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Well Dressed Gingerbread Men Cookies {Tutorial}

Posted by melissa on Dec 2, 2012 in Blog, Cookies, Tutorials | 13 comments

Who doesn’t like a well dressed man? Better yet who does not like well dressed gingerbread men cookies?  I know I do. I thought I would share with you how to easily dress up your gingerbread men cookies in snap.  Some people have gingerbread house decorating parties.  I think decorating gingerbread men cookies would make a great holiday party alternative as well. You could bake gingerbread men cookies and then have different decorating stations. Families could make their own set of gingerbread men cookies to take home. Some times people are intimidated by royal icing but anyone can apply fondant to a cookie.  The great thing about using fondant is that you can make quite a few different patterns in no time at all.  Let me show you how with a few easy steps.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

STEP 1:

Here are a few items that you will need:

• Gingerbread men cutout cookies
• Gingerbread cookie cutter
• Chocolate Fondant
• Fondant Roller with 1/8″ markers
• Fondant Impression Mats: Fabric from Karen’s Cookies
• Wilton Color Mist Spray
• Cornstarch
• Piping Gel
• Brush
• Royal icing for embellishments

STEP 2:

You know what is great about fondant? It’s easy to work with. You don’t have to worry about royal icing consistency and makes for a great medium for impressions.  Grab a small handful of chocolate fondant. Knead your fondant till it is nice and pliable. Sprinkle a small amount of cornstarch on your work surface. The cornstarch helps keep your fondant from sticking. Roll out your fondant to your desired thickness. I roll mine out to 1/8″. Place your cookie cutter over the area to make sure it is big enough to cut out.

STEP 3:

 Take out the fondant impression sheet from the fabric set from Karen’s Cookies.net , that you would like to use.  It comes with six different patterns. For this gingerbread man I used the rope looking fabric. Sprinkle just a light amount of cornstarch on top of the fondant. You do not want the impression sheet to stick to the fondant. Then use firm pressure with the rolling-pin and go over the mat.  Remove the mat from the fondant. When you remove the fondant, if the impression is not uniform, you must re-roll out your fondant. Make sure you put even pressure on the impression mat with the fondant roller.

STEP 4:

Use your gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut the fondant into the right shape. Since cookies spread a little when they are baking, the cookie cutter shape comes out just the right size. Easy peasy?

STEP 5:

Take a brush and apply a small amount of piping gel to your cookie. Gently place the fondant on the cookie. Be careful at this point. You don’t want to apply to much pressure when you are putting on the fondant. Normally, I would use a fondant smoother to adhere the fondant to the gingerbread men cookies.  But you will erase the pattern if you do that. All you have to do is lightly press the fondant on the gingerbread men cookies.

STEP 6:

For this pattern I used the Wilton Gold colorspray, from Karen’s Cookies. Make sure you are about 12 inches to a foot in half from the cookie. You only need a light dusting of the gold for it to highlight the fabric pattern. Then all you have to do is apply some royal icing eyes and a bow tie and you are good to go! Told you these were easy. Takes about 5 minutes to make! You can’t beat that when you are making a lot of holiday cookies! Then just take royal icing and add your favorite embellishments to your gingerbread men cookies. 

Thanksgiving Cookies 2012

Posted by melissa on Nov 22, 2012 in Blog, Cookies | 8 comments

Happy Thanksgiving!  I am so thankful that all our Thanksgiving cookies are out the door and headed to their feast destinations.  It’s quiet this morning.  The mixer isn’t whirling. The oven isn’t preheating. I know it is not quiet in most houses today across the county. After getting out close to 350 Thanksgiving cookies this past week, it’s finally quiet in my kitchen. We are headed out to my mom’s house today and I am thankful that I get the day off. Before I head out I wanted to say a few things. I wanted to share just a few of the things that I am thankful for. If I shared them all we would be here awhile.

 Thanksgiving Cookies

What a great time? A time of year to be thankful. A time to make lists and think of all the blessings we have.

The gift of family.

 People who love you when you are at your best and when you are at your worst.

The kind of people who promised to love you in the good and in the bad.

The gift of friendship.

This is one of the coolest gifts because they are not stuck with you like your family is.

I am so thankful for my friends who listen to me,  who laugh with at me and with me and who encourage me to keep going.

I am also thankful for the friends who are willing to stick their neck out and tell me what I need to hear!

Water. An oven. A refrigerator. A roof. Warm clothes. Indoor plumbing.

Not having to rebuild my house after it rains.

Running water.

 It may sound dumb but how thankful I am to be able to access it so easily while in many parts of the world this is not a reality.

The part of the world we work in does not have these things readily accessible.

Our little charity, Micah 6:8 Sudan, is working right now to build a farm.

Now that the rainy season has subsided they are clearing the roads and beginning to prepare the land.

The proceeds from all the baked goods I sell goes to help support the farm.

In Southern Sudan there is a 90% unemployment rate.  Our farm is not big.

But we hope to provide jobs for the local villagers we work with.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This is not an easy one. Because it says, in all things give thanks. Not some. Not a few. But all.

This bible verse perplexed me when I was younger. But now it does not. I have learned that even the most trying circumstances forms and shapes my character.

It forms and shapes who I am going to be. Am I going to be angry and bitter over difficulties or will I choose joy?

Not always easy. But learning to embrace difficulties, with that goal in mind, helps.

 Thank you to everyone who ordered our Thanksgiving cookies this year.

Thank you for letting me work so hard. Some people think I am just obsessed with baking. Nope.

I am really not. I am passionate about raising funds for some amazing men and women who are excited for the

opportunity to have a job working on the farm.

I am thankful for my baker friends!!! Oh yeah. You know who you are.

Honestly, you are the people that help keep my sanity.

The people who are up with you at 2 in the morning cracking jokes to help you get through your orders.

Or your friend who will skype with you and you look like twins.

You both have royal icing in your hair. Your clothes are covered in powdered sugar.

But you don’t care. You don’t look at each other funny.

Now when I show up in the carpool line looking like this as my son’s school, I get different kinds of looks.

Or the day when you have hit the wall, the idea closet is bare and they help you move past it.

I SERIOUSLY DON’T KNOW WHAT I WOULD DO WITH OUT YOU!

The other night, I was exhausted. I had nothing left. I was all out of creative ideas.

Then Shannon, from Artfully Delicious, started sending me cookie ideas.

It helped snap me out of my funk. There is something about the phrase,

 ”gobble till you wobble”

that is just plain fun.

That’s the kind of people I get to work with!

It’s like a whole band of baking cheerleaders!!

Thank you for letting me share my Thanksgiving cookies.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Thank you again to everyone who ordered our Thanksgiving cookies.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog in this crazy, busy world we live in.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Black Friday Shopping Deals

Posted by melissa on Nov 20, 2012 in Blog, Uncategorized | 7 comments

Can you believe it? It’s Thanksgiving weekend. A weekend filled with sales from Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.  I am having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that the end of the year is right around the corner. Want to hear a secret? I still have trouble writing 2012. Normally, you only have that problem in January but I still have trouble believing it is 2012. Now 2013 is right around the corner? I don’t know if I am ready for this! So, I have to know? Are you the kind that loves to scout out the Black Friday sales? Do you wake up at 4 am, head out into the bitter cold to get that perfect gift at the right price? I have all the respect in the world for you.

On the other hand, I am deathly afraid of Black Friday. My fear of Black Friday started the year of my son’s first Christmas. I decided to brave the elements to get him the coveted bouncing Tigger at 4 am in the morning. But that morning I saw the side of human nature that makes me sad. People willing to trample others to get a s$25 gift.  That kind of stuff ruins the moment for me.  It saddens my heart. I love giving gifts but I would never want to trample someone to get it.  Tonight on the news I heard that people are already in line at certain places waiting for Black Friday. Seriously?  Really? You are going to miss Thanksgiving dinner with your family for a deal? I don’t mean to be Debbie downer, but come on.  Well, thank goodness for the internet. And thank goodness for so many of my friends who own small businesses. I thought I would share a few of them with you and the discounts they are offering for Black Friday.

Seriously, how cute is he?  It’s crazy to thing that it was 13 years ago.

Since I will be staying in, I thought I would share some Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday deals with you!

Captain Leisure T-Shirts

Captain Leisure T-Shirts is offering 15% off any Cakey & Bakey T-Shirts and Hoodies

Coupon Code: BAKEDEQ

The code is good from Thanksgiving Day 11/22 through Cyber Monday 11/26

The Smart Baker

The Smart Baker is having a Cyber Monday Sale

Their aprons will be on sale and deep discounts on their other products. They aren’t tell yet! BUT IF…

You head over to their website and sign up for their newsletter you will be the first to know. On Suday when the newsletter is released you will get the codes and sale items

for Cyber Monday!

Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe 

Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe makes the cutest edible topper for cupcakes and cakes.

Code: BLACKFRIDAY12

Christina is offering 10% off on everything in her Etsy store. Starting on Black Friday through December 1.

Shop Crystal Faye

 Crystal’s store is so fun. You can’t beat her fabulous monogrammed rainboots and chic assessories.

I adore her notecards.

She is offering 15% off everything in the store on Black Friday

CODE:  BLACKFRIDAY15

JuJu’s Tutu’s

 I think if I had a little girl our house would be filled with tutus. I can’t get over how cute they are. But since I have a boy you guys will have to buy them for me!

Jujus Tutus Etsy Store

Black Friday Deal:  31% off all Holiday themed tutus.

Code: BLACKFRIDAY

Small Business Saturday:  24% off with a Partner Purchase

Code: SHOPSMALL

Cyber Monday:  Free Shipping

Code: CYBERMONDAY

Set in Stone by Janet Greene

Do you have a pattern you like? Do you have a specific picture you adore? Janet can customize that on your own personal coasters.

She is offering 10% off for any purchase over the weekend.

Code: HOLIDAY10

The Baked Equation

Black Friday: 10% off all custom custom dessert orders

Small Business Saturday:  15% custom cookie orders {min. order 1 dozen}

Cyber Monday: 10% off custom cookie Christmas set {min. 1 dozen}

Copper Gifts 

Last but not least CopperGifts.com. I had to share with you their new cutter set. The 12 days of Christmas.  When I saw the 12 Days of Christmas Set at CookieCon, I loved it. I thought what a neat keepsake to have.

But Georganne, from LilaLoa, brought the cutter set to life.

Not only does she show you how to make the cookies but

she is currently taking us on a 12 day tour of Korea. It is breath taking.

If I owned the 12 days of Christmas cutter set, I would love to have a decorating party.

I would invite all my family and friends over.

Give them each a set and let each family decorate them.

How fun would that be?

Well have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Be safe!