Confessions of a Cookie Baker: Games Cookie-Bakers Play...

Confession:  I usually bake extra cookies, to make sure that I have plenty to complete an order, but frankly, by the time I have finished the order, I am often bored of decorating them.











So, when that happens, my girls and I play a little creativity game, common among cookie-bakers... we try to come up with as many ideas for the same cookie cutter as we can. For example, this cookie cutter, which started out as Curious George, ended up as a baby and a London Underground sign.










(Sometimes I don't even fully decorate them, I just use the icing I have on hand, so the colors might not be right, etc., but it is fun to try new things and stretch our imaginations!)







When we don't want to use up the cookies, we just trace the cookie cutter onto paper and design that way.  Here are the ideas that Reader R., my 7 y.o., came up with for this cookie cutter...

I think her ideas are pretty creative!  I think this "Alien Spaceship" with the creature saying "Bye!" is my favorite! ;^)






For some other great examples of how this cookie game is played check out these great blog posts:

• One of my favorite cookie artists, Georgeanne at Lila Loa, created this cookie cutter contest.  Make sure you see the winners, but don't miss the more than 300 ideas for using this cookie cutter.   
• When cookie artists go to Cookie Camp, they play this game too! Check out the amazing things that they can do with a tea cup, a car, a funny Easter chick, a cupcake and a butterfly shape!

And then, when we don't have the perfect cookie cutter, despite having hundreds of them, we just make one up. In this case, the "Yellow Hat" is actually a cowboy hat brim hand-trimmed flat with the handle of a purse baked together to make the smooth top, but that is a different game! ;^)

Callye, at Sweet Sugarbelle is a master at the combining cookie cutters game.  Check out the cute ones she just made for the Olympics with a tie and a circle or my current favorite combining a top hat and a chocolate kiss.

So, now you know what cookiers do when it is too hot to turn on the oven!

Have a great day!
Sarah