Kentucky Derby Cookies

... And down the stretch they come...

My Dad asked me to make some cookies for a Kentucky Derby party this weekend.

I didn't do a great job of taking pictures to give you a tutorial, so I'll just share many pictures of the finished products.(Feel free to ask in the comments if you have questions about how I made something.)

I had a lot of inspiration from other cookie/baking websites. The horses I saw on the site Cookie Cowgirl.

I really love the horses. They turned out so well, and, honestly, they weren't that hard. The hair was probably the hardest/ most putsy part. I am trying to decide who else in my life needs horse cookies.

The hats were what my Dad really liked. I based those on some made by Bakerella. They were a little harder than I'd hoped, and I'm nervous that the flowers won't make it to South Carolina in tact, but I am hopeful.

And the Derby 'silks,' I cut out by hand, using an image from the official Derby site.

Lastly, the horseshoes... now, these I just know won't survive shipping, but I had to try. What's a horse without a shoe?

Click the Links Below to See:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
Royal Icing Consistency Tutorial

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Easy Superhero Birthday Cake

A special friend requested a little 'different' kind of cake for his 6th birthday. He wanted Green Lantern, because Green Lantern is his favorite superhero. BUT he was having a party at a pool, so he wanted Green Lantern... swimming.

I decided to try to make what is called a 'frozen buttercream transfer' to make Green Lantern.
But when I got started, I was certain, just completely sure, it would not work. (I planned a trip to Target to buy the figurine. I was that sure it would be awful.)
So, that is why I don't have a whole lot of pictures of the technique, but I have a few. I will share my lessons, and give you a few links to more complete tutorials by others.
And maybe soon, I will try it again, and do a better tutorial, because it really wasn't as hard as I'd imagined.

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Polka Dot Cakes Revisited

Remember the Polka Dot Cake?

Photos Courtesy: ScotchBrand.com

Well, as it turns out, I did all of the practice to learn how to make it for a special project.

It is for a website showcasing some pretty cool options for Scotch Tape.

Polka Dot Tape!!

I had a lot of fun watching how the real pros, professional photographers and stylists make pictures look great.

It's a good thing I didn't send them this one!!

Click the Links Below to See:
How To Make a Polka Dot Cake
How to Make a Sprinkle-Sprinkle Cake
Another Polka Dot Cake Idea

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Pretzels! Peanuts! Cookies!

These cookies got quite a few comments from people who weren't sure they were 'real' when I brought them to an event at a brewery last week.

I have to admit that the pretzels took a little longer than I would have liked, but that's because my free-hand artist abilities are less than those of my six-year-olds.

What You Need:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough 
  or Chocolate Sugar Cookie Dough
Cookie Cutters (Peanut & Pretzel or Heart & Dog Bone)*
Royal Icing
Food Coloring (Brown, Black, Yellow)
Piping Bags and Tips #1, #2

* I did not have Pretzel or Peanut cookie cutters. So, I used a dog bone for the peanuts, and a combination of a heart, round cutter and bee cutter for the pretzel. (I think you could make just a heart and a knife work for them, if you wanted to be less OCD than me.)

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Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes {Recipe}

These Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes are just the right combination of tart and sweet. And even though the standard-sized cupcakes look prettier, I think these cupcakes in mini-size are the way to go... just the right icing to cupcake ratio in each bite... plus, then you get to eat more of them with less guilt.

What You Need:
To Make 20-24 Standard Cupcakes (6-8 dozen minis):
For the Lemon Curd:
1-2 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons)
6 egg yolks (reserve the whites for icing and cake)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (cut into chunks)

For the Cupcakes:
White Cake Mix
2 egg whites + 1 whole egg (reserve the yolks!)
1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 cup milk (whole milk preferred)
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons)
2-3 tsp. lemon zest
Optional: 1/4-1/2 cup pureed strawberries (if you add the strawberries, decrease the milk by the same amount)

For the Strawberry Lemonade Icing:
4 egg whites (yolks used in curd)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cup) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup lemon curd (see above)
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 1 cup frozen)

*Grand total, in case you're not keeping track, is:
- 7 eggs
- 5 sticks of butter
- 4-8 lemons

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Teacher Appreciation Cookies

There's nothing like treats to make a teacher feel loved and appreciated... especially homemade treats.
(Even though one of my kids' teachers told me early in the year that she didn't eat too many homemade treats. She then revised that, after I brought her a few. Now, she doesn't even wait until the kids leave the classroom before digging in!)

What You Need:
Vanilla Sugar Cookie Recipe
Chocolate Roll-Out Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing
Coloring (Green, Brown, Black, Red, Blue)
Piping Bags and Icing Tips #1, 2 & 3
A ruler and knife or pizza/pastry cutter
For the stars, I used a star cutter, and this gold sprinkling sugar from Williams-Sonoma.

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Lemon Curd {Recipe}

This lemon curd is one of my favorite things. I love it. It's awesome with scones, in pies, as a filling in cakes and cupcakes, and as I recently discovered, in icing!

What You Need:
1-2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2-4 lemons)
6 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter (cut into chunks)
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Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes {Recipe}

Margaritas. I like mine frozen and blended with strawberries, raspberries, even the occasional mango.

Now, everyone has her own opinion about what a margarita should taste like. So, please note that I give you many "ranges" for the flavors in this recipe. If you like it with less lime and more strawberry, by all means, add more strawberry, and less lime. If you get sick at the taste of tequila, skip it. They'll still be tasty. Make it your taste! (Just try to keep the total amount of liquid about the same.)

What You Need:
For 20-24 Cupakes:
White or Vanilla Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk (whole milk preferred)
1/4 cup (half of a stick) melted butter 
1 - 1 1/2 cups frozen whole strawberries (divided)*
zest and juice from 1-2 limes
2-3 Tbsp. Tequila

For the Icing:
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar (not powdered sugar)
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter (at room temperature)
1/3 cup Strawberry puree*
zest and juice of one lime
2-3 Tbsp. Tequila

Optional for decorating:
Pastry bag with Tip 1A (or 2A)
Sparkling sugar sprinkles
Sliced fresh limes 
Sliced fresh strawberries

*Note: Defrost the strawberries. Strain about 1/4 cup of the juice. Puree the remaining strawberries and juice. Use 1/2-2/3 cup in the cupcakes, save the remaining 1/3 cup for the icing.

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