Canadian Cancer Society Cookies

You know, when I started decorating desserts for fun, when I started the baking dreamer blog, when I decided I would try my luck at building up a business, I just never thought I would be making a cookie with a cancer society logo on it... But when my good friend Rozanne, future cure for cancer inventor, asked me to make cookies to use on that organisation's bake sale, I was more than happy to do it. Plus, being in Canada, she only needed the pictures, not the cookies, so I really just have a bunch of cookies to eat now...that's always a plus...

So I went on the net to take a look at the logo and was happy to see that it was a pretty one, a relatively easy one, one that could take a few variations, and well, as a plus, after making those 20 Minuten cookies, I had almost the right shade of blue for the background already prepared! So I really tried new things here. The best one, and probably, when doing it correctly, this system always has the best result, a complete fondant deco. That's the cookie on the left, or the second picture.

I had never actually tried cookies with fondant before, and I will tell you why, the idea of eating a simple sugar cookie with slabs of sweet play-doh consistency fondant on it, almost makes me feel sick... I don't even dislike fondant, but it is still the last thing I would choose to eat (out of the ok tasting foods)The result though, speaks for itself:

Second, I wanted to do something 3d and just super pretty, so I made a daffodil in the look of the logo, also out of gumpaste/fondant and just placed it on my royal iced cookie. This is my favorite...

My two best efforts:

I think for me, the cartoony version of every single type of cookie (with a black outline) is always my personal favorite though. I just always prefer it because I happen to like cartoons alot. Not everyone agrees with me, I am sure...

To finish off, all of the cookies. With sparkles, with a blue flower and a yellow background, fondant, royal icing, round, square and just the flowers, this is the Canadian Cancer Society cookie platter I managed to come up with.

In the end, Rozanne says she likes them, so that is the most important thing. I am just especially happy I tried the whole fondant experience, because it sure does make a cookie look absolutely flawless... What do you guys think? Any favorites? Now I am off to eat the cookies!!!

Logo Cookies

A few days ago, I wrote a mini post, fairly excited about something new I was trying for a friend. Turns out my tryout had worked really well, but I hadn't tried it on a cookie yet... Let me tell you more about this cookie adventure... One of my very nice friends asked me to make 20 cookies of the Logo found on the link at the bottom of this post (if it worked out correctly...if not I will add it by text...). At first I was a bit sceptical...not because I didn't want to do it, but because, not owning one of those edible ink printers, and not really liking the look of the cookies made by those anyway, I didn't quite know how I would manage to make the logo look like the logo, and not a cartoony version of it. Now I figured that the big part of the logo would be ok, but the small writing at the bottom would probably sort of come out as my own handwriting and I didn't want that at all. While writing to my friend that although I will try, to not expect toooooo much, I had a flash...why not make a stencil. I haven't worked with stencils ever, considering my only tryout looked catastrophic, but I saw no other way out...so I went ahead and made a stencil with an exacto knife and a piece of acetate. This was the result...

I tried it on a piece of paper and it turned out perfect-but the page is completely flat and cookies aren't that perfect... but I decided I had no other choice, went ahead, made the cookies and flooded them, and the next day, tried the stencil on them...this is the result!

They are darker than the logo on the link. But just a bit darker than the logo on the actual paper...it's pretty close anyway... what do you guys think?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/20minuten_logo.svg

In the end, there is no way to make it totally perfect unless you are printing them on the cookie, but in this case, I felt that the imperfect look matched the logo and the idea that it's a newpaper-it looks like the work of an old well used typewritter doesn't it! I am quite happy with the result...the only thing is, oh my does it ever take a long time to work with a stencil, and I was scared stiff every single time I pulled it off the cookie...was it going to be ok, or was the back of the cookie ruined? Arrggghhhh! Only a few were less nice, those I ate (well I had made 24 instead of the asked for 20...who can blame me?) Hope you guys like them!

The classic Whoopie Pie

For those of you who used to follow my old blog, you must be wondering what all the fuss is about the whoopie pie. I think I made them 4 times since starting on this baking adventure... but the whoopie pie delivery made me think...if I am to offer something, I better offer the absolute classic. Just because a few ingredients can't be found in Switzerland (well I don't know where if they can) doesn't mean they can't be found on the internet! So after having sent the buttercream version of the whoopie pie to a nice woman in Friboug, I got obsessed with offering the REAL thing. And this morning, I got what I needed to make them in the mail. After a short night, I was awoken by two horrifyingly loud rings and went to open the door, still shaking from the shock!! But then I saw the loot...marshmallow fluff and yes, my very first tub of crisco, I was back to my old self. When I opened it I just couldn't believe the colour of it...I couldn't remember it really from my childhood. Just that my mom used to keep a tub and it seemed to last forever... Vegetable shortening, I am surprised it has so much more calories than butter when it claims to be so much healthier... Look at that...I don't know if you notice the colour that much. It's sort of a transparent white, like wax. Ugh...

But, and there is a big BUT (no pun intended), it does  happen to make this here cookie sandwich, known as the classic whoopie pie, possible. And if it can do this, than it is worth having in your kitchen pantry.

The classic

 And because I didn't want to be attacked for keeping it plain (I just think some things should be kept pure) I added some dark chocolate chunks and sprinkles to a few of the pies...

So that's it, the classic is officially on the menu, filled with huge amounts of calories and yumminess! Enjoy!!

Little Red Riding Hood cookies

The artist who created this version of little red riding hood, (who's link you can find at the lower left of this blog : Little Miss Arty) has known for a long time that I have wanted to recreate her beautiful print on cookie. I don't quite remember how long, at least a month...but other things have been pushing this project back...Two evenings ago I decided the wait had to come to an end, I needed to do this, but NOW!!! I just love how she made it, but I though it would probably be difficult to get it just right, so I decided to do 3 versions : a cartoony one with black edges, a one dimensioned one-most similar to her print, and a multi-layered one with no background. I decided to go with different shapes (I would have used more think bubbles for the little ones, but I didn't have any cookie cutters that made that effect) and I thought if I put all the elements on one cookie, it may be too crowdy. So these are the cookies I came up with...which one do you prefer?

The multi-layered version, much smaller to eat?

The cartoony version (this is actually the least similar to the print, but the style I like most)?

Or the one dimensional, no border version?

I felt the little cookies looked better in only that one version, made two of each just to have more cookies :)

Last but not least, the cookies next to the original. I tried to stay as close as possible to the original colours, only, I have a photocopied version of the original, so who knows how close my colours really are... Anyway, it took a long time to get this done, and in the end, it went fairly easily and I quite like the result! How do you guys like them?

Sprinkle in his eye to give it effect..I like!!

New possibilities...

Ooooh I am very excited about this... a friend of mine ordered something that I didn't quite think I could manage without an edible ink printer and I have seen quite a few things made with those printers and 99% belong in the either creepy, ugly or just plain boring categories. The other 1% have been created by the very best bakers, and frankly I don't count myself amongst them quite yet! That's why I don't want to get one of those machines. But somehow I had a stroke of genius that I then tried out on paper and it came out perfectly! So stay tuned! This opens up a world of creative possibilities! Yay!!!

Animal Cake Pops

If you would have told me 6 months ago that I would be making cake pops "just for fun" once in awhile, I would not have believed you... After my first catastrophic attempt, instead of giving up (which is what I normally do when I am not perfect at something from the first try) I somehow got obsessed with the cake pop. I figured, looking on the internet, that if every north american housewife was able to make these, I sure as hell would too! Lo and behold, I fell in love with these little fellas and now love to look on the internet for inspiration and give my finds my own special touch.

And so this evening, with a splitting headache, I decided to make cake pops, just for fun! And look what came out! I realize it's an odd mix, but I wanted to make a pink elephant, figured, if I am already using pink, why not make a pig, and then I wanted to make a yellow bird and asked my husband what other yellow animal would he like to see...he yelled out giraffe! I made 3 of each, and they came out great (I think), AND my headache is GONE!!!! Ok, I did take 3 advils before starting. But one thing is for sure, 6 months ago, I would have needed 10 advils to get rid of a headache while making cake pops...

Today on the internet I found someone called Cake Pop Princess and she said something about candy clay, so I tried it out and made the elephant's trump with it! I don't love the medium (it's powdered sugar with water-incredibly sweet, almost sickening, probably what gave me the headache...) but it worked out well!

Used the pink to pipe on the wing...not great, but still cute...I didn't have any white candy melts so I couldn't make cuter eyes, I used white sugar pearls instead...do you like the googly effect?

More candy clay for the nose, and chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the ears...

Last but not least...my husband wanted me to paint patches on the giraffe to make it look a bit more real...!

So that's it! My own little Noah's ark...only very few types of animals and well, 3 of each... oh my, has anyone tried to make a type of Noah's ark cake pop extravagganza? Imagine the amount of work in designing so many animals but only making 2 of each! One day...but not for fun in the evening with a splitting headache...!! Hope you like these!!

The black and white cookie

Mmmmmmmm.......

I just don't know of a better tasting cookie. Chocolate cookie with white chocolate chunks? You just can't go wrong! I made these tonight because I had been dreaming of just tasty cookies for a few days...I decided to succumb to the temptation and well it's only been an hour, and I have already eaten three! I just hope they last till the weekend...

Whoopie pie delivery?

Ahhh the whoopie pie...it's just such a great dessert! But not known at all here in Switzerland, so imagine my surprise at having someone ask me to make some for them! And send them! Well, I did, this morning, after having frozen them solid and wrapping them up individually. I thought I would share this with you because I find it quite exciting, this experiment to see if I can send whoopie pies with the mail...
Hoping that I will hear some news from the recipient and tell you about it! Wish me luck!!

I got my answer today...the whoopie pies got there ok! Just to be certain of the taste in the future though, I went ahead and ordered crisco and fluff on the internet today...we'll see what kind of difference these ingredients make! But one thing is for sure, I can now ship whoopie pies!

Why I changed my blog...

Hello everyone!
For those of you who read my blog more or less regularly, you must be wondering why I have changed my blog address. Well it's simple...I am not a baking dreamer anymore, I am officially That Baking Girl. I will soon be getting my website and be up for official business. I wanted a blog that would describe how I am doing with my new business, a place I could maybe put some regular information on for people visiting the official website to see, post all of the latest experiments and hopefully orders. It remains in english because I would rather write in a language I make less mistakes in. I will try to put some information in german as well though.
So I hope you like the new blog, I have left it exactly as it was before-I like that look! I won't be dreaming anymore though, I will be doing! And I hope you guys can accompany me on my new journey! With more success than disasters! Happy reading!!

Some lawyer cookies

A good friend of mine was looking for a birthday present for a friend and you know how it is, presents are just tough...you tend to buy things you like and hope the other person has the same taste as you, isn't this the truth? Anyway, a few days ago she thought of me...what about cake pops? With a lawyer theme.  In the end I felt that it would be probably cuter to go with cookies... so we both looked around the internet for cute lawyer things and she sent me these cute little characters! I thought up a dialog that I felt went well with the occasion and the expressions of the little guys! Hope you guys like them!

"Patricia is getting old" "No she isn't"! (Too bad that blue is not coming out well in this picture...) "30 is old" "Objection"

"30 is the new 20" (we 30+ love to think this) "Pffff" "Paragraph 3.2.113.55 proves it" "The court has come to a decision"

30 is wonderful and so are you! Happy birthday!

I really hope she will like these and that the birthday girl is happy to get them as a present too!