Lace On Cookie by Violet - Royal Icing Cross Stitch Cookie

How to decorate a Red Heart cookie with cross stitch pattern.                     

Cross stitch and lace work cookies are my favorite ones to make. They can never be too boring for me. I like to play around with dots and lines because for me those are easy to do.

I wish I could draw free handed like a pro. I am actually learning to draw and paint and hopefully in the near future I will be able to get my drawing on cookies.

For now, when I have to create a cookie with some animals or special designs, I have to rely on my Pico projector. It has helped me out many times and it definitely save me time from needing to draw out a pattern on a cookie first then fill it in.

Anyway, back to the red hearts. Hearts are my favorite shapes to make and I'm not sure why. I love hearts. The beauty about making hears is that you can use any color icing on them for any occasion, you can draw characters or scenery on them, in other words it's a perfect blank canvas to create whatever your heart desires.

Now let's get to decorating, shall we?

For this cookie you will need:

1.  - heart shaped sugar cookie 
2. - red food coloring (I used Wilton) 
3. - flood consistency icing (not too runny and not too stiff) 
1.  - white and red 
4. - piping consistency royal icing in red for the border (I used the flood consistency one since I did not feel up to mixing up another batch.      
5. - piping consistency royal icing white for the white dots within the lace
6. - #1 Wilton decorating tip
7. - #2 Wilton decorating tip for the flooding or use a tipless bag
8. - piping bag 
9. - couplers for the decorating tip and bag
10. - scribe tool or tooth pick
11. - scissors to cut the bag 
12. - brush for food purpose only
13. - smaller heart cutter to mark the center of the bigger cookie or draw it out by hand and lastly
14. - an awesome attitude with lots of smiles on your face and some loud happy music

• I did not get to record the beginning of the heart making. What I did is I took the smaller heart and imprinted it into the main cookie. You can also use an edible marker (hopefully red) to draw around the small hearth.  
• Next, I used some red food coloring and diluted it with some water then I painted the center heart with the red paint. 
• After it dried I outlined the outside of the smaller heart along the inner part of the bigger heart with the red flood consistency royal icing and used my scribe tool to remove the bubbles and to even out the icing. 
• Quickly I added white royal icing dots in equal distance from each other and I dragged my scribe tool (or tooth pick) through the center of each dot all the way around or follow the way I did it. This will create the white heart shapes.
• Next, create the grid of your cross stitch pattern by making horizontal lines parallel to each other and then make your vertical lines parallel to each other.  Try to keep the distance between the lines as even as you can, so you can have a nice grid for your dots. 
• Now start piping your dots and I will be counting the rows from the bottom up and I'm also going to give you the numbers of dots to fill in for the totally filled in heart)
• 1 dot in bottom center (leave a few rows clear from the corner of your small heart)
• 3 dots in the second row (btw, if you are starting your dots left to right in each row, make sure you start with one dot to the left of each dot from the below the line you are working with all the way to the 5th row)
• 5 dots in the third row
• 7 in the fourth row
• 9 in the fifth row
• 6th row start where the 5th row started fill in 4 dots, skip one, and fill in the next 4
• 7th row start two dots to the right of your first dot from the 6th row, skip 3 then pipe two more dots.  (watch the video in slow motion if you need more visual help)
• Now pipe white dots around the inner part of the red heart. 
• Make your lace edge and once it crusted a few seconds add the dots in the center. 
• You an add a few more white dots on your cross-stitch grid if you desire. 

Your cookie is now finished. Let it dry overnight or for about 8-10 hrs. 

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. You can also follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/VioletsCreationsCA

If you have any suggestions or requests for cookie decorating ideas let me know. I'd be happy to create it for your. 

Have an amazing time, decorating your cookies.

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Keto Friendly Avocado ice cream with Lime Vitality Essential oil

Lime Vitality Essential Oil infused Ice Cream

This recipe will yield two servings (you can double the recipe for a larger batch and make sure you increase the Lime Essential Oil slowly, not all at once).

Cinco de Mayo just happened yesterday. Due to work, I could not participate or celebrate. I like to bake or make edible stuff. Sometimes I go for cookie creations, sometimes I just try a new soup recipe, and today I decided to play with my new ice-cream maker from Cuisinart.

I love Avocados and I eat them on a daily basis.  Most of the time I just scoop it out of the shell and it it that way with a little Himalayan salt. Because in our home we always have avocados, sometimes there are too many ripe avocados at once and I don't want to throw them away.

I have to mention, last month, April 1st I started on a journey to reverse a health condition...so I went on a ketogenic diet. This definitely limits of what I can eat and that kind of puts a hold on my willingness to make something that has fruits, grains, and legumes in it.  I am trying to avoid the temptation of breaking my ketogenic diet.

Anyway, lets get on to the Keto Friendly Avocado Ice-Cream making.

Ask for a sample or
purchase a bottle here

For the ice-cream I used:

• 1 medium ripe Avocado
• 1/4 cup Erythritol - it is a sugar alcohol (you can add more if you like it sweeter)
• 1/3 cup sour cream 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice (I used lemon since I didn't have lime on hand)
• 5 drops of Young Living Lime Vitality Essential Oil  
• pinch of Himalayan Salt

Before you start making your ice-cream, make sure the freezer bowl form the Cuisinart ice cream maker is frozen (you don't hear any liquid sloshing around when you shake the bowl). I usually leave my bowl in the freezer overnight and if I don't use it then I just store it in there. 

Directions to making the ice-cream: 

Freezer Bowl

Slice open the avocado, remove the pit and scoop out the flesh. Put aside. Place the Sugar (Erythritol), sour cream, heavy cream, lime (or lemon) juice, the Lime Vitality Essential Oil and the salt in a bowl and with a hand mixer (or standing mixer) mix it till the sugar has melted. Add the avocado to the mix and beat it on high till it's fluffy and smooth. 

Assemble your Cuisinart ice-cream maker by placing the freezer bowl, the paddle and the lid and turn on the ice-cream maker.  Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let it churn for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye out as it might get too hard and won't churn. 

While the ice-cream was churning, I toasted some pistachios and chopped them. I've also beat up some heavy whipping cream with some Erythritol and a little vanilla extract according to taste for my final touches. 

When the ice-cream is done it will be a little on the soft serve side...which I don't mind. If you want it more solid, remove it from the freezer bowl, place it in an airtight container and freeze it for about 1-2 hrs. 

Cuisinart ice cream maker

Serve it just as is or with the pistachios and heavy whipping cream. 

BTW: This is what the Cuisinart ice cream maker looks like. You can also make frozen yogurt.

I found this ice-cream recipe on www.twopeasandtheirpod.com website and just altered it to make it keto friendly. 

Recipe from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

Teacher Appreciation Cookies

Teacher Appreciation cookies are fun to make and teachers love them.... 

Teach Appreciation Cookies

hey, even if the teacher doesn't care about cookies, it's the thought that
counts.

I was asked to make some cookies to give as a gift...so I set out on a new journey.  I don't know if you know, I really enjoy making the needle point, cross-stitch cookies. So, these style of cookies are a bit more challenging to me then a bunch of straight lines and dots.

I spent hours looking at videos, images, studied the designs and finally, I settled on the most common ones to make. Not to mention, I didn't have some of the cookie cutters...so I had to order them and add to my fast growing cookie cutter collection.

Here is the video of making the cookies:

How To Make Skeleton Hand Cookies

Skeleton Cookies

Halloween Cookies are fun...and fun to make.  Today I'm showing you how to make a Skeleton Hand for Halloween or X-ray cookies (for X-ray technician week).

Hi, I have to tell you I'm not good at drawing and I don't have the time to learn, and practice on how to draw. I'm good at piping straight lines, dots, and make cross stitch cookies...but drawing is not my forte.

For this set of cookies, I used my Pico projector. I totally love this little thing. It works amazing and makes my life easier. (Sometimes, I still wish I was able to draw and pipe without a guide). Using the Pico, I traced the image
to the cookie using a scribe tool. I've learned that I had to make sure the Royal icing is fully
set, otherwise the scratch mark from the scribe tool won't be visible.

I used close to flood consistency Royal Icing and a very small hole in
my piping bag. It's important to pipe the areas that do not connect
together first, and then skip every other area to make sure the icing
does not run together for example: in the carpal area (wrist bones). In
this case, also make sure you let the icing dry or crust over a few
minutes before you pipe the next area.

It is easy to make, but it takes some patience.  If you don't have a projector, you can always trace the pattern form a tissue paper.

So what do you need for these cookies? Well, if you are artistic and can draw free hand, forget about the projector and stencils.

Here is what I used:

• Pico Projector (you can use other brand that you have),
• Basic Sugar Cookie
• Black icing for the base cookie,
• White royal icing for the skeleton hand
• Scribe tool (tooth pick does not work well in this case and the area of
• the icing is too small),
• Piping bag,
• Scissors - to cut the off your piping bag,
• Water in a cup to clean your scribe tool.

Have fun decorating you cookies.

You can find me on FB at
https://www.facebook.com/VioletsCreat...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/violettakacs

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCisq1dbs4VGayMbD3NQcEpw/videos?view_as=subscriber

Also check out "How to Make a Skeleton Foot Cookie" video tutorial.

Jack o lantern cookie

Jack-O-Lantern Cookies

Hi, welcome to my page.  

Here is an easy Jack-O-Lanter cookie tutorial.  Even though it looks complicated, I assure you it is not. 

First thing you have to make sure your cookie is smooth on the surface....because a rough surface makes cookie decorating difficult. After all, we want easy. 

So, what do you need in order to create these cookies? Well, you will need:

- Your choice of sugar cookies baked in pumpkin shapes (which requires either a pumpkin cookie cutter or a template to cut it out by hand - which is fine if you are only doing a couple)

- Flood or piping consistency Royal icing (I like to use the same consistency through out the process) 

- Edible marker (I used Wilton brand)

- Edible food coloring Orange, Black, and Green (I used Wilton brand...and you can use any colors you'd like)

- Scribe tool or tooth pick 

- Piping bag (most of the times I use sandwich bags with no tip)

- Paper towels, some water in a cup to clean the tip or your scribe tool

                                  and lastly you will need:

                 - Some fun music playing in the background. 

If I forgot something from this list, please leave a comment below. 

Hope you enjoy this easy tutorial.  Check out the Mummy Cookie tutorial as well...it's all made with Royal Icing, no fondant needed.

Post your picture either on my cookie page Violet's Creations  or in comment section below of this blog.

Thanks for watching and sharing! Have a AWESOME Day!

This Is How I Roll My Stuffed Cabbage

I know this is not cookie or cake related...but I had to share how I roll my stuffed cabbage rolls. I've learned to make stuffed cabbage in Romanian when I was getting ready to host my 18th birthday party.



 I will put the recipe and full video up as soon as I'm done editing it.

Have a great day.

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes infused with Orange Vitality Essential Oil

I love baking and I'm always looking for recipes
to try out. My biggest challenge is making moist, fluffy, light cupcakes.

But not anymore! :)
After trying out many recipes from books, internet, Pinterest, friends, I finally stumbled upon Joy of Baking blog. She has a large collection of recipes with demonstration videos on her blog. I found the Banana Chocolate cupcakes and I fell in love with them right away.
What really made me stick with this recipe was the feedback of one of my friends whom I just could not get the right cupcake baked for her. She loved the cupcake and gave me a very nice compliment. That's when I decided this recipe is a winner.

Here I posted her recipe with one change: I added Young Living Orange Vitality Essential Oil into the batter.
Chocolate + Banana + Orange = Heaven 

Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

P.S. You can also use Young Living Tangerine Vitality Essential oil if you don't have Orange.

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes:

- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (35 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (regular or Dutch-processed)
- 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 1 medium sized banana)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, corn, or vegetable oil
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 9 drops Orange Vitality Essential Oil (less or more depending on your taste)

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

- 3 ounces (90 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Banana Chocolate Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Line 12 regular-sized muffin cups with paper liners or spray each cup with a non stick vegetable spray.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another large bowl, whisk together the egg, mashed banana, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. (The batter is quite thin.) Pour or scoop the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full, and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. 
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Frost with the Chocolate Frosting.

Chocolate Frosting:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).
Makes 12 regular-sized cupcakes.

Here is Stephanie show step by step on how to make the cupcakes based on her recipe. To add the Orange or Tangerine Vitality oil add it directly to the egg mixture.


Thank you for reading my blog. 
Enjoy!

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