...but it requires skills I haven't yet mastered.
Wish I could say that the children iced those!
Many thanks to Jessie and baby for moral support, and to Jaime who joined us for soup.
...but it requires skills I haven't yet mastered.
Wish I could say that the children iced those!
Many thanks to Jessie and baby for moral support, and to Jaime who joined us for soup.
34 comments:
Martha Stewart makes it look so easy. I am sure the cookies taste just fine. Roxie
It helps me to use a tip that is very small in diameter. You probably know that you can use a quality freezer bag an cut off the corner very close to the point instead of a traditional icing bag. For shapes like stars or bells just icing them with a spatula can look elegant. For the children, top with colored sprinkles while still wet. No matter how they turn out, it makes the house smell wonderful and children are always happy to eat them. -Melissa
Add cream a spoonful at a time until it is thin enough to squeeze easily. And if it's too thin, add more icing sugar the same way. And use a mixer.
Icing is always a case of trial and error, but once you've tried enough times it gets pretty easy. :)
I think it was a tip size problem! The icing was glossy, thick, and tasted great--but I couldn't control it well enough to ice a straight line, let alone a thin one.
I can see the potential for fabulous frugal gifts one day, though, so I'm going to keep trying!
Meredith - thanks for the warm welcome for baby Claire - all the comments were so fun for me to read. It's been neat to be able to celebrate with all our bloggy friends!
I so enjoy seeing that.
I'm pretty good at baking and most of the things that go with it.
However, I have never been able to do decorative icing. Perhaps I drink too much coffee and my hand shakes or something?
I think they're beautiful and I am sure they are delicious. Every year I bake gingerbread cookies and then dip them from the waist down into chocolate so they are wearing chocolate pants.
They are lovely and made from the heart. What could be better? It will get easier the more you do it.
A couple other frosting tips-- freeze or chill it and only use a little at a time because as your hands warm it up it gets runny. Also, a few white chocolate chips (melted in the microwave) make it thicker.
But, I personally prefer cookies that LOOK homemade and taste that way too!
They looked better than any I could have done but the main thing is they look like they taste soooo good. Made me hungry for cookies..;)
It doesn't matter if they don't look perfect---your taste buds and your tummy won't know the difference. I was on line at the check-out today and thumbed through a cookie recipe book---there's no way I could do all those fancy frostings and cut-outs!
Having worked in our family bakery for 20 odd years I can tell you that decorative frosting is not hard to make it all. Take some powdered sugar (about 2 cups), a little milk, and a dash of salt and I mean just a dash enough to take out the sickening sweet bland taste of the powdered sugar. Put in the flavoring that you want usually vanilla(about a teaspoon. Then add about half a cup of shortening. Use butter for yummy goodness or Cristco for a better hold. Mix it all in the mixer. It its too thin add more powdered sugar. It its too thick add more milk.
From the looks of your cookies Im guessing your problem was mainly that it was too thin. Another half cup of powdered sugar and you would have been all set! :)
I will second the small-tip advice. I have a frosting set and I always use the smallest pinpoint tip when I ice gingerbreads, and it usually works great.
And Martha makes it look so easy, doesn't she!
what a happy day it appears you had, thanks for sharing it with us.
deb meyers
But they Taste So Goooood!
They didn't look that bad to me! I'm sure they were yummy. :)
My cookies didn't look too good this year, but I figure as long as they taste delicious ;) Such sweet pictures!
I bought an inexpensive decorating set at Michaels, and that has helped my skills. Sad thing, I worked as a professional baker and had to do the writing on cakes, and my cakes and cookies never look as nice as anything we sold.
I bet they tasted wonderful anyway. The photo of the kids is so sweet.
We use snack size ziplock bags with a teeny hole (start with a tooth pick size hole) in a corner to ice with the powder sugar frosting... I do like it fairly thin though,so it spreads a bit before it sets.
This makes it easier to do a whole bunch of colors as well, each can be mixed right in their own bag with no mess.....
The kids can even do them with their own little icing bags. :-)
It was my pleasure. I enjoyed FINALLY getting to meet you! :)
p.s. If you ever need a second set of hands at Target, message me. I'm totally serious! I'm just not in the office on Fridays.
oh, keep the pictures coming!
yes, that is why I don't do those kind of cookies - too involved - ha!
I can't believe you are basically postpartum (I consider postpartum to mean 6 months after a baby is born, adding a month for each child!) and making Christmas cookies on the fourth of December!
You are superwoman! Superwoman with thin icing and tip issues, but still! :)
I love gingerbread men. Bet those taste just right!
God bless.
Haahaaa-- those look just like my cookies. However I do have the kids help me, so no one will be able to distinguish which ones were my masterpieces. ;-)
What adorable kiddos!!
I have an award for you over at my blogspot.
Oh how delicious! I could eat those babies up--and the cookies look great too!
My cut outs always look like a 2 year old decorated them. Do the gift receivers I give them to complain? Heck No! Do you know how rare from scratch cut out cookies are? Beggars cannot be choosers and I got to enjoy licking the homemade frosting off of my hands while decorating.
Your cookies look fine!
Hi Meredith! I thought of you and your frugal readers when I learned of a Wii giveaway. There's nothing quite as frugal as free! The company "noobie" is giving one away, and the deadline is tonight. Thought you might want to go get signed up :) Here's the link:
http://www.noobie.com/wiicontest?src=calledblessed
I'm running a reminder to register at my blog too (if you want a cute button, you can grab it from my blog).
I think they look yummy.
icing bags are over rated to me - the good old freezer bag with the pin hole punched in it works fine too... Meredith I appreciate you sharing the cool pics with us -
it's only fair that I tell you and reveal to you that your blog is part of my 'girlfriends' network of housewives turned 'i got to get back to work to offset our expenses' discussions --- you keep us motivated, cheerful and most all, grateful for the things we have in the cupboard and a glimmer of hope that we are all gonna be 'fine' during this holiday season and beyond - my girls are sold out for 'merchant ships' girl...
Merry Christmas (when saying it around the office will get you fired) and have a prosperous new year to you, your hubby and yer yungins'...
As a fellow arkansan, i feel I can talk 'southern' to you - and feel that we have a cool relationship formed over these long months :)
keep the great ideas coming!
latrice -
working mama in the northwest!
Bet they taste delicious...and that's the important part!!
Happy Saturday!
blessings,
kari & kijsa
Well dear, I'm sure they will taste just fine. Remove everyone's glasses before serving with wine I say and really, who will care??? LOL.
Just keep trying. . . you'll get it!
Blessings,
Sher
You have been awarded the BUTTERFLY AWARD. For more details ...
http://becksbounty.blogspot.com/2008/12/award.html
Grace & Peace,
MomToCherubs
The cookies look yum.
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