Showing posts with label polkadot prints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polkadot prints. Show all posts

Sunday, July 7, 2013

I'm a flower girl Babushka nesting doll cookies


Who and what inspires you? I am often inspired by my children, their wonderment and joy of seeing the world and ability to find beauty in every little thing. But Sometimes I get my inspiration elsewhere.

Many years ago I had an inquiry asking if I could make some treats for a garden party photoshoot. I had seen Jordan from Polkadot Prints' work and blog which was fun and innovative and I agreed. I popped off an email saying yes, but pick up or post only and provided my address.


Back came an email, of course pick up was fine, in fact it was not a problem at all. It turned out we lived in the same suburb with 3 streets between us. The world wide web can be a small place indeed. It was the start of a lovely friendship and irregular coffee catch ups that lasted until Jordan moved over to Canada a year ago.

Our friendship and sometimes collaboration resulted in a few of my all time fav cookie designs, including this pretty cookie set, inspired by an invitation/ printable range.


I never actually got around to doing up a tutorial for these cookies when originally posted, I guess they are kind of fiddly and have a lot of fondant cutters. Rather than worrying about matching up cutters exactly the same, you can just use this tutorial as a guide.

I would say the only essential are a babushka cookie cutter set, a carnation set and a blossom set.....oh maybe a daisy set as well. I'm teasing y'all, once you get the nesting doll cutter, really I'm sure you can use what you have :) Or maybe not, luckily if you shop around these days you can pick all the fondant sets up pretty cheaply.

To match these cookies up to the original invitations CLICK HERE .


Oh and just in case your thinking your options are limited with those cookie cutters check out these other cookies I have made with them in the past. Yup all using the nesting doll cutters. Links to tutorials listed under photo:

Penguin nesting doll Tutorial ; Santa TutorialSnow man TutorialElf Nesting doll tutorialMonster nesting doll tutorialMummy nesting doll tutorialEvil Ghost tutorialScreaming ghoul nesting doll tutorial


I'm a flower girl Babushka Doll
* If you prefer Royal Icing to fondant covered cookies you can replace the initial step with a light pink royal icing cover and then adhere the floral fondant decorations. Marshmallow fondant can also easily be used in place of shop bought fondant. CLICK HERE for an easy Marshmallow Fondant recipe


Ingredients and Equipment
Babushka Cookies (cookie recipe and instructions below)
Small Babushka Cookie Cutter 8.5cm (3") (mine from Bisc-Art)
Small Rolling Pin
Regular size piping tip (you are using the open round end so any regular size)
Various flower cutters
- Carnation cutter 3.5cm (1  1/2")
- Daisy cutter 14mm (9/16 ")
- Daisy cutter 2cm (13/16")
- Blossom Cutter 6mm (1/4")
- Blossom Cutter 9mm (3/8")
- Blossom Cutter 14mm (9/16 ")

Rolled fondant (coloured yellow, light yellow, Pink, dark pink, skintone and brown) pink used is Sugarflair dusky pink which will make both the light and dark colours^
Sharp knife
Cornflour (cornstarch)
Black edible pen

^fondant dries out quickly, when not in use store in an airtight container or ziplock bag. To use fondant knead until pliable and smooth and roll out on a workbench dusted with cornflour (cornstarch)


Knead light pink fondant until smooth and pliable. Dust workbench with cornflour (corn starch) and roll out fondant until quite thin then using the babushka cutter cut out a fondant shape. Using the large round end of the piping tip cut out a round shape so that a face can be inserted.


Roll out the skintone fondant until quite thin then using the large round end of the piping tip cut out a round shape for the face.

Brush the cookie with a little water and adhere the pink fondant to the cookie and then insert the skintone face into the round hole. Use the rolling pin to press fondant on gently and push out to the edges where required.

Roll out the brown fondant then using the large round end of the piping tip cut out a round shape. Using the edge of the babushka cookie cutter where the head meets the shoulder, cut into the round to make hair.


Knead and roll out separately the white, light yellow, dark yellow, light pink and dark dusky pink fondants and cut the following shapes from the fondant for each cookie. (If you are making a number of cookies it can be more time effective to work on a number of cookies at the same time instead of doing each separately.)

For each cookie you will need to cut out:



Daisy cutter 14mm (9/16 ") - 2 X dark dusky pink
Daisy cutter 2cm (13/16")- 1 X light dusky pink
Blossom Cutter 5mm (1/4") - 1 X light yellow
Blossom Cutter 9mm (3/8") - 1 X light yellow + 1 X light dusky pink
Blossom Cutter 14mm (9/16 ") - 1 X dark yellow
Carnation cutter 3.5cm (1  1/2") - 1 X white + 1 X light yellow
A little extra white and dark dusky pink for making flower centers.


Use a tiny amount of water to adhere the flowers to the cookie as detailed in the picture. Yes some of those flowers are hanging over the edge - you'll fix that in the next step. Finish off each flower with a little dot of fondant rolled into a ball and pressed on with a small amount of water.


Use the sharp knife to trim off any excess overhang.


Then draw on a face, 2 eyes and a mouth with the edible black pen.


Sugar Cookie Recipe (makes 24 regular sized cookies)

460 grams plain flour (16 1/4 oz all purpose flour)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
230 grams unsalted butter (8 1/8oz)room temperature
220 grams caster sugar (7 3/4 oz superfine sugar)#
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
#use regular white sugar if you do not have caster/ superfine sugar

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to medium low, add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in the sifted flour mixture until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in fridge for 30 minutes or so.

Line a few baking trays with parchment/ baking paper.

Dust workbench with plain flour and using a large rolling pin roll out the dough until around 1/2 cm (1/4") in thickness. If the dough is to hard you may need to work/knead it a bit until you can roll it out.

Cut out cookies shapes and place the cookies on the prepared trays. (Knead and reroll dough as necessary, if it becomes to soft you can pop it back in the fridge.)

Pop the cut cookie dough trays into the fridge to chill again for around 30 minutes until firm (or in the freezer for 10 minutes).

Preheat oven to 160 C (320 F) and cook the cookies until they just start to turn golden, around 15 minutes (less or more depending on cookie size).

Cool on trays for 5 minutes and then carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool completely prior to decorating.

- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 1 week.



Unless stated otherwise, the above pictures and post are original works and the property of Linda Vandermeer.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores: 

This post is not sponsored.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Whimsical Bird Cookies and a Hampton's inspired party

 
One of the things I really love doing is when I am asked to create cookies to match party printables. 

This sweet birdie cookie is based on the Whimsical Bird range over at Polka Dot Prints which was the printable theme behind a beautiful Hamptons themed dessert table and party on the beach styled by Whimsy Petite Styling.

I have a tutorial on how to make the cookies at the bottom of the post but first I wanted to share the party pics with you.


Here are a couple of photo's of the kids having a fabulous time it looks like such a perfect party. I like how there seems to be less focus on an overly styled table ladden with candy and more focus on the gorgeous kids having fun and I think that these images capture it perfectly.


Although you notice I said seems to be less focus on the table. If I throw a few things together on a table I can promise you it never looks this pretty, this carefree relaxed styling takes great talent. The party was featured on Amy Atlas so kudos to Whimsy Petite Styling, Polka Dot Prints and everyone else involved in the creation of the party.


party styling Whimsy Petite Styling
printables Polka Dot Prints
Cake and cupcakes Cake Chic Sam
Photography Sheila Higgins Photography

Children's dresses Wild Blossom

Macarons and cookies Bubble and Sweet

This lovely cake was made by Cake Chic Sam  not me but it was so cute I just had to show you :)



Oh look I made some macaron pops for the table as well.......


Whimsy Bird Cookies
Instructions are for the round cookie - to make the square cookie follow the instructions using a square cutter and place the smaller bird up higher as per the pictures.


Round cookies (see note below re recipe)
Round cookie cutters
small sharp knife
set of tear shaped fondant cutters
edible pen in black
Ready Roll Fondant (or marshmallow fondant) colored with wedgewood blue and dusky pink/burgandy (the light pink and burgandy are the same gel color with just more added for the deeper hue), leave a small amount white*
cornflour (cornstarch) for dusting
small rolling pin
water and clean brush
* Fondant dries out fast, work quickly and when not in use pop it into a ziplock bag or air tight container. Knead before use to make more pliable. 

Dust the workbench with a little cornflour, roll out the wedgewood blue fondant until thin and even and using the round cookie cutter cut out shapes. Brush the cookie lightly with a little water and using the small rolling pin adhere the fondant to the cookie pressing down lightly with the roller.


Roll out the light pink and medium pink fondants on a lightly dusted workbench. Using the medium and large teardrop cut out one large light pink and one medium sized medium-pink tear shape for each cookie. Using your fingers pinch the pointed end of the teardrop and pull it up slightly to make the 'tail' curve upwards (like in the pictures). Using a tiny amount of water adhere one large and one medium of the tear shapes onto the blue fondant covered cookies with the large rounded ends pointing inwards to the center of the cookie and the pointed curved tails pointing outwards.


Roll out a small amount of burgandy and white fondant and using the medium and small tear shaped fondant cutters cut a wing in each color for each cookie (small for white and medium for burgundy). Use the sharp knife to trim off the edges until the wind is in proportion to the body, using the same technique as for the body pinch the pointed end and pull it up a little to make the wing look a little curved. Use a tiny amount of water to adhere the  wings to the body of the cookie.


Allow the cookies to dry/set a little for a couple of hours. Once set you can use a black edible pen to draw on eyes, 2 small lines in a V for a beak and legs.


I used the vanilla sugar cookie recipe from my book Sweets on a Stick to make the round and square cookies. However you can use any recipe you have that you like or search this blog and I had a couple of other recipes hree.

I know I have said it before but it is a US Release however there is a conversion chart in the back to the book for metric.


Or here at fishpond (Aus/NZ)

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Pink Paper Doll Princess Party - Sophie's 5th Birthday Party


When I asked Sophie what type of party she wanted this year she told me Barbie......then the next week it was Zhu Zhu pet, and then the next week it was Barbie AND Zhu Zhu pet. I racked my brain which was spinning from all the changes wondering what I was going to be able to come up when I realised that Sophie didn't really want a Barbie party or a Zhu Zhu party, what Sophie wanted was presents....lots and lots of Barbie and Zhu Zhu presents. Really she was kinda relaxed about the whole thing as long as there were friends, presents and cake ;)

Photo of Sophie by Naomi V Photography for Princess Ratbag

Phew, ok with that little issue sorted I still needed a theme. I was looking at some photo's of Sophie where the stylist Candice from Princess Ratbag had pinned up her super long hair and made her look like a little vintage doll and then I remembered a cookie idea that I had floating around for over a year and the theme just worked itself out.


Paper Doll Sugar Cookie

Decorating the Sophie Paper Doll Cookies - see the clothes are stiff and easy to handle
Yup that's right I wanted to make sugar cookies and then fondant clothes that the kids REALLY dressed up the dolls with using royal icing to adhere the edible fondant clothes to the sugar cookie doll. If you follow my blog you might have already seen the photo's of the cookies - the kids had a super time. The tutorial on how to make these super sweet cookies is HERE. Sophie can spend hours dressing up her dolls and I thought it could be a theme we would both love.



Some examples of the cookies the girls made up

I had a custom picture drawn up of the birthday girl made to look like a paper doll by Karen McCubbin. Isn't it the most adorable thing - Sophie LOVED that it was a picture especially of her! By taking a copy of the hand drawn picture I was able to use it as a template for the cookies.

Custom Paper Doll and clothes of the Birthday Girl by Karen McCubbin (details below)

Jordan from Polkadot Prints made up the sweetest pink and white polka dot invitations using the hand drawn picture of Sophie, and then cause she's super talented she made up matching thank you tags and dessert table labels as well!

Invitation by Polkadot Prints

The custom picture was great as I used it for quite a few other things. Each guest received a copy as take home favors and I also used the paper doll clothes to make a DIY bunting garland to top the buttercream pink ombre cake.

Homemade Paper Doll Dress up cake garland

The pink ombre (graduated pink) cake was frosted with Italian Meringue Buttercream. Inside the cake was strawberry butter cake with white chocolate mud cake polka dots which was inspired by an amazing cake on snowy bliss ( click here).... mine needs a little work as the mudcake balls are quite heavy I think they need to be popped in over a layer of batter.

Pink Polka Dot Cake

 I have already posted a tutorial on how  I did the ombre frosting on the outside Click Here


We also had princess sprinkle macarons and polka dot milk. I tried to come up with fun names for all the party treats to work in with the theme.


The rim around the top of my the polka dot milk was inspired by a picture on pintrest of dark chocolate dipped rim in hundreds and thousands (rainbow non pariels). I just changed the idea to work in with my color theme. Then it was just strawberry milk with floating marshmallows 'polka dots'.





Oh and of course we had lollies (candy)....pink musk sticks, pink and white M&M's and Pink Princess Delight (strawberry bon bons from Sharnel Dollar Designs)



and Ah Tissue made up these Ah-mazing ombre tissue paper pom poms.



Apart from the cookie decorating we also had musical statues, bubble blowing and my kids always ask for pass the parcel. I'm not a huge fan of wrapping up layers and layers of paper 'cause we always stick some kind of prize in each layer and at the end it is huge, then it's just a big 'ole ball of paper to throw away. This time instead of wrapping up layers of paper for pass the parcel, I popped gifts into brown paper bags and wrote a task for each child to perform onto the front of the bag. When the music stopped the child reached into the basket pulled out a bag and had to perform the task to get the gift. I made sure they were age appropriate tasks like singing a song or doing the hokey pokey, the kids thought it was lots of fun.


and a special thank you to my lovely friend Jo who came over earlier in the day to hang all the poms for me as I couldn't reach up due to my recent surgery. Thanks so much Jo Xx

Party Menu

Pink Polka Dot Cake (click here for frosting tutorial)
Princess Sprinkle Macarons
Sophie Doll Cookies (click here for the tutorial)
Fresh Strawberries
Sherbert Icecreams
Musk Sticks
Strawberry Bon Bons
Pink and White M&M's



Fabulous Party Suppliers

The party sweets were made by me Bubble and Sweet  ( http://bubbleandsweet.blogspot.com/ )
Party invitations, thank you cards and dessert labels by Polkadot Prints ( http://www.polkadotprints.com.au/store/pc/home.asp )
Tissue Pom Poms by Ah Tissue ( http://www.ah-tissue.com.au/ )
Cake and bon bon Stands, polka dot straws and strawberry bon bons (princess delights) Sharnel Dollar Designs ( http://www.sharneldollardesigns.com.au/store/pc/home.asp )
Custom Paper Doll drawing by Karen McCubbin ( darkar1(at)optusnet(dot)com(dot)au)
Party Inspiration photo of Sophie by Naomi V Photography ( http://www.naomivphotography.com.au/ ) for Princess Ratbag ( http://www.princessratbag.com/store/pc/home.asp )
Pink and White polka dot treat boxes from Mon Tresor
Flowers from Perrotts florist Brisbane ( http://www.perrotts.com.au/ )
Most of the party pictures are by Terri Vandermeer

Flowers from Perrotts,  bon bon stand from Sharnel Dollar Designs


Just in case you haven't heard I have a book coming out in December called Sweets on a Stick - it's full of fun and easy recipes to make with your kids. Here's a link to Sweets on a Stick on Amazon.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Babushka Cookies for Polkadot Prints printable range

All photos by Naomi V Photography

EDIT - I now have a tutorial for these cookies on the blog CLICK HERE

Babushka doll , matryoshka doll, Russian nesting dolls, they have so many different names but one thing is for sure they sure make cute cookies and also printable invitations as well for that matter as you'll see.
 
I know I've done the whole babushka doll cookie thing before, but I love them so much, they really are one of my favorite cookies so when I had the chance to make a new version of them I couldn't wait..

I already shared the cherry and the Tiffany cookies I did for Jordan from Polkadot prints, but I have to tell you this set were the ones I loved doing the best.


It's kinda hard to tell from the photo's but I made 2 different sizes using the medium size and small size from my bisk-art cutters and trying to match the design in with the ones on the invitations.

How awesome are the photo's that Naomi took?

The ones in the photo above at the back that are part yellow background (like the below photo) are the medium size and the pink ones are the small


The are a sugar cookie covered with fondant, decorated with a variety of fondant flowers (carnation, daisy and blossom cutters) and a few dots of royal icing. I've already have a tutorial for Babuskha cookies (Click Here) on the blog I did up about a year ago, if you follow that tutorial it should give you the basics so you can build up your own babushka masterpiece.


Oh and you all know I love square cookies at the moment so I couldn't help but do up a couple in a matching design as well.


Jordan has done a post over on her blog here as well, awe and she was so nice about my cookies I'm still blushing a bit. She is lots of fun and full of creative ideas, make sure you pop over to check out her blog :)

Printables by Polkadot Prints
Photography by Naomi V Photography
Babushka Cookie Cutters by Bisk-art
Babushka Cookie Tutorial by Bubble and Sweet

Here is a link to my book Sweets on a Stick due out in December, the recipes and ideas in my book are kid friendly and not a difficult as the cookies pictures above. It's a collection of my favorite recipes and ideas for sweets on a stick that I enjoy making with my kids