So here’s the deal.  I have always wanted to make cook sugar cookies with the shiny frosting … well maybe not “always” but my guess is that it has been like 10 years.  I even attempted a few times and failed way back then.  The dream hasn’t ever fully left me though which is kind of odd … afterall, they are just cookies.  The first time I discovered this dream was when I saw some really fun snowflake cookies in a Martha Stewart magazine.  I admit that I am a huge fan of her’s and likely always will be.  I wanted to try mitten cookies and after at least 2 failed attempts however I gave up trying and didn’t look back.  Until … you knew there would be an “until” right?  Until I found this blog.  www.iammommy.typepad.com  I don’t even know how I came across her for sure but I saw her cookies and my old dream came back.  I thought “well, it must be possible if this girl who isn’t Martha Stewart can make them why can’t I?”.  And so the dream was re-dreamt.  Re-dreamt is likely not a real word but whatever.  I didn’t think that I could make them as well as the ones on the blog I found, but I figured I still should try to learn and strive for average cookies.

I will admit that it has been a few months since the old dream was revived but last weekend I was with my Mom doing some second-hand store shopping and I came across these …

They were .78 cents and I thought “I could make name cookies and be cool like i a mommy!”  She does have a name which is Amanda but I usually refer to her as i am mommy.   I snatched them up and dreamt of my name cookies.  The bonus here is that Saturday’s women get their purchases for 1/2 off … that’s right … my dream was going to come true for .39 cents. 

Once my helper awoke, we got busy with the letters. 

Turns out they are for JELLO … huh? I thought that name cookies sounded like much more fun.  They are 2 inches high which is likely the dumbest size to practice on but oh well, I was on a mission and the image of cute names wouldn’t leave my mind. 

Of course I got the letters washed before they went in her mouth.  Right Ev?

 

She will never tell thankfully. 

I won’t give you with the recipe and process in words … you can get the info from i am mommy’s new baking blog … http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/  FYI … it is a fantastic baking blog and she has so much more experience then I do with the details.  I sort of just did the whole “wing and a prayer” thing.   But I will show you my process in pictures.

Made the dough … don’t worry I did finish mixing it. 

I used to always hand mix my doughs and batters in my twenties because I felt like I was being more authentic and now in my 30’s the mixer is my best friend.  Today though I used a wooden spoon … I wanted them to be perfect and I guess I figured by hand with a wooden spoon was better somehow … goofy I know. 

I put the dough in cellophane in 4×4 squares as recommended.  I actually used a ruler.  I know right?, but I wanted them to be perfect.

I was supposed to wait for the dough to cool in the refrigerator for an hour.  A whole hour was way to long to wait since I was so excited to start.  My dough only cooled for 45 minutes.  Did you know that I was a baking rebel?

I thought that it rolled out just fine and the letters cut the dough with ease … they must not have known it wasn’t JELLO.

A little baking.  I used my stoneware pans and did not use parchment paper and they worked out just fine. 

Did the outlining. 

Did the filling. 

Funny … with each step I would say out loud, “ok, so this is the part that makes me nervous”.  Ha.  I am a dork.  Once the pastry bag was in my hand I remembered that I have decorated too many cakes to count and this should not be a stress.  And it wasn’t. 

Ta-da!   

I had fun … and I can’t imagine how much more fun it will be when I try color and when Evelyn isn’t crying to be fed while I am trying to “spill” the frosting in the cookies.  Overall it was a great success and I gotta say that they look pretty snazzy for a first attempt.  I only used about half of my dough … oh the possibilities!