Fall LEAVES (one last time)...Painted

We are a SPECIAL school working with some extraordinary children ... and I think the people I work with are some extra special people, too!  (I am sure you feel the same way about the people you work with, or I hope you do...makes each day a joy)  One of them, our psychometrist, wanted leaf cookies to share with her family.  So, I took out the leaf cutters once more  (as if I do this all the time.........bet my husband thinks so).  But anyway, I got out the cutters and I do believe my previous fall leaf originals cannot be copied....not even by me. As much as I wanted them to...... Anyway, enough talk.  Here they "fall"...

 I'm "going out on a limb" and say this is a maple leaf from my interpretive collection.  My, my that does make it all sound impressive!

A little royal icing here a touch of red there and the golden toothpick!!!

 

~

I SO admire the skills and talents of others.  One I've especially been enamored with lately is  click HERE to be WOWED!   the owner of My Little Bakery :) and she has ...well, it's just perfection in sugar painting.  Please take a moment to enjoy her masterpieces and then don't forget to come back...you know...to see someone's desire to paint with sugar.....If desire would just count! 

These next cookies are my favorite "tasting".  They are covered with "The GLAZE".  Yummy!  And they wouldn't have been included at all, but .... I...I  (sniff, sniff).....I broke two cookies.  I didn't mean to.  And If it wouldn't have been after midnight maybe 8 X 4 really would equal 36.   I always (the few times I do this)  make a few extra of each kind...for those cookies that might fall prey to demise.  They never have...until now. We usually eat the survivors.   And all at a time where I could NOT count.  Imagine that...a teacher who can't multiply.  Anyway, these were intended for family.  But they became redirected.  Oh, well.

One last pictoral that demonstates a wonderful head idea gone bad.....

NO!  NO!   NO!

Just an observation...our Heavenly Father made each leaf unique just as he made you and me.  He gave us His Word, His Son, and then He goes and gives us family and friends, and THEN he goes and gives us butter and sugar and cookie cutters......okay, okay, well maybe that's a bit much, but to my God I am forever thankful for ALL His blessings!  Aren't you my friend?

The Last Punkin Standing

I hear ya!  Halloween is over.  But, wait......it's still FALL.  And pumpkins grow in the fall, right?  But not here too much in the South.  One time when my husband worked near St. Louis my oldest daughter brought 30 or so back.  The boys (my grands) helped us pick them and you can imagine the husband comments we got.  You're going to haul how many pumpkins back to Mississippi?  And what are you going to do with 30 + pumpkins???  Well, that's Momma perogative!  Answer?  Carve and line the driveway.  Ummmmm......Sounded like a good idea anyway.

But back to pumpkins.  Here are some pumpkins for another pre-school party.  The request was from a co-worker-friend-mom and they couldn't have a face, so this is what I did.

 Outline with my favorite glaze.  You must visit Cookie Crazie if you want to see the "queen" of glaze decorating.  Click HERE if you want to see what I mean, but do come back...please?  I will wait for you.

 Glaze takes longer to set and dry than royal icing. 

Doing alternate sections adds some texture, but I still couldn't resist going back to put more detail...

and...

shine.

I added Wilton Orange Sparkling Sugar to the last sections while they were still moist. I did let them dry overnight.

The stems were outlined and flooded with royal icing. 

Yes, you heard me.  I was needing to pick up the pace, so I (gasp) made both icings be friends.  They got along just fine.

A few R.I. vines and a leaf or two and whala...

After EVERYTHING dried, I put in cello bags, tied with a bow and packaged .

My friend said they were enjoyed very much

and

That's really what counts!

(and that makes me happy)

Punkins

I told you quite some time ago, that I'm just a regular gal.  I made some cookies for the end of October and am just now sharing.  But, hey!  Fall is not gone...yet.  I am eying the Christmas cutters, though.  And those blogs!

I know you've seen a thousand pumpkins (sigh), but if you just joined the cookie blogging world, mine may be the first you've seen--not likely, but maybe :)

First, trace with a food writer

and 

Black is dark.  It's hard to get it without tasting like...ummm medicine, maybe?  So...Start coloring with chocolate cocoa, then add your favorite black.  After a little bit, flood the face.  Let it dry...completely, so the black won't bleed.

 Now outline the pumpkin.  Let that dry a bit and flood with orange.

 Almost done!

Go back over your orange with detail. 

Add some dimples...my, he needs an eyeball!

Outline your stem, flood, wait for that to dry and add some vines  If you want, add a leaf or two.

Wrapped and ready to go to a preschool party!  Happy Punkin's!!!