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Follow the Ruels
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This is the third makeover of this recipe that I’ve done and it may be my favorite yet!
With Fall right around the corner, I have been hankering for anything “Fall spiced”, which includes all things apple, pumpkin, and more! These apple muffins certainly check off that box with the sweet and tart apples mixed with the cinnamon-y spice of apple pie spice. They certainly are getting me in the mood for Fall!
How to Make Them
First, mix together the dry ingredients: flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
Then combine most of the wet ingredients. I like to whisk the milk (make sure it’s warm), butter, sour cream, applesauce, and vanilla together first so that it forms a smooth slurry. If your butter starts to harden because the other ingredients are too cold, pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds or so until you can whisk it smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and now add the egg. Mix until the batter until it is just combined.
Fold in the chopped up apples then portion the batter into the muffin pan.
I like to use my ice cream scoop for this because it seems to make the perfect sized muffin!
Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they are nice and brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
Definitely let them cool for about 10 minutes before trying to eat. The apples inside will be steaming hot if you dive into them too early!
After that, have at them! They are a wonderfully delicious breakfast treat any time of year, but especially now as we head into apple season!
This is a great recipe to have under your belt if you plan on going apple picking this year!
Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp apple pie spice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk (warm or room temp)
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 apples, peeled and chopped (approx. 2 cups)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flours, sugars, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until there are no more lumps.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine butter, applesauce, sour cream, milk, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.
Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients. Add in the egg and mix until all ingredients are combined.
Fold in the apple pieces.
Scoop approximately 1/4-1/3 cup of the batter into each muffin tin cavity. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Apple Muffins This is the third makeover of this recipe that I've done and it may be my favorite yet!
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There are lots of things that inspire me and my cookie decorations, but I tend to find lots of inspiration from cake decorators! They are just so talented and are working with a very similar medium (and limitations), which make adapting certain cake designs to cookies pretty easy.
These particular cookies were inspired by a cake an Australian cake designer who goes by @donttellcharles. His cake was very simple. A little bit of a painted effect topped with two beautiful ranunculuses, tied to the cake with a bit of twine. I mean, it’s just gorgeous!
Which is why I had to make something similar in cookie form. And while they aren’t quite the same – they don’t have fresh flowers on them – I did try to recreate the flowers using clay and fondant molds.
Tools and Recipes
For these cookies you will need sugar cookies cut into some sort of basic shape, like a rectangle or plaque.
You will also need royal icing:
White or plain flood consistency icing
Green stiff consistency icing
Brown stiff consistency icing
To make the flowers you will need:
Fondant
Gel food coloring
Fondant or clay molds (I included some of my favorites below)
This was my first time using a fondant mold and it could not have been easier! Fondant is so similar to clay and is easy to shape using just about anything. I found one mold at the local craft store in the clay modeling aisle and I bought another one online that is specifically designed for fondant. Both worked the exact same way.
For the rest of the decorating, it would be helpful to have:
Clear alcohol (such as everclear or vodka)
Paint brushes
Piping bags
Piping tips in a #9 for the stems and #1 for the twine
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How to Make Them
First, color your fondant in whatever shades you’d like. Then press small amounts of fondant into the cavity of your mold.
Make sure to really press and pack the fondant into all the groves.
The fondant doesn’t need to be dry or hardened before you can press the newly formed fondant flower out of the mold. But I would recommend letting them harden a bit before attaching them to the cookie.
Once you are ready to assemble. Abstractly paint a few complimentary shades of diluted gel food coloring onto the iced cookie.
Pipe the stems of the flowers where you would like them with the green stiff consistency icing.
Then glue the flower onto the top of the stem with a little bit of extra icing.
Create more dimension in the flower by painting it with gel food coloring diluted with a bit of alcohol until you have something resembling a watercolor paint.
Finally, pipe the twine across the stems of the flowers.
And voila! A beautiful bunch of fondant flower stems that look like that are tied to the cookie! So cute, right?
Fondant Flower Stem Cookies There are lots of things that inspire me and my cookie decorations, but I tend to find lots of inspiration from cake decorators!
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While I don’t have a pup of my own (something I remind my husband of, daily), there is a special place in my heart for all dogs. If I see a person walking down the street with their doggo, I will instinctually talk…yes talk…to the dog while totally ignoring the human.
It typically goes something like this:
“Hey puppy! How are you today? Oh, you’re so sweet! Yes, you are!” in the most annoying baby/pet voice imaginable.
I am sure the owners think that I am a total weirdo, but I don’t care. I just want the dog to like me!
And that’s why I have gone about testing my own dog treat recipe! We have a few dogs in our community, and while they are all very friendly, I will do anything I can to win them over. Even if it means carrying around homemade bacon dog treats with me whenever I go outside.
I have no shame.
This recipe for bacon dog treats seems to be a hit amongst my test group. I mean, they have bacon in them. How can they be bad?
How to Make Them
Because some dogs have a wheat sensitivity, the recipe mainly consists of whole ground oats which can be kinder on a puppers tummy.
Process the whole oats in a food processor until slightly coarse.
Then add in the whole wheat flour, baking powder, and very crispy bacon. The reason for adding crispy bacon at this stage is so that it creates a bacon “flour” that is incorporated throughout the treat. Pulse until there are no large chunks of bacon left.
Add in the eggs and process until you have a crumbly dough.
Lastly, add in the rest of the less crispy bacon strips and just process until there are chunks of bacon throughout the dough.
Dump the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap into a disc. Refrigerate for about an hour so that all the moisture has a chance to be absorbed into the dough.
When you are ready to bake, roll out the dough and cut into shape. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes on one side, then flip over and bake for another 5-10 minutes on the other. You want these treats to be completely dried out.
Once they are out of the oven and cooled, you can choose to give them to your dog right away, store them in an airtight container, OR to add even more yumminess!
I know my old dog loved herself some peanut butter. You could give her anything if it had peanut butter on it and she would eat it. So in honor of her, I added a little peanut butter drizzle on top.
Tell me what dog could resist bacon covered peanut butter?
And I know what you are wondering. Did I try them?
Of course I did! I have to try everything I make. The verdict? Well, you probably won’t be reaching for these any time soon. They are a wee bit bland and definitely bacon-y, but really not that bad. Kind of like a bland bacon cracker.
But the pooches sure seemed to like them!
Supplies and Recipe
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Homemade Bacon Dog Treats While I don't have a pup of my own (something I remind my husband of, daily), there is a special place in my heart for all dogs.
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I have been dying to make some cookies that combined both watercolor and metallic details. Various ideas floated around in my head. It wasn’t until I was organizing my cookie cutters and came across these long-lost seashell and starfish cookie cutters that I had never used that it hit me! All at once I had the idea to make these beautiful watercolor seaside cookies.
But the set didn’t seem complete without a mermaid tail. Sadly, I didn’t have my own mermaid tail cookie cutter and was too impatient to order one. So I improvised! I printed out a mermaid tail shape and cut the dough around it.
With my three seaside shapes cut and baked, I was all set to make these watercolor cookies. I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!
While painting on metallic details is not the most efficient process, the combination of the watercolor and metallic may be my new favorite cookie decoration. What do you think?
Tool and Recipes
Recipes:
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe
Tools:
Gel food coloring
Clear alcohol (Vodka or Everclear work great)
Paint brushes (for food only, please and thank you)
Metallic food paint
Scribe tool
Piping bags
Piping tips (#1 and #2)
Coupler
Cookie cutters
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How to Make Them
What makes these cookies a little bit different than my usual cookies is that I dip them into the icing instead of piping them. I find that it’s a little bit easier to dip the cookies. And since you just need a plain, flat surface to paint on, it doesn’t matter how the icing gets there!
Use thin down icing until its slightly thinner than flood consistency. It should return to a flat surface within 10 seconds after “scraping” the surface. I find that this consistency of icing creates a nice even surface that covers the entire cookie.
Let the icing dry completely (about 4 hours) before beginning to paint.
Painting these cookies is the most fun and relaxing part. I could just do that for hours!
I can’t say the same for the piping. While I love the metallic accents, painting on the metallic paint can be a bit tiresome after a while. So maybe enlist a friend or break it up into batches if you are making lots of cookies!
All in all, I am totally enamored with these cookies. I can’t wait to put the watercolor-metallic combination to work again in another fun cookie set!
Watercolor Seaside Cookies I have been dying to make some cookies that combined both watercolor and metallic details. Various ideas floated around in my head.
#beach#cookie decorating#cookies#mermaid#metallic#painted cookies#seashell#seaside#starfish#watercolor
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How to Make a Letterboard Cake
How to Make a Letterboard Cake
I have to give the credit for this cake to one of my Instagram followers. While I am not sure it was her intention was to make her own letterboard cake, a string of messages sparked this cute idea!
This letterboard cake would be perfect for an announcement, birthday, or any other special event. Since I am sort of out of announcements, I just made it for the heck of it!
But seriously, how cute…
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I can’t believe it has taken me this long to share my quick and easy seven-minute frosting with you guys! While I won’t say it’s my favorite buttercream (my Swiss meringue buttercream still takes the cake, literally), it is the perfect frosting to make when you are in a pinch.
And in case you are wondering if it actually takes seven minutes to make. Yes, it does! The last time I made the frosting I turned on the stopwatch on my phone. From beginning to end (including measuring and sifting) it took just seven minutes!
The reason this frosting is so quick to make is that it’s essentially an American buttercream. That is a buttercream that is just made with butter, powdered sugar, a little milk, and flavoring. But unlike some American buttercreams that can be a little dense and too buttery, this one strikes a good balance.
There is also a little trick involved to ensure your frosting isn’t super dense and totally lifeless. Read on to find out what it is!
How to Make It.
Step number one to making this delicious, yet easy seven-minute frosting is to start with good quality butter. Please do not use margarine or even that baking butter than contains added oil. You want 100% dairy, high fat, unsalted butter. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on the super high-quality French butter. But just make sure that it’s real butter made from cream.
Step two is to whip the heck out of the butter. Don’t just whip the butter until it’s “light and creamy”. Whip it, whip it good.
By that I mean, whip it until it turns from a yellow color until an almost ivory white color. It should look like it’s increased in volume and definitely look a lot lighter than when it started.
This will incorporate lots of air into your frosting so that it’s nice and light and won’t taste or feel overwhelmingly buttery.
The last step is to sift the powdered sugar into the butter to ensure there are no lumps or clumps and you have the smoothest possible frosting. This eats up quite a few of those seven minutes, but it’s worth every second
After you mix in your sugar, your frosting will probably feel and look a bit dry. Add in your flavoring and a bit of milk, about 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a frosting with a nice creamy consistency.
And that’s all it takes to get a simple, quick, yet delicious frosting!
Even though Swiss meringue will always be my favorite of the buttercreams, it doesn’t always make sense to spend the time (and the egg whites) on it. Most of the cakes and cupcakes you have seen on this blog have been made with my seven-minute frosting, not Swiss meringue.
So if you are just making some cupcakes to bring to work or for an informal event, I highly recommend this version of American buttercream.
If it’s for or special occasion, or you really want to impress your eaters, go with the Swiss version!
Recipe
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Seven-Minute Frosting I can't believe it has taken me this long to share my quick and easy seven-minute frosting with you guys!
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This past weekend I was back in my hometown of San Diego for not one but two baby showers! One was for my oldest friend and the other was for ME!
For my first baby shower, I couldn’t help but make cookies to take with me all the way to California. It definitely helped that the baby shower invitations were just so dang cute, it gave me lots of inspiration.
Recipes and Supplies
To make these cookies yourself, you will need:
One batch of my tried and true sugar cookie recipe
One batch of royal icing
Both will be enough to make about 18 cookies (depending on size). If you plan on making any more, I would multiply the recipe accordingly.
You will also need:
A baby onesie cookie cutter and a bow tie cookie cutter
Gel food coloring in blue, white, and black
A scribe tool or toothpick
A very fine paint brush (used only for food)
Piping bags or zip top bags
Piping tips (totally optional) in size #1 or #2.
For the icing, I recommend splitting the blue and the white icings into piping consistency and flood consistency. To ensure they are the same color, tint a large bowl of icing before thinning it down. Then thin it down to your desired piping consistency (it should fall off a spoon, but still hold a little bit of a peak) and portion part of the icing into a piping bag. Then thin the rest of the icing down to flood consistency (it falls off the spoon and settles back into the icing within 10-15 seconds) and spoon into a separate bag.
I use the piping consistency to outline all the cookies and to add details. The flood consistency is used to fill the entire cookie.
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How to Make Them
I just thought they were so adorable! Perfect for a little baby boy, don’t you think!?
Preppy Onesie Baby Shower Cookies This past weekend I was back in my hometown of San Diego for not one but two baby showers!
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One of the things I miss the most since learning I was pregnant is licking the bowl! Since I do a lot of baking, you can only imagine how many cookie dough and cake batter covered bowls I have had to leave behind. It’s taken a lot of will-power but somehow I have made it 5 months.
Finally, I decided to give in to my indulgence! Well, sort of.
Instead of licking the dirty, cookie dough covered bowl, I decided I needed to make my own version of edible cookie dough. Thus we have the no-bake cookie dough fudge!
It’s basically like eating little squares of cookie dough, but with absolutely none of the risk! This way I can have the best of both worlds!
How to Make It
In a small saucepan, stir together flour and sweetened condensed milk. Place it over medium heat and add in butter. As the butter melts, stir it into the flour.
Then add in the brown sugar and vanilla and stir until you have a nice smooth mixture.
The purpose of doing this over the stove instead of just in a bowl is two-fold.
Raw flour can actually pose a risk of salmonella as well, thus you should always heat it up before adding it into a raw mixture like this.
Buy melting all the ingredients together, you ensure that you have a smooth, non-gritty fudge.
Let the mixture cool a bit, then add in your chocolate chips.
Transfer the fudge to a baking dish and pack down to form a nice smooth surface. Cover the surface with plastic wrap, then let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Once it’s chilled you can cover it with a layer of chocolate, or you can just cut it up into pieces and serve immediately!
And a little goes a long way! I bet that just one little square will be enough to satisfy your craving for cookie dough!
Recipe
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No Bake Cookie Dough Fudge One of the things I miss the most since learning I was pregnant is licking the bowl!
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Watercolor Ice Cream Cookies
Watercolor Ice Cream Cookies
Even though it seems like Summer is winding down, it is certainly heating up around these parts (literally). We are pushing triple digits here in Georgia, which I know most of the rest of the country is all too familiar with.
I’m looking at you, Texas.
While actual ice cream would be just as good (if not better for these scorching Summer temps), I thought it would be fun to make some ice cream…
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Herbal limeade is one of those things that you don’t really know what you are missing until you try it. It doesn’t necessarily sound all that appetizing or refreshing, but I guarantee it is both!
My love of herbal limeade started thanks to one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte. They make this amazing limeade that is actually blended with rosemary, mint, and basil. It’s definitely more herbal than limeade, but it totally works!
It’s like a green drink that you actually WANT to drink.
Since I can’t get my hands on their herbal limeade around Atlanta, I thought I would venture into making my own! My version is more limeade than herbal, but it’s still totally delicious and extra refreshing.
Perfect for Summer!
How to Make It
Start by making your herbal simple syrup. If you have your own herb garden, raid it for a few sprigs of rosemary, mint, and a couple basil leaves. The main flavors in this limeade are rosemary and mint, so you will want more of those two.
Place the sugar, water, herbs, and the zest of one lime into a small saucepan. Let it simmer until all the sugar has dissolved. Then turn off the heat and let the simple syrup cool with the zest and herbs still in there to extract as much flavor as possible!
While that cools, squeeze the heck out of a bunch of limes (and a few lemons). Limes are stubborn little suckers and don’t give up their juice easily, so if you have a juicer NOW is the time to use it!
Strain the lime juice into a fresh container to get rid of any seeds or pulp (unless that’s your jam), then strain the simple syrup to remove the herbs and zest.
Add the syrup to the lime juice then add enough water until it suits your taste. I typically stick to 1 part lime juice to 2-3 parts water.
Stick a few more sprigs of rosemary and mint in there to keep the herbal flavor alive and well while you sip on your delicious, refreshing, and (dare I say) healthy (?) beverage!
Tools and Recipe
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Herbal Limeade Herbal limeade is one of those things that you don't really know what you are missing until you try it.
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I don’t know about you, but these days I loathe turning on my oven. It is just SO hot outside, I do everything in my power to avoid adding any heat inside. Which is why I have been loving no-bake desserts!
The most popular no-bake dessert has to be the Rice Krispie Treat. They are easy and quick to make, and now there are so many different flavors and varieties so you will never get bored.
My current favorite Rice Krispie Treat flavor is this peanut butter chocolate Rice Krispie Treat! It’s like a cross between a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup and a Rice Krispie Treat. Two of my favorite things!
The best part is that they only require a few more ingredients and they’re just as easy to make as your traditional cereal treat!
How to Make Them
In a large saucepan, melt together butter and chocolate. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the cocoa powder and peanut butter.
Then pour in the marshmallows and let them melt a bit over the heat before stirring them into the rest of the ingredients.
Once the marshmallows are completely melted, pour the mixture over the Rice Krispies and immediately stir to coat the cereal in that delicious marshmallow mixture.
Then dump everything into a baking pan that has been lined with some parchment. Use a spatula to press the mixture into the corners and to flatten out into one large sheet of delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats.
It only takes a few minutes (about 30) for these treats to set, then you can cut into them and enjoy!
Like I said above, these are the best of both a peanut butter cup and a Rice Krispie Treat. I am just so thankful to have a sweet treat to snack on that doesn’t require an oven!
Recipe
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats I don't know about you, but these days I loathe turning on my oven. It is just SO hot outside, I do everything in my power to avoid adding any heat inside.
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Since gender reveal week is coming to a close, I guess it’s about time I reveal the gender.
Some of you already know or have guessed. If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen my latest (and only) bump pic asking you whether you thought I was carrying high or low. A few were pretty certain you knew after I posted that picture. I guess my bump gives it away.
I also mentioned in the last post that I knew the gender of this baby before it was even born thanks to an old “wives tale” that my former boss used to preach to us anytime anyone we knew ended up pregnant.
Here’s how it goes:
Because the gender of the baby is determined by the father (sperm), look at his family line. Is he the youngest of all girls? Is his dad one of four boys? If the male side of the family is dominated by girls, then there is a good chance you are having a girl. If it’s dominated by boys, well then you are having a boy.
I think this wives tale only really works well if there are lots of kids in the family and it heavily swings one way or the other. Otherwise, if the grandfather had an older sister, but dad has a younger sister, it may be a total crapshoot.
Luckily for me, Billy’s side of the family swings very heavily in one direction.
It’s a boy!!
Because Billy’s family is pretty much all boys (I don’t think he has a single girl cousin on his dad’s side of the family), we were pretty sure we were having a boy. So when the nurse called us after my 12-week blood test with the news, we were not surprised in the least to hear the results!
Of course, we would have been happy with either, but we are thrilled for a boy. If we were having a girl, I just know she would have her dad wrapped around her finger the instant she was born. At least now this child stands a slight chance of not being completely spoiled by dad.
We’ll leave the spoiling for the grandparents.
Okay, enough about this baby boy. Let’s get to the cake!
Recipes and Supplies
The beauty of this cake is that you can make any flavor you like! The only thing that really matters is the color of the candies in the center.
However, I will caution you against strawberry cake if you are having a boy. That may be a little confusing.
For my cake, I made a simple vanilla cake recipe, adapted from my favorite cupcake recipe. You can find the recipe at the end of the post.
You could also make a boxed cake because there is no shame in that. Here are my tips for making a boxed mix taste like a homemade cake.
You just need enough cake to make at least 3 layers of cake, so that one layer can hold the candy center. A typical cake recipe can make a 3 tiered 6″ cake, but I would double most recipes if you want to make a bigger cake, such as a 8″ or 9″ cake.
For reference, I made a 4 tiered 6″ cake. I doubled my cake recipe and had enough batter left over to make a few cupcakes. It would have been the perfect amount of batter to make a 4 tiered 8″ or 9″ cake.
Aside from the actual cake, you will need the following:
1-2 batches of buttercream (1 batch for a 2 tiered cake 6-9″ in diameter, 2 batches for a 3-4 tiered cake 6-9 inches in diameter)
Food coloring
Fondant
Lollipop sticks
Sprinkles
Assorted candies in pink or blue
I would also recommend the following to make your cake assembly and decorating much easier:
Cake turntable
Cake leveler
Piping bags
Offset spatula
Bench scraper
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How to Make It
Start with your already baked cake. Level and divide the cake into however many layers you like.
Tip: Chill your cake before you start cutting into it. It will cut much easier and will not produce as many crumbs.
Identify your center layer or layers. Use a round cookie cutter to cut a circle in the center of the layer(s).
To build the cake, start by placing the bottom layer on a cake board or cake stand. Afix it to the board or stand with a little buttercream.
Then pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake as wide as the second layer.
Place the second layer on repeat with the third layer.
Fill the center hole with blue or pink candies.
Tip: Hit up your local candy store that sells candy by color. Many sell M&Ms, Jelly Beans, and other goodies separated by color. That way you don’t have to go digging through a bag of M&Ms for just the blue or pink ones.
Top with the final layer of cake and press down to make sure all layers are secure and level.
Cover the entire cake with a very thin layer of frosting to trap in all the crumbs then place back in the fridge to set for about 20 minutes.
Once the cake is out of the fridge, cover the entire thing with a generous amount of frosting. The frosting doesn’t have to be perfect but make sure the entire cake is covered and it’s generally pretty square and level.
Using a large spatula will make your life a lot easier in this endeavor!
To get the pink and blue streaks, just tint a small amount of frosting pink and blue. Then add dots of frosting haphazardly around the cake. Use a spatula or bench scraper to then drag the icing around the cake in one big motion.
If you want to add more color, add more dots of icing and repeat the process.
There is very little technique involved with this! Just keep spreading the frosting until you are happy with the results.
If you want to add a little something extra to the top of the cake, might I suggest these little fondant question marks!
I colored several small balls of white fondant with gel food coloring. Rolled them out and cut them with a question mark cookie cutter, then attached them to a lollipop stick.
Place one cut out question mark backwards on your work surface, spread a bit of water on the back, place the stick in the center, then add the other question mark on top. Be sure to press down the edges and wrap the top question mark around the stick.
Let these sit out flat for at least an hour so they can dry and harden.
All that’s left to do is to add some sprinkles on top and stick the question marks in!
Oh…and cut into it!
That’s the best part.
Which just slightly edges out eating it!
Vanilla Cake Recipe
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Surprise Inside Gender Reveal Cake Since gender reveal week is coming to a close, I guess it's about time I reveal the gender.
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Gender reveals are all the rage these days. From balloons to confetti to fireworks, everyone seems to have a different take on this gender reveal trend.
Obviously, my favorite gender reveal ideas are those involving food! So even though we aren’t having a formal gender reveal I thought it would be fun to create some sweet treats to spread the fun news!
And, if I am being honest, I have been thinking up fun baking-related gender reveal ideas long before I was ever pregnant!
So first on the schedule are these gender reveal cookies! They can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like because it’s what’s on the inside that counts!
Recipes and Supplies
To make these cookies you will need:
At least 1 batch of my favorite sugar cookie recipe (will make 2 gender reveal cookies and 10-12 additional cookies depending on size and thickness)
1 batch of royal icing to cover all the cookies
A egg wash (1 egg + 1 tsp water)
You will also need:
Cookie cutters shaped like baby onsie
A pastry brush
Sprinkles in blue or pink
Piping bags or small zip top bags
Food coloring
Scribe tool or toothpicks
How to Make Them
Start by making the sugar cookie dough. Chill the dough so that it’s a bit firm, then roll out as usual. Cut the dough to the desired shape and immediately transfer to a baking sheet or plate and place back in the fridge to chill.
Each of the gender reveal cookies will actually be comprised of three layers of dough. Two will be baked together, the other will be baked separately and “glued” on top with icing.
It is important that these pieces stay chilled so that their shape isn’t distorted. Because the pieces all need to match together in the end, you want them all to be the same shape and size.
“Glue” one piece of rolled out cookie dough onto the other by brushing a bit of egg wash around the edges.
Place another piece of dough on top of the other, then cut out a hole to fill with sprinkles later.
Alternately, you can cut out a hole in the top layer of dough before placing it on top of the bottom layer. Just be careful not to distort the top layer when moving it.
Bake the double layer cookies separately than the single layer because they will take a bit longer to bake.
Also, because its a thicker cookie, it may expand more than your single top layer.
Don’t fret!!
Use your top layer as a guide and cut around the thick bottom layer while the cookie is still hot from the oven. Polish any rough spots with a zester to get them to look like a perfect match.
Now it’s time to fill the cookies with sprinkles!! Obviously, you will need to know what color to fill first, then pour in enough sprinkles to fill the cavity.
Add some stiff or piping consistency royal icing around the edges and then place your top cookie right on top. Press the cookie down firmly to make sure it’s nice and secure!
You can immediately start to decorate the cookies once the top layer is in place.
For these cookies, I kept it pretty simple. I outlined the onsie with white icing, then flooded it with flood consistency icing.
I immediately went in with blue and pink flood consistency icing to add some dots and stripes.
And there you have it! Super fun and cute gender reveal cookies!
I recommend making at least 2 so that both parents can open them at the same time.
You can even make these for twins!
I had so much fun making these, but of course, I’m not giving our gender away just yet! I have a couple more fun reveals planned this week so you will have to wait and see!
Gender Reveal Cookies Gender reveals are all the rage these days. From balloons to confetti to fireworks, everyone seems to have a different take on this gender reveal trend.
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There comes a time every Summer when I just dread turning on the oven.
It’s already so hot outside and the AC is struggling to keep up; why would add any more heat to its load?
Granita is the perfect thing to make when you want to avoid using your oven but still want something sweet. It’s super refreshing (especially this watermelon cucumber granita) and super easy to make!
How to Make It
Start by chopping up a bunch of watermelon and cucumber. For something like this, you can leave the skin on the cucumber if you’d like. It will just get filtered out later.
Add all the fruit and veg to a blender or food processor. The juice of a lime (or lemon), and just enough water to get the blender to do its job. If your watermelon is juicy enough, you may not need any!
Pour the blended mixture through a sieve to strain out all the pulp.
You should be left with a beautiful red juice that is seriously delicious.
Honestly, you can stop right here and pour this over a couple ice cubes for a refreshing Summer beverage.
But let’s continue turning this into watermelon cucumber granita, shall we?
Pour the juice into a shallow dish and then place it in the fridge. Every 2 hours or so (or every time you remember), take the dish out and scrape a fork over the surface. For the first few hours, it may seem like you aren’t doing much. Once it starts to set up you will start making really fine ice crystals.
It doesn’t take too long to completely freeze leaving you with a beautiful (did I mention healthy?) dessert!
I like to eat this watermelon cucumber granita all on its own. However, it would also be delicious alongside some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you need something a bit richer.
It will definitely help you beat the Summer heat!
Supplies and Recipe
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Watermelon Cucumber Granita There comes a time every Summer when I just dread turning on the oven. It's already so hot outside and the AC is struggling to keep up; why would add any more heat to its load?
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World Cup Sugar Cookies
World Cup Sugar Cookies
By the time this is posted, one team has already been eliminated from the tournament.
I blame my poor time management on my husband (of course) who told me that the first game of the semifinals was on Wednesday, not Tuesday.
(Let’s not focus on the fact that there are plenty of other, more credible, sources of World Cup scheduling information that are easy to come by.)
Regardless, I have been…
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#cookie decorating#cookies#football#royal icing#Soccer#soccer balls#sports#sugar cookies#teams#tracing#World Cup
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S'more Rice Krispie Treats
S’more Rice Krispie Treats
There are so many recipes that I make at home that never make it to the blog. Some I photograph, but the finished product just doesn’t look or taste right.
Others I make, but never photograph, only having to make them again.
This was almost one of those recipes.
After the weather threatened our chances at making actual s’mores for our 4th of July cookout, I thought I would try something a…
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#4th of July#chocolate#dessert#graham crackers#kid friendly#marshmallows#no-bake dessert#Rice Krispie treats#s&039;mores#Summer
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Peach Cobbler Bars
As a new Georgia resident, I feel like it my duty to make my own version of peach cobbler.
There are so many different versions of peach cobbler out there, I wanted to do something a bit different. Which is why I made my peach cobbler into bars!
These peach cobbler bars are just as easy to make, just as delicious, but I think they are a bit easier to eat than your traditional peach cobbler.…
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