies so small. They turned out better than I expected, and really weren't that difficult to decorate - in fact, these teenie tiny cookie cutters may be my newest obsession:

I also wanted to try a new chocolate sugar cookie recipe, with these bunnies:

Happy Easter!!

And the Winner is....

2010-03-16T19:27:00.002-05:00

The winner of the just-iced Earth Day Cookies Giveaway is...

Tammy (5Pack)!!

Step right up and claim your prize!

Please contact me within 48 hours or it goes to the next contestant.

Thanks to everyone for participating, it was so fun!

Stay tuned for more giveaways in the near future.

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."

~Native American Proverb

Easter!!

2010-03-11T09:19:00.004-06:00

Carrot and Bunny

Bright Polka-Dot Eggs

Cupcake Toppers (photo with cupcake to come...)

Teenie Tiny Chuck Taylors

2010-03-11T08:55:00.004-06:00

I received an order from a lady who wanted 40 red sneaker cupcake toppers for her daughter's birthday party. I couldn't find a cookie cutter small enough, so I made my own - based off a photo I got at my favorite online shoe company's website :)

Good thing I had a #1 and #2 tip handy! This project taught me a valuable lesson - just because the cookie is smaller doesn't mean it's less work!

Birthday Cupcakes!

2010-03-11T08:48:00.003-06:00

I made a bunch of these for March birthdays...I got the idea off a gift bag at World Market! I think the glitter adds a nice touch!

The Earth Day Giveaway is still going on - Enter Today!!

Earth Day Giveaway!!

2010-03-08T09:05:00.002-06:00

Earth Day is March 20, 2010!!!

In commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, I'm doing my first GIVEAWAY!!

Up for grabs is one dozen, 2" in diameter Planet Earth freshly baked, hand-decorated sugar cookies, wrapped in an FDA approved cellophane gift bag and tied with a coordinating ribbon.

There are several ways to enter (and you get one entry per each!!)

1) Comment on this post (MANDATORY FOR FIRST ENTRY),
2) Follow me on Blogger,
3) Post about this giveaway on your blog (include URL pls),
4) Become a fan of my Just-Iced Cookies Facebook Page,
5) Follow me on Twitter (justicedcookies),
6) Tweet about the giveaway,
7) Post the giveaway on your Facebook Page

Let me know in your post which of these you have completed (and any usernames associated with your accounts for verification). Contest ends at 8:00 p.m. EST on March 16, after which the winner will be announced. Winner must contact me within 48 hours, or it's going to the next contestant. Good luck!!

More Shamrocks...

2010-03-02T08:54:00.004-06:00

St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner!

The WF CF Cookie

2010-02-25T16:38:00.011-06:00

One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong...can you tell me which thing is not like the others??

If you guessed the pink onesie on the left, you're right! Why? because that one is wheat-free and corn-free. (If you said the pink one on the right - you could be right too - it's not as smooth as the others. That was my trial cookie - boooo).

A few of us threw a baby shower for our friend Lauren over the weekend. When we were deciding on the menu, I volunteered to do sugar cookie favors. Later on, one of the other girls mentioned that Lauren is allergic to both wheat and corn (...and dairy, and citrus). YIKES! I'd never made anything wheat-free before...and I thought there wasn't any corn in my cookies...

Turns out there's corn everywhere...namely in the form of corn syrup and corn starch. There's corn starch in baking powder, powdered sugar and meringue powder. I sometimes add corn syrup to my icing to make it shiny. Not this time.

Luckily Lauren gave me some good advice...substitute spelt flour for the all-purpose flour in my recipe, buy an organic powdered sugar that uses tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, and I found a container of dried egg whites (no real egg whites in the icing...because she's pregnant). The results were a little different than my regular cookies, but surprisingly good!

The sugar cookie dough and texture and color was a little different, but tasty...reminded me a little of a graham cracker or something you might get at the healthy bread store, and slightly more dense.

The royal icing color was different (off-white), but after adding color you could hardly tell the difference.

Lauren said she loved the cookies and thought they tasted great! Even a couple of kids (including my own/pickiest eater ever) gobbled them up!

♣ Shamrocks are Here!! ♣

2010-02-21T17:58:00.006-06:00

Just made some finishing touches on some shamrock sugar cookies for St. Patrick's Day...

I couldn't resist using my favorite AmeriColor shade, "Electric Green" (the background color on the cookies with the polka-dots)

Onesie's for Baby Owen

2010-02-17T20:35:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, my cute sister-in-law had her FOURTH baby...and FIRST boy!! We sent a little care package to Baby Owen with some goodies for the parents and awesome older sisters!!

I wish we could have given these to them in person, they live states away and we miss them so much!

WOW...a GIRLY GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-02-14T12:58:00.005-06:00

Marlana at GIRLY GIVEAWAYS recently approached me to let her sample some of my cookies and write up a review on her blog! I jumped at the opportunity and sent her a Valentine's Day sugar cookie assortment. As I waited to hear back from her...many concerns and fears emerged...what if they broke in the mail? what if they all stuck together and created a ginormous cookie blob?

Luckily for me, she loved them! She also gave me an all-too-generous review on her blog...AND is doing a GIVEAWAY of my currently most popular Berry Sweet Strawberry Cookies. So head on over to GIRLY GIVEAWAYS to enter the drawing! Hurry, the contest ends February 20.

While you're there, you may as well become one of her followers, because, who doesn't like FREE STUFF?

Thank you Marlana!!

Cool TOOL!!

2010-02-07T13:34:00.011-06:00

I have the best in-laws. EVER. Not only do they think of others 99.5% of the time, they SEE what others need, and then they DO what needs to be done. And even if it's something that doesn't NEED to be done, they just WANT to - and do it anyway...just to make the recipient's life easier. Here's just one little example:

My father-in-law was browsing in Sur La Table (most likely with my mother-in-law, we share a passion for kitchen-y stuff) - and passed by one of THESE:

(cue angels singing)

...a Kuhn Rikon squeezable decorating kit!! He asked me if I already had one, or if it would be something I'd use? Since the closest Sur la Table to me is 78 miles away...I jumped on the web to look it up...

Would I use it? uuuuuh, ya - It's PERFECT!! Interchangeable tips on a squeeze bottle? It's genius. No more dealing with the mess and headache of pastry bags...and the dual chamber bottle? Brilliant!

Then yesterday came a knock on my door...oh what could it be? A package!!

It's made in Switzerland (think Swiss army knives, Swatch, Toblerone, cow bells) - you know it's quality is going to be top notch!! I can't wait to use it - oh the possibilities! :)

So THANK YOU Steve, I am going to "keep on bakin' "!

♥ Valentine's Day Cookies ♥

2010-02-05T15:16:00.004-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Glittery Kissy Fish

2010-02-04T09:10:00.010-06:00

This is one of my favorite cookie cutters - a little fish with BIG lips! It actually came in an Easy Bake cookie cutter set that my daughter got when she was 4 or 5, and which I took over when she discovered that cookies baked by a 40 W lightbulb are...um, not quite as good as ones baked in a real oven :)

I used my new FAVORITE decorating medium - DISCO DUST - to make the fish sparkle!

Spring Fever!

2010-02-04T08:46:00.008-06:00

I don't know about you, but this dreary weather is really getting to me.

I made these daisies to brighten things up a little!!

Why not brighten someone else's day?

Strawberries

2010-02-04T08:42:00.005-06:00

I found a strawberry cookie cutter among my gazillion...they're small (about 2 bites worth), but about the size of a real strawberry! My daughter LOVES berries - these are her favorite!!

They fit perfectly in a gift bag too!

Band Cookies

2010-01-28T15:28:00.008-06:00

Beetle Cookies

2010-01-28T15:14:00.004-06:00

My nephew had a car themed birthday party, so I made 2 dozen of these as favors :)

A's Baby Shower

2010-01-23T07:48:00.002-06:00

The cake is lemon, with lemon buttercream and lemon curd filling, covered in fondant. The figurine is also made of fondant (and a few toothpicks)

The treat table

Sugar cookie favors

Christmas Cookies

2010-01-23T07:47:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving/Fall Cookies

2010-01-23T07:46:00.004-06:00

Halloween Cookies

2010-01-22T17:11:00.002-06:00

Always Wash Your Hands!!

2010-01-01T20:45:00.000-06:00

Before doing anything in the kitchen, and especially when handling food - WASH YOUR HANDS!!

Prices

2010-01-01T17:03:00.006-06:00

The price of my cookies is based on size, weight, and detail involved. It takes time and a steady hand to make a pretty cookie. I think you'll find my cost is less than your neighborhood bakery or online retailer. Here is a general breakdown:

Basic Single Cookie Favors, 3-5":
Includes: One design. Icing only, up to 3 colors; wrapped in cellophane bag and tied with a twist-tie.

$2.50 per cookie, minimum order 1/2 dozen

Deluxe Single Cookie Favors, 3-5":
Includes: One design with any or all of the following: Icing in 3+ colors, basic edible decorations:

sanding sugar
non-pareils
sprinkles
jimmies

wrapped in a cellophane bag, tied with a coordinating colored ribbon.

$2.75 per cookie, minimum order 1/2 dozen

Pimped Out Single Cookie Favors, 3-5":
Includes: One or more designs, 3+ colors, with any of all of the following edible decorations:

sanding sugar
sprinkles
non-pareils
jimmies
jewels/gems
fondant
dragees
glitter

in a cellophane bag tied with a coordinating ribbon.

Multi Basic Cookie Favors: Up to 3 cookie shapes, icing and choice of one edible decoration, up to 3 colors; wrapped in cellophane bag and tied with a twist-tie

$2.75 per cookie, minimum order 1 dozen

Multi-Deluxe Single Cookie Favors, 3-5":
Includes: Up to 3 cookie shapes with any or all of the following: Icing, 3+ colors, edible decorations (gems, dragees, fondant, sanding sugar, glitter) in a cellophane bag tied with a coordinating ribbon.

$3.25 per cookie, minimum order 1 dozen

Small Dozen, One Design:
Cookies measuring 2-3", one design, all packaged in one cellophane bag:

$12

Small Dozen, Multi Design:
$14

Cookie Platter (Local Pickup Only): Cookies arranged on a platter, wrapped in cellophane and decorative ribbon:

1 Dozen, 1 Design, Basic (up to 3 colors): $28
1 Dozen, Multi Design, Basic: $32
1 Dozen Deluxe (3+ colors, edible decorations): $36
1 Dozen Deluxe Multi: $40

I have set up an Etsy Shop, which gives an idea of the different shapes, sizes, and prices for cookies. I ship too!

Nutrition Facts

2010-01-01T12:26:00.001-06:00

I thought it would be fun to find an online calorie calculator to calculate how many calories and fat grams are in one of my sugar cookies. Here are the results: (based on the Recipe Calculator at SparkRecipes.com.)

Nutrition Facts User Entered Recipe
48 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories		189.7

Total Fat		4.3 g

	Saturated Fat	1.4 g

	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.8 g

	Monounsaturated Fat	1.2 g

Cholesterol		7.2 mg

Sodium		91.3 mg

Potassium		24.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate		36.3 g

	Dietary Fiber	0.4 g

	Sugars	24.7 g

Protein		1.9 g

For one 3.5" iced cookie, under 200 calories and 4.3 grams of fat isn't too shabby! If I use a reduced-fat version of one of my ingredients, it brings the fat grams total to 3.9 and calories to 186.

Now, I'm not saying my cookies are healthy, but for someone who may be watching their waistline, one cookie isn't a bad option for a tasty dessert. ...or am I starting to sound like the devil's advocate?

Whipped Buttercream Icing

2010-01-01T11:19:00.000-06:00

Whipped Buttercream Icing

2 cups butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or lemon)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Place butter in mixing bowl, add 2 cups powdered sugar; mix on low speed until combined. Whip at medium speed, adding the condensed milk until light and fluffy.

In separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff while adding the 1/2 cup powdered sugar slowly. Add slowly to the butter mixture. Add vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. If stiffer icing is desired, add more powdered sugar.

contact

2010-01-01T10:37:00.001-06:00

Have a custom order in mind? Questions? Comments?

You can get in contact with me via email at just.iced@yahoo.com

I'd love to work with you!