Me and My Airbrush!

So after Cookie Con in Salt Lake City, I decided I needed an airbrush.  After all, what was I going to do with all the stencils I bought!  This is the new thing in cookies for sure.   I wish it was as simple as just buying it, however!  I had to find it in stock, order some airbrush colors, make a gizmo for my stencils (it's a technical thing), and then practice.  So I took out every baked cookie in my freezer and gave them a basic base coat.  Then I dug around in my scrapbooking box (I have ZERO finished scrapbooks mind you, but all the stuff!), cookie convention folders and the art bin and I found all kinds of cool stencils.  So I loaded the airbrush and went to town.  This is fun!  And my hairdresser was delighted to receive all those random cookie shapes!

Then I took out my blank Easter bunnies and iced and stenciled them too!  My family oohed and ahhed over them, and the truth is, they were ridiculously easy!  Finally,  I was lucky enough to have a friend working on her granddaughter's birthday favors, and they were Doc McStuffin themed which meant...chevron stencil!

I don't make character cookies (unless it's was for a display at Williams Sonoma like Sesame Street or Star Wars) so I went with the chevrons and a 3, which worked well with the invites.  Baby shower...okay, stencil!  Grad party....woohoo, stencil!  Truthfully, I have airbrushed everything!

Even a baby shower, and they were just the perfect sheen under the lettering.  I am so happy with this thing, I can't wait to make more cookies.  I am hosting a political fundraiser this weekend and am looking for a star stencil that fills my need!  What are you waiting for....bake and airbrush!!!

Gluten Free Almond Butter and Chocolate Cookies

Just a few weeks back I made some gluten free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies,  Whew, that's a mouthful!  Well, they were delicious, and when I posted the recipe, a friend said she was going to make them with almond butter.  Hmmm.  Me too!  The consistency was much different than with peanut butter, a little heavy, so I added 1/4 cup of coconut oil to make it a little creamier.  I also scaled back the amount of chocolate.  The original cookies had..too much.  I know, hard to believe.  But these are really more like a cookie, less like a bunch of chips!  Here's how they went.

1 cup creamy almond butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup old fashioned oats
dark chocolate chips (not a whole bag)



Cream the almond butter sugar, vanilla and coconut oil.  When mixed, add dry ingredients and stir well. The batter is really sticky (and pretty tasty), and I made smaller cookies this time, baking on a Silpat.  350º, for 10-15 minutes.





These were a little fluffier than the peanut butter version, and honestly, I think I like them better.  Almond butter is not a flavor that is in your face like peanut butter, so the subtlety is perfect for me.  The recipe will make about 4 dozen smaller, perfect size cookies.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get in there and bake!

The Tailgating Crafter

I knew that'd get your attention.  Years ago when Lori and I did the craft/sewing show circuit for our very cool sewing DVDs, we would often hang out with Donna.  At one particular show, she and her hubby had a cooler in tow.  Being the Southern girl I am, I dubbed them the tailgating crafters.  They were actually very smart.  Fruit, yummy sandwiches, water...not really the type of food you would find at these venues, and a vast improvement over the Pronto Pups, the tankards of soda, and fresh fried churro.  So when Donna said her mom was turning 70, I was happy to pitch in on the celebration!  We happily outwitted the US Post Office as the cookies arrived unscathed!



I made these cookies in all the electric colors by Americolor, and knew I was going to do a little brush embroidery.  After returning from Cookie Con, you kind of get all these techniques in the front of your brain.  However, as I was planning the same look as I did here, I realized it needed a little (a lot) of improvement!)  I actually have the very first brush embroidery cookies I did at Spring Fling....way back in 2012, certainly not edible, actually a little petrified!  But I love the technique, and as I was reading my blog list I hit Glorious Treats.  I love this gal, Glory has been at every cookie convention.  She is a real person, wife, mother, blogger.  Now a published author, and still as nice as always.  Well she put up some brush embroidery.  No leaves, but big flowers, colorful cookies, and I totally copied her.  Really, is there a better form of flattery?  I think my favorite thing about Glory is that she knows how to edit, keeps it clean and simple, and honestly, most cookie people I know should follow suit, myself included!  I like her soft pastel backgrounds better, but mine went with the other big flowers and polka dots I made.  So, Happy Birthday Judy! (And thanks Glory!  and I love, love, love my book!)



I also baked up some doctor cookies for my adorable, and very accomplished niece who just had Match Day, so now knows where she will do her pediatric residency.  Her beau is doing his urology residency in the same city.... and these were a vast improvement over my last doctor cookies.  I am not an artist, I just give it the old college try, and certainly practice makes me much better!  I love the little aspirin, and I made hers orange...but yes, I know, kids shouldn't take aspirin!



Finally, I helped out a school class who wanted to have a baby shower for a teacher.  So a platter of rattles and onesies were in order!  It's a girl!  And don't you love the old saying...Sugar and Spice and Everything nice, that's what little girls are made of.  So sweet and old fashioned.  I am certain someone will have to explain that cookie to the kids, or maybe someone will Google it!

see my pearl chevrons???  oh stencils are where it's at!

More fun cookies in the works, all that Cookie Con inspiration!  And...I bought an airbrush.  So lots of practice cookies for some lucky friends!  What are you waiting for?  Get in there and bake!