the enchanted oven

Friday, June 10, 2011

Chintz petit fours

I was in one of those girly moods today. I started thinking about when I used to have a tea party almost every day with my daughter Isabelle when she was a little girl. She had a miniature silver tea pot and a collection of espresso cups that were the perfect size for tea (actually, apple juice). It is a very precious memory for me, and I hope she will look back on it fondly when she is an adult. My favorite little cup had a chintz pattern on it - I am insane for chintz. I am also insane for roses. I grow them, buy them in the winter time, and even gave my daughter the middle name Rose.

So I made some delicate vanilla petit fours and drizzled them with two coats of powdered sugar glaze.

And if that wasn't good enough, I covered the tops in tiny yellow and pink roses made with Swiss meringue buttercream. The only thing better than one is, of course, three.

Excuse me now, its time for afternoon tea.

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Rose Chintz Cottage
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Can you guess where I'm going cookies

Isabelle and I have something really fun going on this weekend.

No, we aren't going to the zoo. Not a safari either.

We are heading for a city. Can you guess which one?

New York City! I'm afraid we aren't going up in Miss Libertie's head. I put small crowded places at high elevations on my phobia list along with snakes and gaping wounds. We will just have to wave to her. Here is our destination.

Do you know what we are going to see? One more hint.

You know now, don't you?

We are so excited! Look out New York - Pennsylvania chicks are headed your way.

I am linking with

House of Hepworths

Between Naps on the Porch

Today's Creative Blog

A Stroll Thru Life

Cupcake Apothecary

Melt in Your Mouth Monday's

Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Inspire me Mondays

The Girl Creative

Making the World Cuter

Bacon Time with the Hungry Hippo

Strut Your Stuff Saturdays

Sweet as Sugar

Chic on a Shoestring

Iron Violets

French Country Cottage

Foodie Friday

My Romantic Home

Home and Family Friday

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Class of 2011 Cookies

I was asked to make cookies for my husband's niece who is graduating from high school this weekend. I mulled designs around in my head for quite a while. Cap and gown? Diploma? School Mascot?

Nope. I wanted something that caught Mary's style in her favorite colors, not the school colors. Because she is her own person who isn't really into cute or ordinary or cartoony. This is what I came up with.

Hope she is going to like them. Congratulations on your graduation Mary, and I hope your every dream comes true!

I am linking with

Somewhat Simple

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Boudoir Cookie tutorial The 2010's Housewife

Tracy at The 2010's Housewife asked me to do a guest tutorial of some of my boudoir cookies. I chose to do a thong cookie because it is incredibly simple for even the non cookie decorator. Here is an example of what they look like.

The 2010's Housewife has tons of great ideas for creative and frugal living. To see more of my boudoir cookies click here. Who says you can't have fun in the kitchen?

Sunday, June 5, 2011

A sixteen year old's birthday cake

My fourth son Alec turned 16 this weekend. He has one thing on his mind these days - getting his drivers license. I am about to embark on my fourth adventure in teenage driving (and I wonder why I have migraines...). Somehow boys think because they have been using a riding mower for a number of years, it qualifies them as knowing how to drive on a roadway. To this I say, backyards have no pedestrians, intersections, or recklesss/aggressive/intoxicated John Deere drivers to watch out for.

Anyway, on to the cake! I made a chocolate box mix that I added my favorite secret weapon to - pudding mix. Because it was chocolate I also added instant cofee to the water that the box called for. If you haven't tried this, you must. The coffee really intensifies the flavor of the chocolate - learned this from one of my personal heroes The Barefoot Contessa. I made a standard buttercream frosting that I unfortunately don't use a real recipe for. Butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, a little milk, and for flavoring I added vanillla extract and a splash of Kahlua. Now don't panic with the Kahlua. I am not promoting drinking and driving. A splash adds incredible flavor that compliments the chocolate cake and other extracts contain alcohol as well.

I did a crumb coat of the cake with the buttercream and put it in the fridge to harden up a bit.

In the meanwhile, I baked the cookie toppers. I used a race car cookie cutter and trimmed off the back so it looked more like a normal car. I cut the trees and traffic light by hand.

The cutter broke, darn it. This was my first ever attempt at making cookies on a stick, so I probably overdid it a bit. When I had the cookies on the baking sheet, I added the sticks and then pressed some extra dough over it in an attempt to make them sturdier.

I also made sure they were well baked, because the last thing I needed was a soft cookie. After they cooled, I decorated them. I like the way the colors swirl in the trees. Just randomly add the colors at the same time and swirl with a toothpick.

Time to assemble the cake. I frosted the sides with more buttercream and then colored the rest of the frosting green to resemble grass. I used gray sugar sprinkles to make a road down the center. With a star tip, I piped the grass on both sides of the road.

Now for the fun part - adding the cookies to the top. Just insert the sticks and you are done. Well, almost...

I am a mom. I couldn't help myself.

Just a few words of wisdom.

You can't see all the way around, but it says "I am watching you". Not to make you paranoid or anything. You have heard of Big Brother? Well, I am Big Mother.

You heard me right - no speeding.

And for heavens sake,

OK, thats enough of my public service message. Its time to celebrate! Is he cute or what?

Make a wish.

Happy 16th birthday Alec. I love you very much and I am sure you will be a great driver! But, remember, I am watching.

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I Heart Naptime

Friday, June 3, 2011

Cookies for Drew

Its been a big week around here. First Ted graduates from college, and then I get a very special phone call from my eldest son Drew.

He will start medical school in the fall! I get woozy at the sight of blood, hate that disinfectant hospital smell, and have a full blown phobia of open wounds - needless to say, he doesn't take after me in this department. A number of years ago, his brother the green beret was in the emergency room (he was a regular there) with a cut on his arm that went through the muscle and right to the bone. I had my head between my knees. Drew watched the layers of sutering while munching on M and M's and saying things like "Cool, you can see the tendons move".

I have kidded him for years about going into plastic surgery. I figured that I would be ready for a face lift about the time he graduates. Too bad he isn't buying into my evil plan...

I guess I will settle for free medical advice. Now these cookies are hopping into a box and heading to Philadelphia. Congratulations Drew! I am so proud of you and I am certain you will be a the best doctor imaginable.

I am linking up with
Somewhat Simple
Brambleberry Cottage
Wow us Wednesdays
Show and Tell Wednesday
Sugar Bee Crafts
Today's Creative Blog
Tabletop Tuesday
Sumos Sweet Stuff
Inspire Me Mondays
Making the World Cuter
I heart naptime
Lamb Around
Young and Crafty
Show and Tell Saturday
Show and Tell Friday
Foodie Friday
Chic on a Shoestring

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Sushi cookies

I got an email last week from my son suggesting I try making sushi cookies. He has been missing his sushi terribly while away on a mission. He lives in Okinawa Japan - AKA sushi heaven, and he can't wait to get back there. He sent me a picture of rainbow rolls, and the minute I saw them, I knew what to do.

The first thing I did was to make round sugar cookies in double the number of the cookies I wanted. Once they had cooled, I outlined and flooded them in white. For the details, I made a spiral in "seaweed" green, salmon colored chunks, and tan outlines for the rice. The cookies needed to be stacked like a sandwhich cookie to be the same size as sushi roll. For the filling I used chocolate buttercream.

Chocolate always trumps raw fish. I think everyone can get behind that, right? For the outer wrapping I used fruit roll ups. I found the colors I wanted - red, orange, and green - cut strips of them and simply wrapped them around the outside. They are already kind of sticky, so it was easy to do.

And when did fruit roll ups get so fancy? They were all multicolored, with impressions on them, and even cut out stickers - I must have stood there for five minutes trying to decide which boxes had what I needed.

Anyway, with my non-fish chocolate delights ready, I lined them up on a plate, added a drizzle of raspberry sauce, and a pair of chopsticks and colorful lanterns courtesy of The Dollar Tree and I was done.

I have to say that I loved this project. It was extremely simple to do because the icing was very forgiving, and the fruit roll ups stick all by themselves. Try these for dessert the next time you are having an Asian inspired meal. Easy, fast, inexpensive, and FUN!

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