Edible Flowers

I've just finished reading "Garden Spells" by Sarah Addison Allen. If any of you have read "Chocolat", then you would love this book.

From the dust cover:
"Business was doing well, because all the locals knew that dishes made from the flowers that grew around the apple tree in the Waverley garden could affect the eater in curious ways. The biscuits with lilac jelly the Ladies Aid ordered for their meetings once a month gave them the ability to keep secrets. The fried dandelion buds over marigold-petal rice, stuffed pumpkin blossoms, and rose-hip soup ensured your company would notice only the beauty of your home and never the flaws..."

Terrific, huh? My fingers are itching to try sugar some rose petals, so I need to hunt around for organic roses. Maybe a trip to Cameron Highlands would be appropriate. I think sugared flower petals would make plain round cookies with white or lavendar royal icing look realllly gorgeous.

Cat-shaped cookies a.k.a. scary cats

My sister got me a cat-shaped cookie cutter from Oz. I made these cats in chocolate. She found them quite cute. Personally, they look pretty scary. Oh well... back to the drawing board for me then.

Ouch!

No picts this time as my broadband connection is displaying characteristics of a sloth.

My cookie baker is away on a much deserved holiday, so I'm at the helm of the kitchen. Not to worry, she has taught all that I need to know. However, despite ballet classes at the age of 10 ( a short-lived obsession), I am no more graceful than a tree stump in a forest. I must say I have had impressive oven burns on my arms, one actually took the shape of a heart. However, today while taking some aqiqah cookies out of the oven, I managed to burn my four fingers. Not once, but twice. Oven mittens? Of course I was using them. Freaky, huh? I think it's time I invest in boxing gloves. I'll still be clumsy but at least my digits will be safe. Have a good weekend everyone!

p/s Mom. If you're reading this, don't worry. I still have my fingerprints. I think.

Engagement Cookies

My sis-in-law's younger sister got engaged last weekend. I had a field day creating the cookies as she gave me free reign over the designs. The theme was pink so I concentrated on that but added a few other colours for variety. The red ribbon was temporary, to make way for other decorations to match the rest of the hantarans. I placed the cookies on an adorable two-tiered display (from Living Quarters).

I decided to add some flowers for variety (and coz I loooove flowers too).

The lower tier with a variety of hearts. Putting the silver balls on the cookies were quite tricky. Quite similar to picking up a quail's egg in a steamboat with chopsticks. Perserverence always pays. Ha ha.

My favourite in the lot, hearts with ribbons.

Anniversary Cookies

My mom's friend recently celebrated her 44th wedding anniversary and ordered 50 sugar and gingerbread cookies to share with her guests at her anniversary dinner. She let me choose the colour for the cookies and here they are in lavender.

The cookies here are on a cake display which I absolutely adore (got it from Living Quarters by the way). I'll be using the display for an engagement hantaran for my sister-in-law's sister.

Big Pram and Onesies

Hi there! As mentioned earlier, I've just received a larger pram and a onesie which is pretty nice as an aqiqah or baby shower favour. Mind you they're rather large, i.e. 10cm (about the size of your palm). I haven't had the opportunity to properly decorate it but here's a picture of both in sugar just to give you an idea how it looks like. There are endless possibilities on how to decorate them. Apart from the usual blue for boys and pink for girls, the pram would look rather nice in lavender or a mix of blue and yellow. Just to be different, eh?
I'd like to dedicate this post to Dylan Jedi Cumming who said hello to the world on 15 August 2008. May the force be with you, baby.

Wedding cake

I've just received a new batch of cookie cutters and was so excited to try them out. One of the cutters is of a wedding cake which I plan to use on an engagement 'hantaran' this August. Don't be fooled by the size. It's pretty large (4"/10cm). Maybe a bit too large to be given away to guests as door-gifts but then again, hey... why be conventional? I'm still searching for some which are smaller in size tho. I used leftover icing on the cookies in the picts. That's why they look pretty bare (I told you I was excited, didn't I). However, for the actual cookies, I would flood them white and 'draw' white swirlies and dots. Pink is lovely too, with traces of lavender and cream perhaps.

Summer butterflies

In July we celebrated the birthdays of a few summer-born girls whose chose butterflies to share with their friends.

Also included were flowers, hearts and cupcakes for a girly tea party. Happy birthday Sophia, Alia and Salia!!