Baby Shower Cookies

I was recently asked to make cookies for party favors for a baby shower.  I decided to make sugar cookies shaped like onesies and decorate with royal icing.  I then bagged each one and tied with pink ribbon.  They were a huge hit.  Below is the recipe for the sugar cookies and icing.  Enjoy!

Rolled Sugar Cookies
(Makes 4-5 dozen - depending on cookie cutter)

2 1/2 c. butter (softened)
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
5 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar on low with paddle attachment for about one minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for a few more seconds.  Add eggs one at a time mixing between each addition.  Add vanilla and mix.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Add all of the flour mixture to the wet mixture.  Mix on low for 30 seconds.  Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper and put in refrigerator on a baking sheet.  Chill for 1 hour.

Remove from refrigerator, roll out more if necessary.  Cut into shapes and place back in refrigerator for 10 minutes to 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake for 8-12 minutes or until edges are light brown.  Cool completely before icing.


Royal Icing

3/4 c. warm water
5 Tbls. meringue powder
1 tsp. cream of tartar
2 lbs. powdered sugar

In a mixer bowl, whisk water and meringue powder for 30 seconds or until slightly thick.  Add cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.  Pour in all powdered sugar and mix using paddle attachment on low for 10 minutes.  Add water, if needed, to thin out. 

Note:  For decorating cookies using the flood method the icing will need to be thin.  Use the 10 second test.  Run a knife through the icing, if the line fills back in within 5-10 seconds the consistency is right.  If sooner than 5 add more sugar.  If more than 10 add more water.

Note:  The flood method is piping an outline around the cookie and then immediately filling in the outline.  This makes for a smooth professional looking cookie.  You can also pipe lines in other colors (working quickly before the icing dries) and drag a toothpick through it to give it a nice marbled look (below is an example).

Max & Ruby Cake

After creating my first birthday cake for my son's birthday I decided to try again for my daughter's birthday.  Max and Ruby is her favorite t.v. show so I decided to create a Max and Ruby cake.  The cake was a chocolate cake and the filling was a pecan praline filling.  I covered this cake in fondant and created the characters & decorations out of gum paste.  I had so much fun creating this cake!  I am addicted!

Chocolate Cake

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
5 large eggs
2 c. cake flour
1 c. Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract


Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended.

Combine cake flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Pecan Praline Filling

1/2  cup  firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4  cup  dark corn syrup
1/3  cup  cornstarch
4  egg yolks
1 1/2  cups  half-and-half
1/8  teaspoon  salt
1  cup  chopped toasted pecans
3  tablespoons  butter or margarine
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat.

Whisk in pecans, butter, and vanilla. Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming; chill 4 hours.

Monkey Cake

My son had his 1st birthday in February and I was determined to make him a birthday cake.  I love watching all the cake shows on t.v. but had never tried actually creating a multi-tiered cake.  So, I bought supplies, did a little reading and set off on a cake creating journey.  I admit it was a little ambitious but I think it turned out well for my first cake.  The cake was a chocolate chip cake with fresh strawberry and whipped cream filling.  The decorations (except the monkeys) are fondant.  The monkeys I hand molded out of modeling chocolate.  Below is the recipe for the cake.  It was a fun experience!

Chocolate Chip Cake

(Note:  this recipe make 1 6in cake, 1 9in cake and 1 12in round cake.  I had to make 2 recipes for 6 cakes total)


1 2lb. box of cake flour
2 Tbls. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 sticks of butter, softened
5 c. sugar
3 1/2 c. water (room temperature)
6 large eggs
12 oz. chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Position 1 rack in top and 1 rack in bottom of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Line pans with parchment and spray with cooking spray.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat butter.  Gradually add 3 cups of sugar.  Beat in flour mixture in 5 additions with water in 4 additions.  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until medium firm.  Gradually add remaining 2 cups of sugar and beat for 5 minutes.  Fold 1/3 egg whites into batter.  Fold in remaining whites.  Fold in chocolate pieces.

6 inch pan uses 2 cups of batter, 9 inch pan uses 4 cups of batter, 12 inch pan uses 9 cups

Place 6 & 9 inch pans on top rack and 12 inch on bottom.  Bake for 50-55 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).  Let cool before removing from pan.

Decorate and enjoy!