Skip to main content

Puzzle Piece Sugar Cookies

My friend Dennis, who happens to be a superb baker, preserve maker, gardener and cook, recently helped his great nieces create some fantastic puzzle piece sugar cookies for a school project of theirs.  With the help of his two nieces, Dennis and company made dozens of multi-colored puzzle pieces which were gathered and arranged into cookie bouquets.  


The mission of this project was to let children know that we are all part of one great, big puzzle in life.  Puzzle pieces come in different shapes, sizes and colors, and every piece is essential.  Every piece is valuable.  

The girls holding a printout of my recipe, along with the dough!

I was flattered that Dennis decided to use my Heirloom Sugar Cookie recipe for these colorful beauties, because it is one that I've come to trust time and time again.  Needless to say, Dennis loved it and so did the kids.  


Dennis isn't one to do things on a small scale.  Using his large commercial Hobart mixer, pound after pound of sugar cookie dough was made in no time at all.


Here is that beautiful cookie dough as it was coming together.  Can you imagine having this 20qt. mixer?  The machine itself weighs around 200 lbs!!


Using this French rolling pin which was given to Dennis by his friend Judy, the dough was rolled out to the desired thickness before the pieces were cut out.


The girls took their duties seriously.  Dennis made sure to instruct them that the dough needed to chill thoroughly.


I love this photograph because you can tell that Dennis, as a great uncle, and as the consummate baker, has taught his nieces to cut out as many shapes as possible, as close together as possible.  This is the way I like to work with sugar cookies, because it creates less scraps and less waste.


Working over a paper plate, the baked and cooled cookies were given some colorful royal icing.


Some of the cookies were stenciled with food coloring spray.  Very spiffy!


Once the cookies were dry, Dennis attached lollipop sticks to the backs of each cookie, and these were then carefully arranged in baskets, which were filled with the most colorful ribbons and tissue papers.  Success!



This kind of project is one that you can recreate in your own home.  Cut out and bake sugar cookies in the shapes of puzzle pieces, make several batches of royal icing in bright colors, and assign the kids some simple tasks so that they are all a part of the big picture.  Before you know it, you'll have your own edible puzzle pieces.


Many thanks to my friend Dennis and to his nieces for allowing me to share their remarkable creativity!  

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank You for Posting!

Popular posts from this blog

Antique Salt Cellars

There was a time when salt cellars played an important role on the dining table for the host or hostess.  As a result of it being such an expensive commodity several hundred years ago, salt was seen as a luxury and it was the well to do that made salt cellars quite fashionable & a status symbol for the home.  A single salt cellar usually sat at the head of the table and was passed around throughout the meal.  The closer one sat to the salt cellar, the more important one was deemed by the head of the household.  Smaller cellars that were more accessible and with an open top became a part of Victorian table settings.  Fast forward to the 20th century when salt was no longer a luxury and when anti caking agents were added to make salt free-flowing, and one begins to see salt cellars fall out of fashion.  Luckily for the collector and for those of us who like to set a table with Good Things , this can prove to be a boon. Salt cellars for the table come in silver, porcelain, cut glass
50 comments
Read more

Collecting Jadeite

With its origins dating back to the 1930s, jadeite glassware began its mass production through the McKee Glass Co. in Pennsylvania. Their introduction of the Skokie green & Jade kitchenware lines ushered in our fascination with this jade color.  Glassmakers catered jadeite to the American public as an inexpensive alternative to earthenware soon after the Depression, both for the home and for its use in restaurants.  The Jeanette Glass Company and Anchor Hocking introduced their own patterns and styles, which for many collectors, produced some of the most sought after pieces.  Companies marketed this beautiful glass under the monikers of jadite , jadeite , jade glass , jad-ite , jade-ite , so however you want to spell it, let it draw you in for a closer look.  If you want a thorough history of the origins of jadeite, collectors’ pricing, patterns & shapes (don’t forget the reproductions in 2000), I highly suggest picking up the book by Joe Keller & David Ross called, Jadei
48 comments
Read more

How to Paint a Chair

If you have ever felt the need to spruce up a set of chairs or give them a new look, why not try a little bit of paint?  Our tastes in decor and color will probably alter throughout our lives, and at some point, we may find ourselves wanting to change the look of our furniture without having to spend a lot of money.  That's where a few handy tips, some tools from the hardware store, and good-quality paint come in handy.   I know I'm not alone in paying visits to local antique shops, antique fairs and flea markets, and falling in love with pieces of furniture that would be perfect if they were just a different color.  You don't have to walk away from a good purchase simply because it's the wrong color.   My dear friend, Jeffrey, is forever enhancing his home with collectibles from flea markets and tag sales.  However, certain items aren't always up to Jeffrey's tastes when he brings them home.  He is the type of person who won't hesitate to chang
6 comments
Read more