Swimming themed Grad cookies

It's graduation season, which means lots of fun cookies in school colors.  This next set is one I hold near and dear to my heart because not only did I get to make them for a Mankao West graduate (my alma mater) but they were swimming themed cookies as well which is one of the many activities I took part in while attending West. 

It was fun to think up different color and design combos for these lovely ladies.  

However I do have to say these were some of the most difficult cookies to work with.  From time time to time I have a client provide me with a special cookie cutter that they want me to use.  I will gladly do it too, but this cutter was a doozy.

Small shapes at sharp angles make for a cookie that doesn't release well from the cutter, and to top it all off the cutter had guide lines built into it to distinguish the different parts of the cookie. 

These guide lines in theory are great, they keep each cookie looking the same as far as swimsuit and cap placement.  However in reality they are a nightmare, the guides were set so low in the cutter that I couldn't make the cookie very thick or the whole thing would have fallen apart.  

After baking the cookies were equally as fragile because of how deep the guide lines cut into the cookie. It's a good thing I made a few extra cookies because these poor girls kept loosing their heads.  

Had the cutter been one of mine I would have cut the guide lines out.  If you are ever having issues with a cutter it is always a safe bet to remove sharp angles form the cutter by bending it a bit and remove those guide lines.  While they make decorating easier (in some cases) it's not worth worrying about the structural integrity of your cookie.  

After all the girls were decorated I was still a bit worried about a few breaking.  The last thing I want to do is give a client a bunch of broken cookies.  To hopefully make up for any broken cookies (once they were put on display...it happens) I made this lovely focal cookie.  The flags read Congrats Ally and the starting blocks display the graduation year.  

Here is a closer look at the little swimmers ready to start off their blocks.  I am so happy with how this one turned out.  Plus how cute is that crowd of cheering people.  I will for sure be revisiting this cookie design in the future.  

Congrats to all you grads out there!!!

Stay sweet everyone :D

Lets Go Twins!

As promised here are some more baseball cookies.

This was a challenging set for me because the order was made for a diabetic teenager.  I did my best to offer a few different options and did my best to give my client a rough idea of the carbs, sugar and calories in the cookies. 

 

Hand died sugar cookies

I ended up making two different style cookies.  Some with the dough died and others fully iced.  I was able to cut down on the sugar in the cookies with the died dough because I didn't have to use as much royal icing.  

They look vintage right?

Good ol' regular sugar cookies

I also got to experience another 1st with this cookie order.

8in name plaque 

I got to make a giant cookie, an 8in plaque with the clients son's name on it.  

I am really enjoying making these baseball themed cookies.  

Have a team you want to see in cookie form.... place an order at vanessaslingsby@gmail.com

Stay sweet guys ^^

Take me out to the ball game...

So as I understand it during the summer a bunch folks go out and sit in the heat and watch a bunch of guys swing a stick at a ball and run around in a diamond shape..... This is my basic understanding and appreciation of baseball.

I have tried but it has never been a sport that I got into.  However I love making baseball themed cookies.  The mascots are so much fun and the colors are vibrant.  I was even more thrilled when I was asked to make some baseball cookies for a soldier serving overseas.

  His sister said that my cookies reminded her of some that a neighbor use to make for her and her brother.  The cookies their neighbor made for them made such a lasting impression they still talk about them today (and they are grown and have kids of their own)

I was lucky enough to get an e-mail from the recipient of my cookies.  Here is what he had to say: 

Vanessa,

My sister,sent me a box of your cookies on behalf of my nephew.   They arrived delicious and intact, all the way to the Kingdom of Bahrain!  Great work on the Pittsburgh Pirates design, it has helped lift my spirits as a long deployment nears the end.  Good luck in all your business endeavors.

Sincerely,

Soldier overseas

I am so touched that he took the time to write to me and super happy that all the cookies made it intact.  I was worried about the bills of the hats breaking off. 

If you have anyone special to you that is far from home and want to send some cookies there way let me know.  I am more than happy to help brighten someones day.  

Stay sweet everyone!