Desserts for Dudes: Yes, I'd like some fries with that.

So, dudes.  Over the years, we've made: fried chicken cookies (no, really), beer and hot dog cookies, french fry cookies.  It was time for the CHEESEBURGER COOKIE!!!

These cheeseburger cookies are made from not one, not two, but three cookies...all stacked together with a little icing and some fondant cheese.  

(Mmmm, fondant cheese. < please say that in a Homer Simpson voice.)

Angie, the cute dessert mastermind otherwise known as Bakerella, made some sweet cheeseburgers waaaaaay back in 2009 from cupcakes and brownies.  (I know.)  She also has cute little printable boxes to put them in.  That Angie...where would we be without her?

The cheeseburger cookies are really simple to make, especially if you bake the cookies the day before assembling.  If you have some frozen cookie dough stashed away in your freezer, all the better. 


Make them in any size you'd like.  These cookies are 2" across.  Technically sliders, right? ;)


To make cheeseburger cookies, you'll need:

• circle cut-out cookies, vanilla and chocolate
• royal icing (quarter this recipe), divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Red, Egg Yellow, Leaf Green and Ivory
• fondant (Satin Ice Brand or make your own), tinted with AmeriColor Electric Orange
• disposable icing bags (4)
• couplers and tips: #2, #3, #1, and leaf
• cornstarch
• small square cookie cutter (I looooove this set from Sur la Table)

You'll want twice as many vanilla cookies as chocolate.  I rolled mine out to 1/4" thickness.


Roll the fondant on a cornstarch-dusted surface to about 1/8" inch, or thinner.  (Be sure to coat the rolling pin and cookie cutters, too.)


Cut squares out of the fondant to make cheese slices for the burgers.


Place one vanilla cookie with the bottom facing up.  Squeeze on some royal icing in the center.  It doesn't matter what color, it's just to hold the "meat" in place. ;)

Place a chocolate cookie on top.  Add a bit of royal icing, then place on the cheese slice.

Pipe red and yellow icing around the edges of the cookies on top of the cheese.  I used a #2 tip for the ketchup and #3 for mustard.  More mustard, more better.

Lightly place another vanilla cookie on top.  Add lettuce around the edge of the cookie in green icing using a leaf tip.


Use a #1 tip to add sesame seeds with the ivory icing.  (Alternatively, add real sesame seeds to half of the vanilla cookies before baking.)

Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes before handling the cookies.


The only thing missing is the pickle. 

Come Fly with Me...

My baby is 15.  FIFTEEN!!!  Really, that saying that goes, "the days are long, but the years are short" is so, so true.  Although, ever since he became a teenager, it feels like the days are flying by, too.

Speaking of flying...that's what kiddo wants to do.  Fly.  Who knows where this will go...he is only 15...but aviation is definitely his passion right now.  His room is strewn with FAA directories, airplane models, and pilot handbooks.  He's memorized the airline flight schedules and knows when the "heavies" are taking off and landing.

Given a choice, he'd be at the airport, plane spotting every day of the week.  I must admit, it's pretty neat.  Even though, most of my spotting is watching HIM watching the planes.



With that in mind, I made some pilot-themed cookies for his birthday celebration.  I don't have much in the way of tutorials since I wanted them to be a surprise, but I'll walk you through making them.

To make the Jet Trail or Contrail cookies, you'll need:

• airplane image to trace
• waxed paper
• cut-out cookies, square, round or rectangle
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Bright White and Sky Blue
• couplers and tips (#2, #1)
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• small paintbrush

Make the airplane transfers: (these can be made up to 1 month in advance and stored in an airtight container.)  Place the airplane image on an upside-down cookie sheet.  Cover with waxed paper, and tape the waxed paper down to hold it in place.

Use a #1 or #2 tip to trace the outline of the airplane onto the waxed paper with white icing.
(Make extras in case of breakage.)

Thin some of the white icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the white icing for piping details later.) 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 a squeeze bottle. Fill in the outlines.

Let the transfers dry completely, 6-8 hours.

Outline the cookie in blue with a #2 tip.  Thin the blue icing using the method described above.  Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing.

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

Carefully peel the transfers off of the waxed paper.  Use a bit of piping consistency royal icing to adhere the airplanes onto the cookies.


Use a #1 tip to pipe small dots down from the wings.
(Um, that paintbrush has seen better days.)


Use a very slightly damp, small, flat paintbrush to drag the icing dots together making a "contrail."

(Since there are 4 engines on my airplane transfer, I originally intended for there to be 4 contrails, but they didn't look quite right on the cookies.)

For the pilot shirt cookies, you'll need: 

• shirt cut-out cookies 
• royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor Bright White, Super Black, and Egg Yellow
• couplers and tips (#2, #1)
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks

Use a #2 tip to outline the shirts with white icing. 

Thin some of the white icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the white icing for piping details later.) 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 a squeeze bottle. Fill in the outlines.

Let the icing dry for at least 1 hour.

Switch the tip on the white icing to a #1 tip, and pipe rectangles to make a collar.

Use a #2 tip to outline the tie and shoulder patches with black icing.

Add the pocket details in white.

Thin the black icing as described above; fill in the black outlines.

Let the cookies dry at least 1 hour.

Use a #1 tip to add the wings and stripes in yellow icing.

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


This is my favorite pic from his birthday celebration:

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this child?  I mean, like, with every fiber of my being?  Have I also mentioned how fortunate I feel that he has this great group of friends in his life?   Whatever his future brings, pilot or not, I'm looking forward to seeing it.  But, in the meantime, I wish time would slooooow doooooown just a bit.

Happy flying!

I'm Batty for You!

You're a Homerun!

Please don't let me Strike Out!

I hope our love goes Extra Innings!

 Swing, Batter Batter Batter, SWING, Batter!

{ok...that has nothing to do with Valentine's Day. I just like a Ferris Bueller reference where I can get it.} Click the link to watch...it's in the upper left corner of the linked page.

You're a Hit!

Don't throw me a Curve Ball!

I love you at Home or Away!  
You've Stolen my heart! 

We make a great Team!

{Let's skip the whole "getting to second base" theme.}

As the mom of a boy, I know they usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to Valentine's Day.  Not everything has to be pink, and ribbons, and lace (and I love those things)!
Valentines for boys can be cute, too!!!

 {image: Decorating Cookies}

In Decorating Cookies, I created some Heart Robot cookies...which is one of my favorite designs in the whole book.  Yay for boy valentines!  Today...Baseball Valentines.

{These cookies were inspired by this Valentine from Minted....how cute is that card?!?}

To make baseball valentine cookies, you'll need:

• baseball themed and heart cut-out sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Bright White, Warm Brown, and Super Red
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips: #2, #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• fan (paint) brush
• paper towel
• AmeriColor Chocolate Brown

Using #2 tips, outline all of the cookies.  Outline the caps and hearts in white and the bats in brown.

Thin the brown and white icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the white icing for piping details later.) 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.

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles. 

Let the cookies dry for 30 minutes to one hour.

Use #1 tips to add detail piping to the caps and the heart "baseballs." I like to make the stitching into little hearts.

Let the cookies dry 6-8 hours or overnight.

Once they are completely dry, mix water with the chocolate brown food coloring....a 1 to 1 ratio or so.  Trim the fan brush, so that it is uneven.  Dip the brush into the food coloring mixture, dab the excess on a paper towel and brush onto the cookies.

The food coloring will dry fairly quickly and be ready for packaging and giving.

What baseball phrase would you use on a Valentine? 

---

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!

And the Golden Globe (cookie) Goes to . . .

.....Jim Parsons (Sheldon) from The Big Bang Theory.

Here's the story....a sweet girl, Lindsay, who I used to work with actually knows Jim.  Yep, I know people who know people. ;)

Turns out that Jim went to the same high school I did although, I'm sure, MANY moons after I graduated.

I've always said that nothing makes me more nervous than making a logo cookie, since I don't have one of those handy-dandy projectors.  Well, I've amended that....nothing makes me more nervous than making logo cookies for a Golden Globe WINNER.

 

{You know what?  Everything looks better with a little ribbon....even a shaky logo.}

Did you know that the Golden Globe award has a little "filmstrip" wrapped around it?  I didn't, either.  That's what those dots and squares are supposed to be. (I used a luster dust called Golden Charm here....I love the color!)

Bazinga!  That's Sheldon's catchphrase.

Congratulations on your Golden Globe, Jim!  You're doing Spring, Texas proud! :)