I have always really liked baking. And then The Great British Baking Show came in to my life, and I am a woman obsessed. Recently, I have been baking cookies and practicing piping techniques. I'd never worked with royal icing before, so I felt like it was a skill that should be developed. I'm a beginner and not awesome at it, but it sure is fun. The picture above is some Thanksgiving cookies. I cut out with a knife the shape for the turkey pilgrims, because they don't sell that cookie cutter anywhere. Shocker.
Then I also made some leaves and monochromatic acorns.
And a few weeks ago for Halloween I made ghosts, bats and pumpkins. This picture was taken by my friend Rosanna after I dropped off cookies at her house. Because that is what you have to do with cookies, give them away.
I've actually learned a lot whilst making sugar cookies and icing them. For example, the best tasting sugar cookie recipe is from my high school friend Julie's mother, but for me, they didn't ice well and they spread like crazy - I actually turned a few bats in to pumpkins because they were unrecognizable as bats. Then I switched to the Joy of Baking sugar cookie recipe, which was fine, but things got really delicious when I threw in almond extract. That is where it's at people, that is where it's at.
I'm so sad that PBS just aired the finale of what is the US' season 2 of TGBBS. I miss all of the puns and self-deprecating humor all ready. ABC is going to be airing an Americanized holiday version with Mary Berry, hopefully they won't really Americanize it, and go crazy cut-throat and lose all of the charm the original is absolutely dripping with. I'm off to make some crackers and a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Have a great holiday, everyone!
