Good Things by David

Are you thinking of surprising someone with a homemade birthday cake this year?  Try making a layer cake decorated with iced sugar cookies in whatever shapes the recipient may like, but go the extra mile and add their nickname in cookie form as well.  Whenever I hear the term, "cookie cake", I think of either a layer cake or sheet cake with cookies attached to it.  A flat chocolate chip cookie 'pizza' iced and decorated to look like a cake is not a cake in my opinion.   Having alphabet cookie cutters in one's pantry is a must if you are a cookie crafter, cookie baker and cake decorator.  They allow you to spell out a person's name, a greeting or even their nickname.  They come in various fonts and sizes, so pick and choose whatever you like, and then create personalized cookies or cakes. This past week I baked a delicious chocolate layer cake and iced it in delicate Swiss meringue buttercream.  To this I attached royal icing cookies in the sh...

It isn't unusual or unheard of to encounter antishoplifting tags on items at antique stores, antique malls and consignment shops. Security stickers on antique and vintage pieces can be problematic if the adhesive is particularly strong or if the tag has been on the item for a number of years. Antishoplifting tags are made by embedding layers of metal coil resonators within nonconductive materials.  These tags will transmit a signal to the security gates if they have not been deactivated.  This is good if you are the antique shop owner, but bad news if you're the buyer. Depending on the type of piece you've purchased, Goo Gone Original can be life changing.  If you collect fine china, keeping a bottle of this adhesive removal product in your home is a must.  All high end antique stores & vendors will have security tags on their precious objects, so be prepared. Antique Drabware ca. 1810-1820 Several years ago I came across several pieces of antique ...

Creating sugar cookies for my friend Jayne (a British expat) is always a pleasure because she gives me so much creative license.  She has been a big supporter of my sugar cookie craft for almost a decade now, and I have her to thank for prompting me to pick up the pace and churn out cookies by the dozen each and every season.   Her request this time around was simple: "design a set of Easter cookies for my family in England and make them pretty."  After going through my archive of past cookies, and perusing the cookie cutters in my pantry, I decided on a few shapes and designs for these special U.K. bound cookies. A large Easter egg cookie cutter, a large five inch plain-round cutter, and some very special cookie cutters from the former Martha by Mail catalog were all gathered on my large kitchen counter. I then quickly began to plan Jayne's cookies. Have a set of baked and cooled egg-shaped cookies and several large round ones as well.  Batches o...

Several weeks ago I came across a large bolt of vintage fabric that I knew I had to have.  The linen was new-old stock from the 1950s with a lovely green-striped pattern along the edges.  In my mind I was already turning this fabric into something for my kitchen, because the cream colored background and the green-striped edging of the linen looked like it would be an exceptional match with some of the green kitchenalia that I collect. I love how creative some people can get with their hand stitching, embroidery and various sewing creations.  Unfortunately I don't fall into the category of being adept with a needle and thread, so I rely on knowing people who are.   After approaching a local seamstress about what I had in mind, she quickly walked me through what she was going to do.  The 10 yards of fabric would be cut into 1 yard pieces, and each piece would then get a stitched hem to create the kitchen towels of my dreams.  Since I specifically a...

The easiest, quickest way to ice sugar cookies for St. Patrick's Day is to make them in shapes of four leaf clovers.  By keeping the designs simple, and by using only two shades of green, you're St. Paddy's day cookies can be made in no time at all.  As much as I would like to dedicate several days to make very intricate designs on my cookies, I always end up keeping them pretty straightforward. Let's jump right into the designs I made for the people of my town. Start by cutting out some cookie dough with a large 4-5" four-leaf clover cutter (you can use smaller cutters if you feel like it) and baking them until they are done. Make a double batch of my perfect royal icing and have gel food coloring in 'Kelly Green' and 'Leaf Green' at the ready.   Once the cookies have cooled completely, tint the royal icing in two shades of green and get it to the right flowing consistency for piping.  Whether you use squeeze bottles or pastry bags...

It's so difficult to resist an iced sugar cookie, especially when it is bright and colorful.  For Valentine's Day, heart and cupcake cookies iced in reds and pinks make for very festive treats to give to your loved ones.  Who doesn't remember having to pass out Valentine's Day cards in elementary school, making sure that every single classmate had a card in his or her little "mailbox"?  These days, handing out iced sugar cookies to those kids and teachers who are allowed to eat such treats, seems very appropriate for the holiday. Variations of sugar cookies in the shapes of hearts and cupcakes abound online, which is why I think it's a great idea to ice them as you see fit.  There really is no way to go wrong because the end result is always sweet. For my Valentine's Day cookies this year, I decided to give each one a little sparkle, a little pizzaz and lots of eye popping colors.  All of the designs are easy and I may have even repeated m...

It seems as if steamed puddings are rather underrated these days.  Most of us have abandoned the tradition of steaming desserts over a burner for hours on end, opting for baking our delicious sweets instead.  I admit that I don't steam puddings too often, but whenever I do, I know that the end results are always unbelievably good. In essence, steamed puddings are nothing more than cakes which have been steamed in bowls, molds or cake pans.  Just about any good butter cake recipe can be made this way if so wish.  However, it's always best to choose those which have deep, spicy flavors.  Pumpkin, persimmon, ginger, chocolate, apple and fig are just some examples of steamed puddings that have the perfect assertive flavors for steaming. An apple spice cake recipe that I make every single year was turned into a set of steamed puddings over the weekend, and the results were well worth the effort. From the eggs, flour, butter, sugar, fruits and spices...