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Garden Cookie Delights

Every now and then it's a good idea to surprise a dear friend or relative with a gift made from the heart.  A week ago I wanted to do just that to a very good friend of mine by baking and decorating some garden-inspired cookies to send their way.  With a few cookie cutters that I recently added to my collection, I cut out chocolate cookies in the shapes of a watering can, garden flowers, ladybugs and a garden shed.

I only used three colors of royal icing for them and a handful of decorative elements to embellish. 

Wrapped in clear cellophane bags and tied with grosgrain ribbons, the cookies were packaged in pairs  in order to provide extra support and minimize breaking during shipping.  It's one of my little tricks that has worked for all of my cookie shipments.

In the near future, I will give a more in-depth tutorial on how to safely ship decorated cookies.

If you've been following my cookie decorating posts these past few years, you know that I like to work near my sunny window at the dough counter of the kitchen.  As you can see, I had a small set up of baked cookies (chocolate cookies made with the darkest Valrhona cocoa), royal icing-filled piping bags (white, light teal, and mint), sanding sugars (clear & teal) and some silver dragées.  Last, but not least, is the rotating cake turntable for decorating.  

The watering can cookies were placed with a piece of card stock in between so that the spout would not break off.  A monogrammed watering can iced in mint, teal and white royal icing doesn't need much to be deliciously pleasing.

This closeup of the green flower cookies shows the deep, dark color that Valrhona cocoa powder yields in a baked good.  Not only does it provide a very nice canvas for decorating cookies, but it gives each treat that extra layer of flavor that is so delicious.

Each flower was flooded in mint-colored royal icing and was then given dotted petals and plain white borders.  A single silver dragée was placed in the middle.

I loved these garden shed cookies.  Believe it or not, each cookie was cut out with an oversized cupcake cookie cutter, which had the swoops of icing removed with a sharp knife to create the steep-angled roof; instant garden shed or mini house!

The roofs were iced in plain white and the walls were given mint-colored royal icing.  The door was iced in teal and then latticed eaves, windows and small flower pots (with candied flowers) were added on the facades in a contrasting color; add a silver dragée door handle to make it a luxe shed.  Take a closer look.  That garden gnome was part of an assortment of decorative sugar elements which were given to me by my good friend Janet.  I knew immediately that the gnomes would be used for these cookies.  Thank you, Janet!

Garden Cookies are bound to charm anyone who is celebrating a birthday, throwing a garden party or perhaps needing a bit of cheering up.  It's good to let the loved ones in your life know how much they're appreciated and cared about.  If they happen to enjoy a cookie or two with their tea or coffee,  give them some custom-made cookies in their favorite colors.

Here is to friendship!  
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Comments

  1. KennJune 17, 2015 at 6:21 PM

    and I loved each and every cookie... it's always a difficult decision... do you keep a work of art, or do you eat it?! I chose eating. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good Things by DavidJune 17, 2015 at 7:10 PM

    I'm glad you loved them! I agree, it's best to eat these because one can always make more. :)

    Have a great weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. janetJune 18, 2015 at 10:13 AM

    Oh, David! The cookies are (as always) LOVELY! However, your use of the little gnome just brought tears to my eyes! I always wanted to use them but never did... Now I know why... Because they were meant for YOU!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good Things by DavidJune 18, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    I have to admit that I fell in love with the little gnomes when I saw them, Janet. I did manage to keep some for another use, so I'll think of another way to use these little guys. :)

    Merci and lots of hugs!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. poggeauxJune 19, 2015 at 6:04 AM

    I could never eat them David. I would just keep them and stare at them all the days......

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good Things by DavidJune 19, 2015 at 8:34 AM

    Phil, you would eat them, I guarantee it. And then, while eating them, you would think: "I wonder when my next shipment of cookies will arrive?".... ;)

    ReplyDelete

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