Happy Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving! 

(Really, I am in favor of any National Eating Holiday...)

No, seriously, it is just a good solid holiday filled with quality things: gratitude, family, history, patriotism, parades, food..., err uhm, I mean a bountiful harvest and so much more.

We have so many blessings for which to be thankful. 

Among many other things, this year, I am thankful for the Sweet Shoppe and the opportunities that it is providing for me and my girls to grow, to learn, to have fun together in the kitchen, and for the relationships that I am building with you, my friends and customers, and with other small business owners and cookie bakers. 

So, this Thanksgiving I am wishing you blessings too many to count!

Have a

Happy Thanksgiving...

And Gobble 'til you Wobble!

Pumpkin Pie Sugar Cookie

A special "Thank You" to Ali Bee's Bake Shop
for the tutorial on pie cookies on Sweet Sugarbelle's Blog.  Curious K. could not even wait for this Pumpkin Pie cookie to dry before she gobbled it down!  (I had to crop her hand reaching for the fork out of the photo!)

Sarah's Sweet Shoppe is now closed for Thanksgiving and will reopen on Monday, November 28, ready with my first batch of Christmas cookies and some pinkalious birthday cookies for a sweet 5 year old!

How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice. Practice. Practice!

Today's cookie adventure was just that... practice.  For a couple of years now, I have been wanting to try a new icing recipe.  I had not tried it for a number of reasons... primarily because I am a firm believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."  I really love my standard cookie recipe, why would I want to try anything different.  Nevertheless, this cookie company adventure, along with the dreams of my imagination, and the encouragement of my friends, has compelled me to set aside my reservations and dive in. 

So, with the help of a tutorial from one of my cookie heroes, Sweet Sugarbelle, I tried my hand at Royal Icing.  (What's Royal Icing? It is a smooth icing that flows and then hardens.  As much as I love my fluffy frosting, it doesn't allow you do to as much detail as Royal Icing does... Also, there are a few things, that just look so much better smooth...)

Tada!

 

Candy Corns!

(Shiny, not fluffy...
just like candy corns should be.)

 And LEGO Mini-Figure Heads! Thank you again, Sweet Sugarbelle, for your inspiration and tutorial, and to Kristin Woolridge for encouraging me to try!  (Kristin is planning a Lego birthday party and had seen this idea online and asked if I could do it.  I said, I didn't know, but I would try...)

This LEGO head is made with Royal Icing.

This one is made with my Fluffy Frosting.

And my first Royal Icing Flower... I would call it "Candy Corn Hibiscus."  ;^)

So, honestly, I clearly need some more practice... I need to do some more research... I need a better recipe (because this icing was pretty, but, frankly, not so yummy), but I see so many possibilities with it.  I will still probably always prefer my fluffy frosting, but it is always fun to try something new. 

And so, the moral of the story is... If you have an idea, or you want me to copy something you already have, like an invitation or a napkin, don't hesitate to ask.  I will tell you "Yes," if I know I can do it.  I will tell you "I'll try," if I am not sure, and then we can decide if we can create your cookie or if we need to develop something else wonderful.

Sweet cookie dreams!
Sarah