tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50456073109200123532024-03-05T01:14:25.780-08:00What the Dog AteDonna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.comBlogger348125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-84560650521111703002020-12-05T13:30:00.003-08:002020-12-05T13:30:38.599-08:00Gingerbread House Kits<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDetxKEL-guTTBc-bZYblD0wnVpmFdrP-5xVN8BBflgkGGz5339NrhSUnA5hFus1bL431OKtlKB6rJpG3yQ20MBM-gdCwrrGCyigddw7yuuqVJxaU1cKblOfu2rEWu3qC6AG_4E8zP6Hz6/s4640/20201205_121920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4640" data-original-width="3480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDetxKEL-guTTBc-bZYblD0wnVpmFdrP-5xVN8BBflgkGGz5339NrhSUnA5hFus1bL431OKtlKB6rJpG3yQ20MBM-gdCwrrGCyigddw7yuuqVJxaU1cKblOfu2rEWu3qC6AG_4E8zP6Hz6/s320/20201205_121920.jpg" /></a></div><br /> Please use this link to <a href="bit.ly/GBHouseKit2020">order kits</a>. <p></p><p><br /></p>Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-63851535239783920362020-07-06T11:37:00.001-07:002020-07-06T11:39:31.516-07:00Maltipoo Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had so much fun making this sculpted doggie cake. And best of all, the birthday girl loved it too. Woof!<br />
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You can check out my other fun creations on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dessert_by_donna/">Instagram</a>. <br />
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This <a href="https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/maltipoo#/slide/1">Maltipoo</a> is made from marble cake inside and is filled and frosted with a hybrid SMBC and American buttercream. The marble cake was made by swirling my favorite <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate cake</a> into my favorite <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130725035933/http:/fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/white-cake-part-3-with-recipe/">WASC cake</a>. I used a muffin scoop to scoop WASC batter into the pan first. Then, I scooped on about half as much chocolate, and marbled the whole thing using a chop stick.<br />
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I baked the cakes at 340 degrees for about 30 minutes. Some of the smaller cakes came out earlier and some stayed in longer. All cakes, except the mini loaf pans, got a flower nail to help promote a flat, even bake. The large rectangular cake got two cake nails. In total, I made...<br />
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9 by 13 rectangle, x1<br />
6 inch x 2.5 inch deep <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-Glass-Mixing-Bowl-3-Piece/dp/B00LGLHUA0/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=pyrex+6+inch+bowl&qid=1594060225&s=home-garden&sr=1-2">glass bowl</a>, x1<br />
6 inch round, x1<br />
mini loaf pan, x3 (I used 2 of the 3.)<br />
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I cut two 8 inch by 4 inch rectangles out of the large 9x13. I filled and stacked those two together to create the body.<br />
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The back legs are made from two of the mini loaf pans. I cut them in half lengthwise and stacked them on top of each other. A little carving helped it look more like thigh and leg.<br />
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I torted the 6 inch round and used half of it create the backside of the dog.<br />
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The front paws are made from pieces leftover from the original 9x13. They help to support the head.<br />
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The head is made from the cake baked in a bowl. The bowl was about 6 inches in diameter. It was just a simple glass mixed bowl that I have in my kitchen. Make sure you use a glass that can go in the oven.<br />
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The head has two boba straws inserted through it and into the body of the cake. This helped the head stay put.<br />
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I did quite a bit of carving on the head to get the look of the dog just right.<br />
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I made sure to stack all the cakes to get the general look before filling it with buttercream. Then, I gave it a good crumb coat and let it chill in the fridge for a bit.<br />
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My next step was to start with large cuts and follow up with smaller cuts to get the look just right. I used a large serrated, bread knife for the large cuts and a serrated steak knife for the smaller trimming.<br />
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Starting with a cold cake and frequent trips into the fridge to cool off helped with keeping the cake from crumbling during trims.<br />
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This is Chloe, Kaydence's doggie. I kept referring to this picture during the process. So cute!<br />
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This was especially helpful when I got to frosting the cake.<br />
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I also used a stand in "model" as a reference. This was very helpful to get everything in proportion.<br />
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To frost the cake, I first covered it in a thin layer of grey buttercream. Then, I used a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-418-9616-Grass-Icing-Tip/dp/B01DVRMWHW">Wilton Grass Tip</a> to create the stringy look of hair.<br />
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Chloe the Maltipoo appears to have streaks white and grey, so I filled the piping bag with grey icing that still had streaks of white icing in it.<br />
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I tried to pipe on the icing similar to the way hair grows and falls along the hairline.<br />
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One issue I had was that it was so warm that the icing kept melting. Starting with a smaller amount of icing in the bag and frequent trips to the fridge to chill both the cake and the icing supply helped a lot.<br />
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At the end, my hands were so warm that they were melting the icing. I put on some oven mitts to keep my warm hands away from the cool icing.<br />
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I knew the eyes and nose would either make or break this cake. I made sure to cut out eye sockets and a cavity for the nose before I frosted the cake.<br />
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Catch lights on both the eyes and nose help to avoid the creepy look.<br />
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I think next time I would place brown rounds into the eye socket followed by black pupils and finally the catch light.<br />
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I used a modeling tool to poke holes in the nose and give it that quintessential dog nose look.<br />
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I noticed that Chloe the Maltipoo has some brown around her eyes and mouth. I used a little cocoa powder on the well chilled cake to highlight this feature. Using a fluffy brush helped give a gentle highlighting.<br />
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When I first talked with Kaydence's mom, she shared that Kaydence had a patriotic outfit all picked out for her party, which was to be hosted on the 4th of July.<br />
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I knew I just had to incorporate this look.<br />
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I made Chloe the Maltipoo some patriotic fairy wings out of fondant hardened with tylose. I made these the day before so that they would have some time to set up.<br />
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I decorated the wings with white stars using my set of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Plunger-Fondant-Decorating-Kitchen/dp/B00E39RVB0/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=star+plunger+cutter&qid=1594059394&s=home-garden&sr=1-4">star plunger cutters</a>.<br />
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A little bit of pearl luster dust on the wings and stars gave it some shimmer.<br />
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The red wings have skewers attached and are stuck into the cake. Confession...I accidentally put them on opposite. The right and left should be switched.<br />
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The blue wings are just resting on the cake.<br />
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I used my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Verdental-4-pieces-Plunger-Sugarcraft-Decorating/dp/B01KZDKROA/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=flower+plunger+cutter&qid=1594059564&s=home-garden&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyMk4zSldHQkNFQVVXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDMwMzgxMTNNM0g5Q1ZPMzBHUSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDc2MzkyMlZVSFVPQzFRTzM3NyZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=">flower plunger cutter</a> to create some patriotic accents and to mimic the patriotic head wreath that Kaydence was wearing in the inspiration photo. The flower's centers are decorated with coordinating sugar pearls.<br />
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I used these accents to decorate the dog's head and to fill the space on the cake board.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3uNbMjUAZaKp20TH1qG3TaaNGlPmzgMkmucVjodsMsC6IvI1BZj0O0TJ_EHm0F2Y-SdLu99BtnayKiYeVHyGTsOjQRSpoErg0MoGJ1roO2VQmImilonMX1WDVjXoY1uPMIVK20TKkXzv/s1600/20200703_133941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm3uNbMjUAZaKp20TH1qG3TaaNGlPmzgMkmucVjodsMsC6IvI1BZj0O0TJ_EHm0F2Y-SdLu99BtnayKiYeVHyGTsOjQRSpoErg0MoGJ1roO2VQmImilonMX1WDVjXoY1uPMIVK20TKkXzv/s320/20200703_133941.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As this celebration was taking place during a pandemic, I made "to go" cupcakes for all the drive-through guests.<br />
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Each cupcake was hygienically sealed in these fantastic <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8FNKHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1">single serve containers</a>.<br />
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American flag? Texan flag? Puerto Rican flag?<br />
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The best part of all was seeing Kaydence's smile when she and her mom came to pick up the cake. <br />
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Her mom shared this shot from the party, and said the whole family loved the cake and it tasted yummy too!<br />
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Mission accomplished!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-67741451336203200832020-06-29T09:47:00.002-07:002020-06-29T09:47:48.970-07:00Spice Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7Ml5E02teMdhB8IRR88AJA7MofC2nJlkdN9RZ1YWMD1lUYgCgjulVw4hn8nylqv5XQjepemBGmwBY9cDrkBB0q151VY8scDoEqgNRp3V5IABHtJHEPT4tpgIVtfjp19MV9zCm7HmUMQx/s1600/20200627_142020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7Ml5E02teMdhB8IRR88AJA7MofC2nJlkdN9RZ1YWMD1lUYgCgjulVw4hn8nylqv5XQjepemBGmwBY9cDrkBB0q151VY8scDoEqgNRp3V5IABHtJHEPT4tpgIVtfjp19MV9zCm7HmUMQx/s400/20200627_142020.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I wish I had a picture of the inside of this cake, because boy o boy were the cake scraps yummy! This is a spice cake paired with cream cheese frosting. This cake does not disappoint. Woof!<br />
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It seemed like an odd choice for a summer cake order, but it could not have turned out any more tasty. Munching on cake scraps dolloped with leftover cream cheese frosting confirmed the deliciousness of this cake. My son thought it smelled like pumpkin pie...one of his favorites. My daughter came downstairs and announced that it smelled like Christmas. Honestly, this cake is a true winner any time of the year. <br />
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This recipe is a little time consuming, but worth the extra effort. The recipe below will make two good sized 8-inch rounds. For the cake above I went ahead and doubled the recipe to make a 4-layer cake. <br />
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This recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon of cardamom. I did not have any, so I omitted it. However, if you have some on hand, add it on in.<br />
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I was short a couple of egg yolks, so I did some weighing and substituted in an equal amount of vegetable oil. I think either way would work fine. So, either 3 egg yolks or 60 grams of veg oil.<br />
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Spice Cake (adapted from America's Test Kitchen)<br />
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Makes two 8-inch round cakes.<br />
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1 tablespoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon allspice<br />
1/2 teaspoon cloves<br />
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (4T + 12T)<br />
275 grams granulated sugar<br />
2 tablespoons molasses<br />
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger (do not use powdered ginger)<br />
2 whole eggs<br />
3 egg yolks (save the whites to make a quick SMBC cream cheese frosting)<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
270 grams all purpose flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon table salt<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans with cake goop, parchment, and a flower nail. Set aside.<br />
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Prepare the spice mixture of cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and cardamom if using. In a small saucepan, melt and slightly brown 4 tablespoons of butter. Remove from heat and stir in the spice mixture to bloom for a minute. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.<br />
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, molasses, and ginger. Let it go for a good 5 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.<br />
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In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, yolks, and vanilla and set aside. Separately, whisk together the flour, baking power, baking soda and salt. Also set aside.<br />
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After the butter and sugar mixture is creamed, add in half of the eggs and beat for 30 seconds and the remaining half for 30 more seconds. Scrape bowl.<br />
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Finish by alternating in the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.<br />
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Divide the batter between the two pans. The batter will be thick, so level it off with an offset spatula.<br />
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Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. I found the centers were taking longer to bake, so I lowered the temperature to 325 degrees and let it go in 3-5 minute bursts. Check for the cake to not jiggle in the center, pull away from the sides of the pan, and generally spring back.<br />
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Remove from the oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and finish cooling completely. I wrapped mine in plastic and used them the next day.<br />
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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING<br />
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To make my frosting I beat half a stick of butter with a brick of cream cheese and added enough prepared SMBC until I liked the taste of tart versus sweet. Here's an idea though...<br />
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3 egg whites (saved from the recipe)<br />
200-250 grams granulated sugar (double the weight of the egg whites)<br />
300-400 grams unsalted butter at room temperature (three times the weight of the egg whites)<br />
8 ounces or 1 brick of cream cheese at room temperature and even softer<br />
salt to taste<br />
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
powdered sugar (possibly)<br />
whole milk or cream (possibly)<br />
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Prepare the SMBC by whisking the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk in the in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 10 minutes or until cool. Whisk in the butter. Mash up the cream cheese separately, use a paddle attachment to beat in the cream cheese. Beat in salt and vanilla to taste. Add in powdered sugar if it is too tangy, a tablespoon at a time. Add in milk or cream to thin out if needed. <br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-41923534620421916802020-05-13T14:17:00.004-07:002020-05-13T14:17:47.221-07:00Apple Hand Pies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you know that today is National Apple Pie Day? How about some Apple Hand Pies for a sweet, Spring time treat! Woof!<br />
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For this recipe, I like to make my pie dough ahead of time. I used my favorite <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/08/perfect-pie-crust-20.html?q=pie+dough">pie dough recipe</a>, which makes a top and bottom crust. The prepared filling requires half of the above linked recipe. Just make the whole thing and freeze the other portion, or double up on the filling recipe. <br />
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Apple Hand Pies (adapted from <a href="https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a21006/mcdonalds-apple-pie-recipe-del0313/">Delish</a>)<br />
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Filling<br />
3 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces<br />
3 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
6 tablespoons brown sugar<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
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Topping<br />
egg wash (1 egg beaten with a splash of water)<br />
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar (sugar mixed with cinnamon)<br />
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In a medium saucepan, combine the apples, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat until the apples are tender and cooked down. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. <br />
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Roll out your dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out circles that are about 6 inches in diameter. Use a small bowl as a makeshift cutter. I was able to cut out four circles and then re-roll the scraps for a fifth circle. <br />
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Place all the rounds on the parchment lined baking sheet. Fill each pie round with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Try to avoid the juices and just fill with the stewed apples. Use your finger to brush the edge of the circle with a bit of water. Fold the dough in half to create a half moon shape. Pinch the edges closed. <br />
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Brush each hand pie with egg wash and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar.<br />
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Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool for about an hour. <br />
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Drizzle the cooked hand pies with any leftover apple filling juices and enjoy!<br />
<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-81139173777683727152020-04-01T19:44:00.001-07:002020-04-02T16:22:13.244-07:00Llama Love<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x4f2PpB0wF3Mq_yZcLy_7wwCG5_uK-nIkaRgwjyFaE0MUC3fggWM5bRWmYiA3VWPhKFQrqcwodLy-Xr7eq5NRozoin9gjKDBHcX5cljH5CMArpbrQZT6-d8ZUJZ_8clanuM32qFJnYW9/s1600/20200201_071740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6x4f2PpB0wF3Mq_yZcLy_7wwCG5_uK-nIkaRgwjyFaE0MUC3fggWM5bRWmYiA3VWPhKFQrqcwodLy-Xr7eq5NRozoin9gjKDBHcX5cljH5CMArpbrQZT6-d8ZUJZ_8clanuM32qFJnYW9/s400/20200201_071740.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> Check me out on Instagram @dessert_by_donna</span></td></tr>
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-54492617874258435082020-04-01T19:36:00.000-07:002020-04-01T19:36:09.804-07:00Instant Oatmeal Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Quarantining has really brought out the resourcefulness in many people. Take for example these Instant Oatmeal Cookies. No one around here eats instant oatmeal, yet we have some ready to expire. Waste not want not! Woof!<br />
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I thought I would be so creative and compare the sugar content of a package of flavored instant oatmeal to a traditional recipe for oatmeal cookies. Turns out I didn't have to do that because Sweet & Savory by Shinee did all the work for me. Yay internet!<br />
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We used a combination of instant oatmeal flavors...maple & cinnamon, apples & cinnamon, and brown sugar. They all played together nicely.<br />
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Instant Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from <a href="https://www.sweetandsavorybyshinee.com/apple-cinnamon-instant-oatmeal-cookies-video/">Sweet & Savory</a>)<br />
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1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
65 grams brown sugar<br />
40 grams granulated sugar<br />
1 large egg, at room temperature<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
5 packets of FLAVORED instant oatmeal<br />
125 grams whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.<br />
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and finish beating.<br />
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In a medium bowl, combine the instant oatmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt.<br />
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With the mixer on low, spoon in the dry mixture until combined. Scrape down and hand stir to finish combining.<br />
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Use a tablespoon sized cookie scoop to portion out the dough. We got about 16 cookies. Press each cookie down an bit with your clean fingers.<br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack too cool completely.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-83705234723761813112020-04-01T19:08:00.000-07:002020-04-01T19:08:55.382-07:00Wheat Crackers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We love Wheat Thin crackers, but they are not available in the stores right now. However, we do have a full bag of whole wheat flour. Homemade to the rescue! Woof!<br />
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This recipe is adapted from <a href="https://smittenkitchen.com/2012/09/homemade-wheat-thins/">Smitten Kitchen</a> and it was super simple to make. <br />
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Homemade Wheat Thins<br />
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155 grams whole wheat flour<br />
20 grams sugar (Next time I will try brown sugar.)<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to sprinkle on top)<br />
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes<br />
1/4 cup cold water<br />
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Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process on high for 5 seconds to combine. Add in the butter, and pulse on high until the mixture resembles crumbs. Continue to pluse on high while you drizzle in the cold water. Continue until the dough comes together. Remove from processor, and divide into two portions. Wrap each in plastic wrap and allow to firm up a bit in the fridge.<br />
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Have your happy helper roll each portion on parchment paper. Place plastic wrap on top to prevent the rolling pin from sticking. We rolled ours 1/4 inch thick, but even that was too thick. These are Wheat THINS after all. Chill in the fridge while you repeat this process with the second portion.<br />
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Cut the dough into small squares. We used my fondant tool used to cut ribbons of fondant. Worked perfectly! A pizza wheel would would great too. The aim is to make about 3 dozen total. Chill the dough again.<br />
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Dock the crackers and separate the squares. Sprinkle with more salt to taste, and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes. The thicker your cracker the longer you can bake it. Cool a bit on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-20819774833657638962020-04-01T18:45:00.001-07:002020-04-01T18:45:16.527-07:00Bagels<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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While we are all home, sheltering in place, I though it would be a good time to try some new things. I've made bagels before, but this recipe was a bit different. They turned out a bit flat, but very tasty and were gone in record time. Woof!<br />
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This recipe comes courtesy of Epicurious. I love their reliable recipes. We followed <a href="https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/bagels-366757">this recipe </a>pretty much to the letter. The only exception is that we used honey in the dough and poaching liquid instead of barley malt. I had some in my fridge, but it expired in 2015. Ha!<br />
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Here's my trusty assistant poaching the bagels. He did a great job!Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-82692105295425162382020-02-09T09:32:00.001-08:002020-02-09T09:32:05.973-08:00Find Me on Instagram!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_841131112"></span><span id="goog_841131113"></span>Hey friends! Find me on Instagram <i>@dessert_by_donna</i> for all things delicious!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-85246271415788663382019-09-11T21:16:00.000-07:002019-09-11T21:16:25.125-07:00Anniversary Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was very honored to make this anniversary cake for a friend's parents. Jacky's parents have been married for 26 years! What an accomplishment! Woof!<br />
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This cake is a 6-inch, 3-layer <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130725035933/http:/fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/white-cake-part-3-with-recipe/">WASC cake</a> flavored with Swiss Meringue Buttercream, both flavored with<a href="https://www.lorannoils.com/"> lemon oil</a>.<br />
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The cake is covered in white fondant tinted in a light ivory shade. I used my<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cake-Boss-Decorating-4-Piece-Quilted/dp/B00FB9R91I"> impression mat</a> to add in the diamond pattern and placed a gold sugar bead at each intersection. <br />
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The flowers are done in a slightly darker shade of ivory using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/FMM-Easiest-Rose-Cutter-SUGARCRAFT/dp/B015E3DI7E">ribbon rose tool</a>. I'm not too happy with these roses. I think in the future I might just stick with buttercream, or even royal icing roses to decorate cakes. <br />
<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-54700261114076595942019-09-11T20:42:00.000-07:002019-09-11T20:42:57.664-07:00Descendants Birthday Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love making cakes for life's special occasions. It's even sweeter though when I get to make them year after year. I got to make Gianna's mermaid cake last year, and was honored to make her a Descendants cake for her 7th birthday! What a special privilege. Happy birthday, Gianna! Woof!<br />
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This is a 6 inch round, three-layer funfetti cake. The cake is my favorite <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130725035933/http:/fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/white-cake-part-3-with-recipe/">WASC recipe</a> with some sprinkles thrown in for good measure. The frosting and filling are a Swiss Meringue Buttercream. <br />
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The design is based on the work of one of my favorite cake artists, Tracey, at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JN3eMUUFqo">Little Cherry Cake.</a><br />
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The first step was to get some of the decorations going. I made the apple from a very thick piece of red fondant mixed with Tylose powder. A quick Google search provided plenty of templates. The bite mark area is covered with a bit of white fondant. The snake and number 7 are done in yellow fondant and painted with some gold dust mixed with vodka.<br />
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Two toothpicks secure the apple to the cake. <br />
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The letters gave me a bit of trouble, so in the end I used my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alphabet-Numbers-Tappits-FMM-SUGARCRAFT/dp/B01M7YKFE1/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=tappits&qid=1568258309&s=home-garden&sr=1-5">tappits </a>and trimmed the letters to look similar to "<a href="https://www.fontspace.com/fz-fonts/descendants">Descendants Font</a>". They were done in yellow and painted gold several days before being added to the cake. <br />
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The spikes were made from balls of yellow fondant mixed with some tylose powder. I shaped them and let them dry overnight. I painted them gold after applying them to the cake.<br />
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The bottom portion of the cake is covered in green fondant and the top portion is covered in purple. I used my kitchen sheers to cut off jagged edges. I wish I hadn't left so much green showing.<br />
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In Tracey's video tutorial, she air brushes the bottom of the cake. Lacking an airbrush, I dusted on some cocoa powder using a fluffy brush. I added a little to the top too for the "ominous" look.<br />
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Some simple cupcakes finished off the look. I used my favorite <a href="https://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate</a> and <a href="https://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-team-one-dream-cupcakes_19.html?q=vanilla+cupcakes">vanilla</a> recipes. The cupcakes are frosted in green using a ribbon tip and in purple and pinkish using an open star tip.<br />
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I felt like I would not be able to make a decent Mal fondant figurine in a short amount of time, so I suggested a store bought doll. <br />
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The chain and charm are part of that doll set too. Decorative and fun! Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-64180827079959723752019-08-20T21:44:00.000-07:002019-08-20T21:44:02.071-07:00Hot Air Balloon Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_310463412"></span><span id="goog_310463413"></span>Yay! I'm really starting to enjoy making decorated sugar cookies. I got to make these for my principal. Our theme this year is "Lift to Rise" I feel like I'm up, up, and away on a new dessert adventure! Woof!<br />
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I tripled the <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/p/perfect-every-time-cut-out-cookies.html">cookie recipe</a> and doubled the <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/2010/01/royal-icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html">royal icing</a> recipe from Bake at 350 to make 4 dozen cookies, and I still had some dough left over to play with. These cookies were pretty big too. They measure about 3 inches by 4 inches, prior to baking. The cutter comes from<a href="https://www.annclarkcookiecutters.com/product/hot-air-balloon-cookie-cutter/transportation-themed"> Ann Clark</a>. <br />
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I had a lot of fun testing out different designs and color combinations. It was a lot of work, but I learned a lot. Next time I would stick with maybe three or four colors...brown for the basket and two or three more for the balloons. <br />
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The first step was to sketch out a design. I think "Lift to Rise" might have looked nice on the actual balloon, but my skills are not quite up to par yet. I have since learned that you can use a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhPdRoXHyvk">stencil to scrape on wording</a>. And there's plenty of retailers on Etsy selling custom stencils. Next time!<br />
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After the cookies were rolled, cut, and baked, it was time to make the icing. <br />
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Soooo many colors!!!!<br />
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I made both 20 second outline consistency and also flood consistency of each color. I have since learned that you can use a tipless bag and 15 second icing to both outline and flood. Very intrigued!<br />
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The brown icing of the basket got piped on in two parts to add a little depth.<br />
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Next up, I used an edible marker to trace on a design. This steps doesn't take too long to do, and it creates cleaner results.<br />
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I filled the cookies in alternating sections so that one part would have a bit of time to dry. This helped the sections stay defined.<br />
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Pretty!<br />
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All done! I used the leftover orange and yellow and a little bit of brown food dye to make a brown for piping on the strings. <br />
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I only made a few of the rainbow design.<br />
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This design seems to work best when the lightest color is in the center and the darkest on the end; such as the one in the upper left.<br />
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I think this design works best when the center panel is slightly taller than the side panels; such as the one in the bottom right hand corner.<br />
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This was my favorite design. It involved piping the cookies with horizontal bands and then dragging a scribe tool from the bottom to the top. Here's a great tutorial from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phqaXXZk2Eg">Flour Box Bakery.</a><br />
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Thank you to Mom, Dad, and S, who helped me package these babies up!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-17568885483505614902019-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:002019-07-24T10:55:31.912-07:00Fancy Nancy Cake and Coolest Blanket Ever!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TF5ePCgeet5M1yj2HM4CaTAVuudzd8pEXtr6uFp0zYHPcDCWbikRTSsUyaL9qomlESHi3oFPusPddz7-0f_NVu7cDLZGzXX6Z8bZxD8aOzZjIbedCMl5GjFOo6ahvslb_0j9gRL3d5RG/s1600/IMG_20190722_082352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TF5ePCgeet5M1yj2HM4CaTAVuudzd8pEXtr6uFp0zYHPcDCWbikRTSsUyaL9qomlESHi3oFPusPddz7-0f_NVu7cDLZGzXX6Z8bZxD8aOzZjIbedCMl5GjFOo6ahvslb_0j9gRL3d5RG/s400/IMG_20190722_082352.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I'm so excited about this cake. I've always wanted to make a Doll Cake, and here she is! This is Fancy Nancy dressed as a princess. I made her for Delilah's 7th birthday, through the <a href="https://www.forgoodnesscakes.org/">For Goodness Cakes</a> organization. I hope Delilah enjoys the cake as much as I enjoyed making it! Woof!<br />
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My mom is so awesome. She offered to make a blanket to go with the cakes that I make for For Goodness Cakes. My mom is a quilting superhero, so together we make the perfect team!<br />
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This is not just any blanket. It's a "color your own blanket". My mom found the perfect fabric for princess loving Delilah to color in with fabric markers. What a special keepsake this will be! Thank you, Mom! <br />
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My goal was to make this cake to be similar is size and shape to my Kitchen Aid bowl. I began by making two batches of my favorite <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130725035933/http:/fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/white-cake-part-3-with-recipe/">WASC cake</a>. One batch was flavored with 1/2 teaspoon <a href="https://www.lorannoils.com/1-dram-size">strawberry oil</a> and the other vanilla extract. The strawberry cake was divided between two 8-inch pans, and the vanilla between three 6-inch pans. <br />
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A note about the WASC cake. Lately, I've been having a lot of trouble with my cakes falling in the center. I went back to the original recipe and discovered that you really do need to beat the heck out of the batter. I also found that one recipe makes two 8-inch rounds or three 6-inch rounds. Baking the cakes for a bit longer at 335 degrees with baking strips really does produce flat tops. Yay!<br />
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After carving the cake, I only ended up using two 8-inch rounds and two 6-inch rounds. I used a small round cutter to fashion a hole for Fancy Nancy to sit in. In retrospect, it would have been better to just carve out a hole with a serrated steak knife. <br />
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Fancy Nancy got a bit of a plastic wrap bottom before being inserted into the cake. Looking at the finished product, I see that I could have placed her not so far into the cake. Right up to the just the tops of her hips would have been just fine.<br />
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And a final tip...crumb coat after you've carved the cake or you will just end up wasting frosting. <br />
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The carving took a lot longer than I expected it to. Having my Kitchen Aid bowl out to reference really helped out. <br />
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It was at about this point that I re-opened the volunteer task email and discovered that Delilah requested a <i>vanilla cake </i>with <i>strawberry filling</i>. As a compromise, I flavored the rest of the frosting with the <a href="https://www.lorannoils.com/1-dram-size">strawberry oil</a>. It really is quite potent. My iced cake scraps are strawberry-licious!<br />
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Next came the fun part! I got busy designing Fancy Nancy's princess dress. Delilah requested pinks and purples, so that is what I focused on. The white ruffles up front help to add to the "princess dress" feel. <br />
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As you can see, I am more of a cake artist than a sketch artist! Lol!<br />
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I knew I wanted Fancy Nancy's bodice to be made out of fondant. I think icing would have been too messy.<br />
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I used the dress she came with as a template for her bodice.<br />
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I free-handed some arm holes and wrapped the whole thing around her.<br />
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I cut the sleeves from a strip of fondant, and used my balling tool to create some ruffles.<br />
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I don't think you can see it in this picture, but I dusted on a bit of luster dust for that special sparkle!<br />
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While I had my fondant and tools out, I created a few more embellishments. Once again, my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PME-Plunger-Cutters-Flower-Blossom/dp/B005JX78JY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=flower+plunger+cutter&qid=1560638609&s=home-garden&sr=1-4">flower plunger</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Upper-Alphabet-Number-Tappit-Cutters/dp/B002U0LEIU">tappits</a>, and sharp exacto knife came in handy.<br />
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Time to get piping. I used a large ribbon tip to create the ruffles on the front of Fancy Nancy's dress. Before I got started, I marked the left and right edges with a toothpick to create a handy guideline.<br />
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I used a close start tip to pipe two rows of pink shells at the base, and an open star tip to pipe rosettes on the rest of the skirt.<br />
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Handy tip. For symmetry's sake, make sure to pipe your rosettes clockwise on the right hemisphere of the cake and counter-clockwise on the left hemisphere of the cake. <br />
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I forgot to do it, but for even more balance, use a toothpick to draw horizontal lines to guide your rosettes. <br />
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A little side note about the boxing. My local cake store was totally back ordered on tall cake boxes, so I put the cake in the bottom half of a bakery box, cut off the top half, and placed the whole thing in a gift basket bag that I found at my local dollar store!<br />
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What a doll!<br />
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Happy birthday, Delilah!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-17946892238988449772019-07-23T21:17:00.000-07:002019-07-23T21:18:12.082-07:00Fortnite Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_292281145"></span><span id="goog_292281146"></span>Every cake is a chance to learn a new skill. In this case, I got to learn a little about Fortnite and all the "iconography" that goes along with it. Thank goodness my resident "young gamer" was there to assist. You truly do learn something new every day! Woof!<br />
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This is a three layer, 6-inch cake. I used my favorite <a href="https://www.thescranline.com/devils-food-cake-cupcakes">chocolate cake recipe</a> 1.5x) from The Scran Line. It is filled 2/3 a batch of <a href="https://www.hersheys.com/kitchens/en_us/recipes/perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-frosting.html">Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting</a>, and covered the entire cake with SMBC tinted a beautiful shad of blue. I used both Sky Blue and Royal Blue to achieve this look.<br />
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I got the "grass" look on top by using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-418-9616-Grass-Icing-Tip/dp/B01DVRMWHW/ref=asc_df_B01DVRMWHW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198092286429&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4887068128004210094&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031510&hvtargid=pla-351417473025&psc=1">grass tip</a>. If you add a little bit of yellow food dye to your blue frosting, you will get green grass!<br />
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First I found the Fortnite icon online and printed it. It took several attempts to get it just the right size. I knew my cake would be about 5 inches tall, so I stacked some cake pans and compared the printouts to that. It took about three or four attempts, so I really need to work on that skill. When the size was just right, I cut it out to ready it for tracing. I cut off a few of the teeny tiny details, but for the most part, it's all there.<br />
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Adding a bit of tylose to the black fondant helped this task go smoothly.<br />
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I dried the background on the side of my cake pan so that it would dry curved. A bit of padding mimics the thickness of the eventual frosting.<br />
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Next, I cut out each letter from the printout and used that to cut them out of fondant. A sharp exacto knife is very helpful!<br />
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Tah dah!<br />
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Next up I got to work on the treasure chest, pick axe, and some rocks.<br />
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I found this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ousxmPTljso">video</a> from Cup'nCake very helpful when making my chest.<br />
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This sign was a last minute addition. I felt like the cake needed some height, and this seemed to be on trend. I Googled images for "Victory Royale" and tried my best to mimic what I saw. I used a good amount of tylose in the blue fondant to get it to harden overnight. I hand cut the "#1" and used my Tappits to cut out the actual letters. I draped the banner over a cut up cardboard tube so it would dry in a wavy fashion. A couple of toothpicks keep everything upright.<br />
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I love it when I get photos from the event! Yay! Happy birthday, Quinton!!!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-83433482689717901212019-07-08T09:59:00.001-07:002019-07-08T10:07:57.907-07:00Fiesta Birthday Cake and Cupcakes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a lot of fun trying out new piping tips and techniques while making this Fiesta cake! This cake and cupcake combo was for a little girl's 2nd birthday with a "Coco" theme. I love the colors on this cake. So vibrant, like our beautiful birthday girl! Woof!<br />
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I wasn't too sure about the proportions, so I began with a model. Some paper, a ruler, and a good pair of scissor was all I need to flesh out this idea! Then it was onto the fun stuff!<br />
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A good week before I started on the cake, I got busy on the decorations. I made the festive flowers by using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Crafts-374084-Sugarbelle-Flower/dp/B01FV62HC6/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=sweet+sugarbelle+nesting+flower&qid=1562603378&s=gateway&sr=8-3">nesting flower cutter</a> and a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cosmos-Muticolor-gumpaste-Decorating-Modeling/dp/B00OTBMCTI/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=fondant+tools&qid=1562603442&s=gateway&sr=8-8">tapered tool</a> to thin out the edges. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDMH32C86YI&t=54s">flower tutorial video</a> was very helpful. A little tylose in the fondant helped them set up quickly.<br />
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I made the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papel_picado">papels picado</a> by using piping tips and other fondant tools to cut out designs in the small rectangles of fondant. Beautiful!<br />
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I knew the colors were very important for this cake, so I made sure to color both the fondant and the buttercream with dye directly from the tube. No mixology for me!<br />
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All that dying was one of the most time consuming parts of this cake, but well worth it in the end.<br />
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I love the flowers and festive papers on this cake!<br />
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I used a <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/wasc-cake-from-scratch.html?q=wasc">WASC</a> recipe and increased it by 1.5 times to bake three 6-inch rounds and one 10-inch round. The three 6-inch rounds were flavored with strawberry powder and layered with vanilla buttercream and fresh strawberries to create the bottom tier. I used my 5-inch round cutter to cut three layers for the top tier.<br />
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Note to self...strawberry powder gives the cake a subtle strawberry flavor, but an unfortunate brownish tinge. Next time, add a little pink food dye!<br />
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I had intended to use a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-No-125-Petal-Decorating/dp/B00DR06AAE/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=wilton+125+tip&qid=1562604631&s=gateway&sr=8-3">Wilton 125 tip</a>, but accidentally used a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Decorating-Tip-No-104-Petal/dp/B0000CFMW9/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=wilton+104+tip&qid=1562604651&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1">Wilton 104</a> tip to make the ruffles on this cake. It was a learning curve to be sure, but once I got started it went better. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY9pUQlG8rI">Pastryarch</a> video was very helpful in getting the technique to make the ruffles.<br />
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I made both <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-team-one-dream-cupcakes_19.html?q=vanilla+cupcakes">vanilla</a> and <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate</a> cupcakes and frosted them with a Wilton 104 tip in a similar fashion to the cake.<br />
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So pretty!<br />
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I love getting pictures from the event!Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-13086743809989600892019-07-05T22:50:00.000-07:002019-07-05T22:50:11.230-07:00Creative License Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had so much fun making these cupcakes. These beauties were requested for a local church's 35th anniversary. After 35 years of faith and community and fellowship, I knew these had to be special. Luckily, the friend who ordered them gave me artistic license. Her only request was the color blue. What a treat to try out some new techniques! Woof!<br />
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I used this tapered ribbon tip to create the ribbon effect on the side of each cupcake.<br />
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I fitted a bag with a large, open star tip and filled it with both blue and white frosting to create the two tone swirl. <br />
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Another star tip filled with just blue added a bit of contrast.<br />
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Each cupcake was finished with three smaller stars of white, and a bit of sprinkles in white and gold tones.<br />
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All packaged up and ready for delivery!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-19558195619139516982019-06-15T19:26:00.000-07:002019-06-15T19:26:47.132-07:00Pineapple Sunglasses Sugar Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBObEut91z51I-BCxv2vax685aXIH29X6B63d7rAdqJ9W2uyFvovgdbOgJMlLauVShvmI3LV6lSqt9zPurkdLyVDRhu6v7nuOTRulJ-8VRrxe49BQJRZ7oo-PV1AaVogZ-GRVUQjI92_4M/s1600/IMG_20190615_090251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBObEut91z51I-BCxv2vax685aXIH29X6B63d7rAdqJ9W2uyFvovgdbOgJMlLauVShvmI3LV6lSqt9zPurkdLyVDRhu6v7nuOTRulJ-8VRrxe49BQJRZ7oo-PV1AaVogZ-GRVUQjI92_4M/s400/IMG_20190615_090251.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I got to make these totally awesome Pineapple Sunglasses Sugar Cookies for a little guy's 4th birthday luau! How adorable are these? Not as adorable as the birthday boy, but still darn cute! Woof!<br />
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First up, I sourced and ordered the cutter from <a href="http://frosted.co/">Frosted.co</a>. They were great to work with and my high quality cutter arrived in record time!<br />
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I used my favorite <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/p/perfect-every-time-cut-out-cookies.html">sugar cookie</a> and <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/2010/01/royal-icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html">royal icing</a> recipe from Bake at 350 for these cookies. <br />
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After cutting out and baking the cookies, I used a template to trace the lenses on the cookies. I used an edible marker in yellow so it would not bleed through later on. <br />
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I used my tracing lines to help me outline the lenses with black icing.<br />
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Next up, I outlined the entire frame in yellow royal icing.<br />
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I flooded the cookies with the same yellow icing.<br />
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On goes the green icing to outline the leaves of the pineapples.<br />
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All flooded in green and ready for the next step. I notice my yellow flooding came out a bit bumpy after it dried. Not sure why.<br />
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After the green flooding dried, I went back over it with some of the green I used to outline. I used this to give the leaves a bit of dimension.<br />
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I also used an edible marker and a ruler to trace on some cross hatches and give these glasses that perfect pineapple look. <br />
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The final step was to flood the lenses with black royal icing. I dot of white dragged with a toothpick gives a catch light effect.<br />
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All done and ready to be packaged up!<br />
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They're coming to get you....<br />
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<span id="goog_501365411"></span><span id="goog_501365412"></span><br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-80320333472616856722019-06-15T19:07:00.001-07:002019-06-15T19:07:41.048-07:00Individually Packaged Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We have some wonderful parent volunteers at our school, and so we teachers honor them each year with a Volunteer Tea. I was delighted to make these Hawaiian Theme cupcakes as gifts for our wonderful parents. Woof!<br />
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I made an assortment of <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-team-one-dream-cupcakes_19.html?q=vanilla+cupcakes">vanilla</a> and <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate cupcakes</a> and frosted them simply in Swiss meringue buttercream. <br />
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Mom helped me embellish each cupcake with trio of colorful fondant flowers. The flowers were made from colored fondant using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PME-Plunger-Cutters-Flower-Blossom/dp/B005JX78JY/ref=asc_df_B005JX78JY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194938015190&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1928484605595845516&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031510&hvtargid=pla-314501728451&psc=1">plunger cutter</a>. I thinned out the petals with a ball tool and added some sugar pearls in the center for some interest.<br />
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Each cupcake had its own special <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D8FNKHM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1">holder</a>. Perfect for presenting as a gift!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-39997525262748174332019-06-15T16:15:00.001-07:002019-06-15T16:15:30.288-07:00Graduation Cap Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made these Graduation Cap cookies for a recent high school graduate. Hats off to you, Class of 2019! Woof!<br />
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These guys were pretty straight forward to make. I used my favorite <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/p/perfect-every-time-cut-out-cookies.html">sugar cookie</a> and <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/2010/01/royal-icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html">royal icing</a> recipe from Bake at 350. I found this<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Graduation-Cookie-Durable-Economical-Tinplated/dp/B007P5GCZA/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=graduation+cap+cookie+cutter&qid=1560640428&s=gateway&sr=8-13"> cutter </a>at my local cake store. To decorate the cookies, I outlined them in black and then flooded them with the same black. Note to self...a little black food coloring goes a long way!<br />
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After the flooding dried, I re-outlined the cookies and then finished off with a bit of yellow icing for the tassel. A final "button" of black icing completes the look.Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-47005279980551398652019-06-15T16:04:00.002-07:002019-06-15T16:04:12.342-07:00Color Crew Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiW5M7KtYFoW8gT6rMiJzS_4RmT-mbMw8t7ZO8c5n_M04RjTSOPstdRq_Z2GDGhEmDjlSNqdNxSjMAPMg7fLs0L6fWUbWLxZqkDQmceFRBi7XiPX4XEe1u9pLeslex-kq-0DSASgjO_Uh/s1600/IMG_20190601_201353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiW5M7KtYFoW8gT6rMiJzS_4RmT-mbMw8t7ZO8c5n_M04RjTSOPstdRq_Z2GDGhEmDjlSNqdNxSjMAPMg7fLs0L6fWUbWLxZqkDQmceFRBi7XiPX4XEe1u9pLeslex-kq-0DSASgjO_Uh/s400/IMG_20190601_201353.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
I made this Color Crew cake for little Dylan who turned one! Wishing you many more happy birthdays, little guy! Woof!<br />
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The bottom tier of this cake is a three-layer, 8-inch funfetti which I made by adding some sprinkles to my favorite <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/wasc-cake-from-scratch.html">WASC </a>cake. The top tier is a three-layer, 6-inch WASC cake alone. Both tiers are filled with my favorite SMBC.<br />
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One thing I love about cakes is that you can prep ahead of time to chunk the process. I need that in my life right now where I am always on the go. <br />
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I made these members of the Color Crew a per-colored <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/wasc-cake-from-scratch.html">fondant sampler pack</a>. Such a time saver! I created a template from an online image printed to just the size I needed. I used the template and a sharp exacto knife to cut the rolled out fondant. <br />
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After the shapes dried for several days, I decorated them with edible markers and some white and black fondant for the eyes. A tiny white sprinkle acted as the pupil.<br />
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Sky blue fondant on the bottom with a
light green fondant landscape provides the backdrop. I lightened the green
landscape a bit so that it would contrast with the green crayon.<br />
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The puffy clouds were cut out of white fondant using my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ET5YRA/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B001ET5YRA">flower cutter</a>. I placed a sheet of plastic wrap on top to get a puffy edge instead of a clean cut. <br />
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The decorative flowers were cut from extra Color Crew fondant, using <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PME-Plunger-Cutters-Flower-Blossom/dp/B005JX78JY/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=flower+plunger+cutter&qid=1560638609&s=home-garden&sr=1-4">plunger cutters</a>.<br />
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The top tier is covered in store bought black fondant. Tip...mix black fondant with white fondant in a 3:1 ratio makes it easier to work with.<br />
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I used extra primary colored fondant to cut out little triangle pennants. I used my fondant extruder tool to create the white string. <br />
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The client asked me to "paint" the birthday boys name onto the top tier for a chalkboard effect. No pressure there! A quick Internet search for chalkboard fonts turned up a plausible style. Starting with the center letter and working out helps to keep the name centered.<br />
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I used a mixture of white food coloring and vodka to paint on the name. A very thin paint brush was incredibly helpful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfP_xHY_0tOlP24QmPin9KnMOXgGVRtLOMZXs5twPcPB4eP9OVvDK72zFuKsOEJlCKr_n0YpC-jEmzOfZgQBZSJKe4P32Sc5Z83EtyVvPu8bPCHndtQ3K7XeYI9K4mMbtjyFU8GzARjwB5/s1600/IMG_20190601_201410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfP_xHY_0tOlP24QmPin9KnMOXgGVRtLOMZXs5twPcPB4eP9OVvDK72zFuKsOEJlCKr_n0YpC-jEmzOfZgQBZSJKe4P32Sc5Z83EtyVvPu8bPCHndtQ3K7XeYI9K4mMbtjyFU8GzARjwB5/s320/IMG_20190601_201410.jpg" width="240" /></a>I love, love, love this little rainbow topper. A little tylose mixed with leftover primary fondant helped create this quick drying topper. The top tier is a 6-inch round, so I used my 4-inch circle cutter for the red. I used a slightly smaller cutter to turn the red circle into a ring. I repeated this process for all the other colors, and in doing so created a rainbow circle. I cut the whole thing in half to make a rainbow. The clouds finish it off and give the purple number one a place to sit. I used toothpicks inserted in the rainbow to attach the topper to the cake.<br />
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Happy birthday, Dylan!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-13748107092836971292019-06-15T14:51:00.000-07:002019-06-15T14:51:53.903-07:00Upside Down Drip Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made this Upside Down Double Barrel Drip cake for my baby's 12th birthday! Happy birthday to our amazing young man! Woof!<br />
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I wish I would have taken some process shots, but I just got too busy with a full weekend track meet and of course all the other party prep. That being said, this cake was pretty straight forward to make.<br />
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I began by making six 8-inch rounds of my favorite <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate cake</a>. I think I tripled the recipe. Next up, I flavored some Swiss meringue buttercream with cocoa powder. I ended up using Dutched Cocoa powder and I really like the flavor it imparted. <br />
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In order to get the upside down drips, I assembled the cake upside down and then crumb coated, chilled and frosted the whole thing. <br />
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TOP <br />
straw supports <br />
cake layer<br />
filling<br />
cake layer<br />
filling<br />
cake layer<br />
parchment<br />
thin layer of filling<br />
cake layer<br />
filling<br />
cake layer<br />
filling<br />
cake layer<br />
generous layer of frosting<br />
parchment round<br />
cardboard round<br />
BOTTOM<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQECsO1Ic6uZpBwK7Cvc_dhmUCLPb6qZjrTxSyXuXwMCJkJGp-1lxcgi5DNFYRpHj4mBfW715dixgkZPB_joZJ_YBHx8K8HhzcNxjoNvuG05grabg35_m0PFf4vEymqk6IaA-a7DT9UtA/s1600/IMG_20190527_111236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQECsO1Ic6uZpBwK7Cvc_dhmUCLPb6qZjrTxSyXuXwMCJkJGp-1lxcgi5DNFYRpHj4mBfW715dixgkZPB_joZJ_YBHx8K8HhzcNxjoNvuG05grabg35_m0PFf4vEymqk6IaA-a7DT9UtA/s320/IMG_20190527_111236.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
After the entire cake was frosted, I applied a bit of chocolate ganache drips. Those ended up being the upside down drips at the finished bottom.<br />
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I used a 1:1 ratio of cream to bittersweet chocolate and transferred the mixture to a squeeze bottle for ease of application. <br />
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I put the cake back in the fridge to firm up for a good 20 minutes. Then came the fun part!<br />
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I placed the black cake round on top of the cake and flipped the whole thing over. <br />
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That left me with upside down drips. I used a knife to carefully remove
the cardboard round and parchment that were at the original bottom to
reveal the new top! And wow what sharp edges!!!<br />
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I added more drips to the top and embellished the new top with some more buttercream and a bit of candy crunch pieces.<br />
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An interior shot and the birthday boy!<br />
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Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-25948836984824631832019-06-15T13:11:00.000-07:002019-06-15T14:16:21.612-07:00Luau Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had the privilege of making cupcakes for a retirement party to celebrate three amazing teachers. Lilo, Jan, and Cindy helped shape so many young lives. I wish them all rest and relaxation their hearts desire. Happy retirement, ladies! Woof!<br />
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The theme of the retirement was "luau" meets beach vacation, so I went with a trio of themed cupcakes for a trio of hero teachers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEa_gb_EJZg9Q6D01fTHJofvQjR3YewLtA-nPmAw2j5fGVP5DkvBEj2xg2E952QlhwDLyabiTuyZuLOrxMEOY_ZvYn3uhp1W1DF0bg6T6DWIMWIxZwWEA1DVBQ9SQKvFAXzB3uCILqx3V/s1600/IMG_20190523_225035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEa_gb_EJZg9Q6D01fTHJofvQjR3YewLtA-nPmAw2j5fGVP5DkvBEj2xg2E952QlhwDLyabiTuyZuLOrxMEOY_ZvYn3uhp1W1DF0bg6T6DWIMWIxZwWEA1DVBQ9SQKvFAXzB3uCILqx3V/s400/IMG_20190523_225035.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I used my favorite <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2018/08/one-team-one-dream-cupcakes_19.html?q=vanilla+cupcakes">vanilla</a> and <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2017/12/versatile-cupcakeschocolate-and-vanilla.html">chocolate</a> cupcakes for the beach themed cupcakes. I frosted them in a light blue "ocean water" color and dipped half in graham cracker crumbs. The <a href="https://www.michaels.com/signature-flip-flop-dimensional-stickers-by-recollections/10397313.html?cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Papercraft_N_N_N_N-_-Papercraft&&cm_mmc=PLASearch-_-google-_-MICH_Shopping_US_N_Papercraft_N_N_N_N-_-Papercraft&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-eB16Ls4gIVFMJkCh2I6g3AEAQYBCABEgKOwPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">flip flops</a> are not edible. They're scrap book embellishments which I cut out and secured to each cupcake with the skewer from each paper umbrella.<br />
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I also used vanilla and chocolate cupcakes as a base for these "lei" inspired cupcakes. The flowers were made from colored fondant using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PME-Plunger-Cutters-Flower-Blossom/dp/B005JX78JY/ref=asc_df_B005JX78JY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194938015190&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1928484605595845516&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031510&hvtargid=pla-314501728451&psc=1">plunger cutter</a>. I thinned out the petals with a ball tool and added some sugar pearls in the center for some interest.<br />
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Finally, I made <a href="https://www.thescranline.com/pia-colada-cupcakes">pina colada cupcakes</a> with a recipe from The Scran Line. The cupcakes were a bit dry and didn't really have much pina colada flavor. I love the look, but will try a different recipe next time. Coconut extra and a pineapple compote filling might be just the thing!<br />
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Adding the maraschino cherries at the last moment prevented any red drips.<br />
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Here they are all ready to be enjoyed! Thank you Mary W. for this photo!Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-18956774165307275542019-06-09T20:26:00.000-07:002019-06-09T20:26:54.608-07:00Birthday Carrot Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a last minute request for a simple birthday cake. I'm glad I was given artistic license. I think this came out simply perfect! Woof!<br />
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I increased my <a href="http://whatthedogate.blogspot.com/2010/10/carrot-cake.html?q=carrot+cake">favorite carrot cake recipe</a> by half to make this 3-layer, 8-inch cake. It's filled and frosted with a simple cream cheese frosting. My cake comb helped give the cake a professional look. Swirls of extra frosting on the top looked lonely until I added some pretty pastel sprinkles.<br />
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Now a word about those sprinkles and a lesson on being prepared. I really thought I had some pastel sprinkles, but alas it was not to be. As the cake was due the next day, I figured I would stop at the store on my way to work/delivery and purchase some to sprinkle quickly on top. No where, and I mean no where could I find what I needed...until I came across some <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pillsbury-Vanilla-Funfetti-Frosting-10/dp/B01MU8N5SR/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=pillsbury+frosting+vanilla+with+sprinkles&qid=1560136888&s=grocery&sr=1-8">Pillsbury Funfetti Frosting</a> complete with a lid full of sprinkles. Three containers later I was ready sprinkle. And the leftover prepackaged frosting went to a coworker who was planning a birthday party for her daughter that weekend. Waste not, want not!<br />
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Quick tip on Tappits...add some tylose to the fondant, roll it thin, let it dry a bit, and cut out small square for each letter you wish to punch. I used some Tappits to punch out a happy birthday message and, the cake was ready to go! <br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-74588304076797870592019-06-09T19:43:00.000-07:002019-06-09T19:43:11.366-07:00Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a real honor to make these white chocolate dipped pretzel rods for a friend's daughter's wedding. I hope the happy couple has a life as sweet as these treats! Woof!<br />
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I was asked to make 13 dozen dipped pretzels! That's a lot, so I needed to get organized.<br />
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I melted my chocolate in the microwaveable trays that it is sold in. I needed about three or four packages to fill the class beer stein I would use to dip the rods. <br />
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I fitted the chocolate filled beer stein into a slow cooker. Then I filled the cooker with hot water and set the cooker to high to keep the dipping chocolate from cooling and thickening. Every dozen or so rods, I melted more chocolate and added it to the stein. <br />
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I placed the dipped rods on a prepared baking tray to cool in the fridge. <br />
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After all the chocolate had hardened on the rods, I drizzled them with a little bit of lavender colored white chocolate. Mixing a little oil in with the food gel keeps the white chocolate from seizing up. <br />
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Once the drizzle set, I placed each rod in a bag.<br />
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Then it was time to tie each up with a ribbon. Oy vey! I have since learned that you can buy <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Buorsa-White-Tails-Ribbon-Metallic/dp/B07GFJ17MQ/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=twist+tie+with+ribbon&qid=1560134407&s=gateway&sr=8-5">twist ties with bows already attached</a>! Definitely going to use that in the future! Lesson learned!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5045607310920012353.post-5809763114589976992019-06-09T19:19:00.000-07:002019-06-09T19:19:24.292-07:00Cheetah Print Sugar Cookie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I guess I'm getting into the sugar cookie business too! I made these cheetah print cookie for a good friend and wonderfully generous principal. They were a lot of fun to make and a great learning experience too. Woof!<br />
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For this cookie, I used my favorite<a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/p/perfect-every-time-cut-out-cookies.html"> sugar cookie recipe</a> from Bake at 350 and her wonderful <a href="https://www.bakeat350.net/2010/01/royal-icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html">royal icing recipe</a> as well. <br />
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After baking a cooling the cookies, I outlined them in black royal icing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0xDjRuBP59K_StcCnaPMnSX6fgwcwdnMNZx6A9xyL7EuN5L4919W3Y9YxlXG5yw8ZE0PQdQCaW2cFr30BGzLMJ3neZfrdJaTrec5TpcjG7k2jqKvzqMzyOQXKlOOP6nMQ1Rm9zkuYI8N4/s320/IMG_20190504_184749.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I flooded the cookie with a light brownish icing.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg0hamB29JaOoH99R6gPeTGuUE2zqFX888XO6THgzTb_z80GZHzF_PPru0NTGa4gk20obPEdWPK1jHElaecPUGti8mhTrE9BUCtG6sTED4hb2BtJNEjKDPP9awvA1A2ezr11MRvM_QmMQ/s1600/IMG_20190504_184925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdg0hamB29JaOoH99R6gPeTGuUE2zqFX888XO6THgzTb_z80GZHzF_PPru0NTGa4gk20obPEdWPK1jHElaecPUGti8mhTrE9BUCtG6sTED4hb2BtJNEjKDPP9awvA1A2ezr11MRvM_QmMQ/s320/IMG_20190504_184925.jpg" width="320" /></a>A fondant needle tool helped to spread the icing around a bit and pop any bubbles that formed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR1693SGVDxZnS4tLgbgLNXyPeyxEF2EozfZgaa3jk84QnIdINnHDduqUZwfufgX2AgwxYGx8r7LZIPJROo0IX1wqqf9Iehg3SpM0kZe-iOH2FR3JJhuktFUoXmNhSBwFrlj3hlAmIt7c/s1600/IMG_20190504_185316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsR1693SGVDxZnS4tLgbgLNXyPeyxEF2EozfZgaa3jk84QnIdINnHDduqUZwfufgX2AgwxYGx8r7LZIPJROo0IX1wqqf9Iehg3SpM0kZe-iOH2FR3JJhuktFUoXmNhSBwFrlj3hlAmIt7c/s320/IMG_20190504_185316.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div>
Next up I used a squeeze bottle to add some "spots". I left space in the center to personalize names later on.<br />
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I partially outlined each spot with the same black that I used to outline the cookies. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoslkTTvpVL7ksoBiZvoORYsoQjI1RmLGuyH-eQ74lMs8nWjUOlXhP2FjcRsHDTk6XGbuq1E7kvS5-uLSea3C0nKyFB9WexjNQsckXsL58LUp7LQuGep0rn_FEGywLwMelT2nWUNDlBhUi/s1600/IMG_20190505_174908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoslkTTvpVL7ksoBiZvoORYsoQjI1RmLGuyH-eQ74lMs8nWjUOlXhP2FjcRsHDTk6XGbuq1E7kvS5-uLSea3C0nKyFB9WexjNQsckXsL58LUp7LQuGep0rn_FEGywLwMelT2nWUNDlBhUi/s320/IMG_20190505_174908.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After allowing the cookies to dry overnight, I printed on personalized names. This was so much easier than piping them!</td></tr>
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I learned a lot making these cookies. One of my biggest lessons was to let the cookies dry completely overnight before wrapping them. The moisture from the edible ink caused condensation in the bags. I had to unwrap quite a few! <br />
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Keepin' it real!<br />
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<br />Donna Prestonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071832010792817194noreply@blogger.com0