Maple Leaf Canada Day Cookies

Bling Bakery Canada Day
butter cookies with glaze flood

I had a customer request some Canada Day cookies for her staff and residents. She had sent me a picture of a red flooded maple leaf cookie with 'OH! Canada!' written on it in black, food grade marker and was asking for that design. No problem! I had the cutter, but what I didn't have was success in making red glaze flood that didn't go blotchy after a few days. 

Time was on my side, no need to panic, so I hopped off to the local cake decorating supply shop, then home again home again with a bottle of Sugarflair Red Extra. 

Well. Let me tell you. Magic. My 'experiment' cookie still looked amazing SIX DAYS after it was flooded. This is the difference that quality makes!!! I was thrilled and obviously, off to the races - doing a quantity of cookies for my customer would be no problem.

Coloured Border Hand-painted Butter Cookies

Hand-painted Bling Bakery
butter cookies with glaze flood

As you know, I've been spending most of my time hand-painting my Bling Bakery butter cookies. The white glaze flood background is the perfect canvas for my yet-to-be-refined painting techniques. 

But that got me thinking - how would the cookies look when grouped together on a plate? Will there be enough colour in the display or will my customer feel their order doesn't have enough pop? Since I'm not painting the entire surface of each cookie, will there be too much white, making the display look plain?

Hand-painted Cookie Gift Box

Hand-painted lilies on Large Daisy,
Hand-painted wisteria on Large Heart
Bling Bakery butter cookies with
with glaze flood 

A gift box of cookies is a beautiful way to let someone know you are thinking of them. It's a small but meaningful gesture of love and well-wishes that goes beyond a phone call or a distant wave. 

Cookie gift boxes can have any theme imaginable. If you can dream it up, there will be a cookie decorator with the skills to bring that dream to sugar. Whether that decorator is me or someone else, think about gifting a small box of cookies next time you remember someone you haven't seen in a while. They will truly be impressed by the unique and memorable way you have reached out to them.

Hand-painted Butter Cookies

Hand-painted roses on
Bling Bakery cookie

The more time I spend painting my glaze flooded butter cookies, the more time I want to spend painting my glaze flooded butter cookies. 

No joke. 

I have pushed to the side all other decorating ideas and even though I know I should be expanding my picture inventory for my Ordering page, all I can think about is 'what will I paint next?' 

Yesterday I went through Mom's gardening books and chose three with the most paintings and photographs. Lots of ideas there, and plenty to inspire. And that's the thing - I'm not exactly awash with talent so any photo/cartoon/painting or sketch that can serve as a starting point is critical to someone like myself. Where I end up is usually faaaar from where I started but that's always ok - that's the "creative" part that I bring to the product. I also figure there's no such thing as a mistake - it's just a cookie for heaven's sake! 

Mother's Day Cookie Gift Box

Mother's Day Painted Heart
cookies gift set

I figured I would join the trend of other bakeries who offer gift boxes for different occasions and Mother's Day seemed to be the perfect place to start. This year I offered four sets in total; three sets were painted cookies and one set was my usual glaze decorations.

Gifting a small box of cookies is a great way to go. It's inexpensive but totally personal and lovable. I kept my prices between $10 and $12, and that's fairly standard for a lot of bakeries. Places I scouted had sets for $9 (but packaging was an additional $2), and most were $12 for 3 cookies (plus $2 for the box). Regardless, any way you cut it, it's a wonderfully unique gift for a great price and you're not breaking the bank if you splurge for flowers or chocolates as well. If your favourite bakery does not offer gift sets, be sure to ask next time you shop there, I'm sure they would be delighted to put something together for you at a price that suits.

Painted Cookies

Flower Painted Heart cookie

I've been experimenting with painting my cookies and I must admit I'm a big fan of this new (to me) way of decorating. I love the effect, and since I have so many colour gels already, it's a simple matter to prepare a bunch of "paints" - a tiny amount of gel mixed with clear vanilla extract - and I'm off to the races .

This heart shaped cookie was my first painting attempt. I'm using an artist brush that I closely trimmed to a very fine tip. Lacking horribly in talent, I still have trouble controlling the end and more often than not, I'm creating random lines on the white background that can't be erased or hidden, especially when I'm starting with black. But, I feel I'm getting the hang of it, and I'm completely smitten with the results. 

Teapots

Teapot cookies

If there is a cutter that started the whole Bling Bakery idea, I'd say it was a teapot. Not actually this one; I have two cutters and lately I've been working primarily with the tall teapot pictured here because there is more room to manouver. But the squat teapot is equally cute. A large cookie, these beauties make a lovely gift, especially for yourself! And don't worry, they go great with coffee....

Teddy Bears

Teddy Bear cookie

I really love this teddy bear cutter. There have been a number of trial and errors at decorating, but I think simplest is best and most effective. They are a nice sized cookie (almost 3 inches) and make the perfect gift either alone or combined with a heart. Let someone know you're thinking of them and sending them hugs and love.

Hearts

Heart cookies

I have a number of heart shaped cutters in different sizes, and the more I work with this shape, the more I "love" it. It's a very versatile cookie that can be decorated in a number of ways but still carries the message of love. These floral hearts are an example of just that, making them the perfect gift for a friend, a spouse, or even a neighbour who you're missing. I've also paired this shape with animal cutters so you can send "love and hugs" to whomever you're missing. 

Butterflies

Butterfly cookie

I have two butterfly cutters, this is the smaller one. It still makes a good sized cookie - approximately 3 x 2 inches - and makes a beautiful accent on a plate of floral cookies. When thinking of a spring or summertime gift box, adding a few butterflies can really bring your gift to the next level.  

Easter Cookies

Chick cookie, Sheep cookie,
Rabbit cookie

 Easter cookies make a great gift! They are a little different from the traditional chocolates, and in many ways are more fitting for those of us who have outgrown the candy phase but will NEVER outgrow the cookie phase.

This year I did sheep, rabbits, carrots and eggs. The little chicks were extra treats included in the gift boxes. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Everyone has their favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe. 

Except me. 

I've tried countless recipes over the years but the results were always ho hum. Good, yes. Edible, yes. But not stunning. Not "bakery" quality, not show-stoppers and definitely not sock removers (as in knock your socks off). Even the Mrs. Field's recipe that is so famous didn't tick all the boxes for me. 

So when my son found a chocolate chip cookie recipe that he wanted to try, I kept my eye-roll to myself and enthusiastically told him "Sure".

Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake with
Vanilla Buttercream

I've always admired those baking sites with beautiful photos that clearly showcase their products for their customers. Some day that will be me, but in the meantime, I'm making do with my at-home in-the-kitchen pics to give you an accurate impression of my Bling baking.

A while ago I was in the bakery section of a local grocery chain looking at their cupcakes. $1.99, and it seemed almost as big as mine which I was beginning to market for $3.00. Oh dear. Why would anyone buy my cupcakes when they could get something almost the same size from this place. I bent down to look more closely at my competition through the glass and - surprise surprise - it wasn't a standard cupcake, it was a little mini one with 2 inches of frosting on top. Well now, that's a completely different bowl of cream! The cost of the cupcake is in the cake, not the whipped sugar and lard of the frosting. Not really competition after all! 

Lemon Sponge with Lemon Mousse

Lemon Sponge with
Lemon Mousse

When I was growing up, cake was an important member of our household. Any flavour, the bigger the better, loaded with frosting, and always served with ice cream. Every night of the week. Well, almost every night because dessert was a critical component of our menu.

I used to do the same type of baking for my own kids, though only on their birthdays. Traditional recipes with lots of flour, butter and eggs, they would be heavy creations that would take the four of us days to finish. What was wrong with me? A sliver of cake and I'm done? Same with my husband and the boys. Hmm. 

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies with Belgian Chocolate Drizzle

Coconut Oatmeal cookie with
Belgian dark chocolate swirls

I've always been leery of making anything with coconut to serve others. I guess I've come across too many people who don't like it or are allergic. But last summer, when I made some vanilla cupcakes and was experimenting with coconut buttercream, the reviews from 'the masses' were positive and no one had to visit the hospital. That experience gave me the gumption to work with an oatmeal cookie recipe that I'd already modified to suit my oatmeal taste buds. After a number of modifications and experimenting with different ways to bake them, I've ended up with a coconut oatmeal cookie that has become my new favourite. 

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chocolate Chunk cookie

There are a ton of chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and everyone seems to have their favourite. Personally, I've shied away from these calorie bombs for a number of years because as I've grown older and my metabolism slows, I just can't eat this sort of treat without it showing up later on the outside of my stomach. I also seem incapable of eating just ONE cookie at a time, so I tend to lean (....get it?..."lean"?) toward healthy, flavourful, not-sweet-not-rich baking that gives me the option of having 3 or 4 cookies at once without feeling or seeing the after effects. But enough about my eating habits.

Maple Oatmeal Muffins

Maple Oatmeal muffins

I have tried countless oatmeal muffin recipes over the years, and given that I'm still trying new ones, I suppose that means I haven't settled on The One that makes it into my recipe book. 

Case in point - the other day I came across a Maple Oatmeal Muffin recipe that seemed interesting and worth a try. As always (read "usually"), when trying a new recipe I follow it faithfully then later switch it up to suit my palette. What you see here are the first results and they were pretty good. The muffins had a really nice height, likely because I filled the cups almost to the top with batter and they bake at 400F. 

Rhubarb Muffins with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Rhubarb Muffin with
Cinnamon Sugar topping

If I could have one wish, it would be to have access to rhubarb all year 'round. I've heard that it's an acquired taste, but everyone I know who has tasted it, loves it immediately.

I have a number of rhubarb plants in the garden that have been producing well over the past few years. This has been a relief because I did have to move them (the neighbour's shrubs had gained so much height, the rhubarb wasn't getting the sun it needed). Relocating rhubarb is always a tricky business, and the plants will be utterly annoyed with you, and in my case at least, they needed a good 5 years before they decided they had forgiven me and were back to producing some fairly good-sized stalks. Last year was the first time I got 2 cuttings from the plants. 

Froggies and Toadstools

Frog cookie, Daisy cookie, Mushroom/Toadstool cookie

 I've been experimenting with gel icing and I LOVE IT!!!! 

Let me back up a bit and explain that I've never - as in never - been a fan of royal icing. It's far too sweet for moi, and that rock hard finish and crunch in the mouth that over powers the flavour of the cookie just doesn't appeal to me. So, after doing much decorating of my butter cookies with my buttercream, I was wanting a frosting that would allow a similar style of decorating that's possible with royal icing but, well, wasn't. 

Yeah, yeah and yeah again, I found Pam's recipe (from CookieCrazie.com) that uses clear corn syrup, and Pam's decorating is incredible. Here was a glaze that wasn't a royal icing but allowed her to do virtually anything a royal icing could. A quick review of the recipe and knowing the modifications I'd make so it was less sweet and more to my liking (+ salt, + flavouring, - some icing sugar), it was time to experiment.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting

Carrot cupcake/muffin recipes tend to be very high in fat and for that reason, are not one of my go-to desserts when I'm thinking of entertaining or including them in my inventory of baked goods to offer my customers.

However, a long time ago I came across an old recipe in one of our church cookbooks and after making a few modifications, I ended up with a delicious recipe that is still higher in fat than I'd like, but hey, on occasion, isn't harmful (right?). By cutting some of the oil and a lot of the sugar, these carrot cupcakes are absolutely amazing on their own, and even more-so with my cream cheese frosting.

Which brings me to the next hurdle - coming up with a light, airy, not-too-sweet cream cheese frosting that was also "pipe-able".