Final Fantasy Creatures

I know, another post today but I honestly cannot help myself. I have done a lot of sets of cookies this week and I really just want to show them all off but seriously cannot do them all in a single post. They all are just so different. I will say this though, this was my favorite set to do this week. 

How can it not be? I am a total geek, that much is more than evident from looking at the projects I take on. More than that I am an FF fanatic. I am talking buy the games, the sound tracks, map everything out and even know the b-days of the characters. Some people obsess over coins, I do FF.

So needless to say when my kids started playing FF I was just happy chocobo! They really have gotten into the game and are constantly searching for the older ones to play on console. ~geek mommy pride there~ My youngest is not playing the games as of yet but he is in the design process as it were. He is constantly drawing Chocobo's, Tonberry and Cactuar. Just to name a few. He is even constructing various Elementals and Aeons and creating his own now.

Well, this was for them. I had a lot this week, but had some extra so I went out on a limb for them and they were more than happy with the results mommy came up with. So here are their top five creatures as far as the kids are concerned right now. Mog, Chocobo, Bomb, Tonberry and Cactuar!

Chocolate sugar cookies with royal icing. All are hand cut and free handed.

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Super Mario Galaxy!!!

I don't even know where to begin with this....This past week has been just a blur and sitting now, looking back, I am actually kind of sad it is over. It was beyond busy with Memorial Day Cookie Sets, KV Portfolio Party Cookie Paws, Aquatic Center days for the two oldest back to back, canning cupcakes and of course the most important thing for me this week - Jack Jack's Birthday.

That is when things really started to blur, especially Wednesday night....I remember wrapping up around 3 am, I think and then waking up at 6 Thursday and it just didn't stop until the kids passed out that evening. I am so glad for my camera - photo and video setting. I was able to get so much this time that I hadn't been able to before and I am very very grateful for that.

I have been blankly staring at my computer today and got bupkis on what exactly to put here, so I am basically just rambling to fill in some space and then will post details. LOL Okay, onto that! Jack Jack asked for Mario Galaxy...I think Mommy delivered.

The Full Spread

- Everything was made by either Surreal Confections or Surreal Dream Designs except this...

The Boo Balloons - Created by Chef Gibson of Cynical Cuisine

Now, onto the close ups!

Can't start off without drinks can we?

Super Jack & Power Up Straw Tags

Mario Colored Ice Cubes for The Sparkling Star Sprite - Power Up!

And of course everyone loves cupcakes! Grab and Go!

Gotta have a few sweet treats that aren't cake.

But of course we have to have cake!

Where the game begins - The Palace!

Then there was a battle!

And then Galaxies to travel! (And this was my favorite, the pulled sugar was a first for me!!!)

And of course, decorations!

So, there you have it! I know a lot right? Well, not exactly finished! I went ahead and filmed it all, and added music. So sit back, watch and enjoy!!!

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Gotta Catch 'Em All

Well I know it is another post and I just made one but it is nearly midnight where I am and I am just finishing up a project long time coming. You see for weeks I have been racking my brain, as I said in the last post, over just what to do for Easter with cookies. I have been scanning blogs and websites and books galore. I have found hundreds of good ideas and that was the problem. Well that was part of the problem. There were actually several that were adding up to be just one big headache. This is just a few of them.

1. Too many good ideas, couldn't figure out which to do.
2. All were too beautiful to be given the proper attention. 
3. Just wasn't me.

So I figured I had to come up with something. Sitting and talking with the hubby it hit me - Pokemon! The poke-ball kinda looked like an egg and many of the Pokemon actually come from eggs. You gotta catch 'em all like fining all the eggs during Easter, so why not? I got to googling the net see if had been done. Nope! There were Pokemon Cookies and even Pokemon Easter Eggs but no Pokemon Easter Egg Cookies. 

Eureka! I gotta catch 'em all!!!! (Well make them in this case.)

Now, granted I did not make all 152 of the original, (Do not get in that debate with me. It will end like a bad Star Wars skit.) but I did make a decent amount and not to worry!!!! I have included some Poke-ball eggs so you can go out and catch the ones you want!

Yes, I am that big a Geek and yes I love Pokemon! There I said it PIKACHU!!!!!!!! (I was in my 20's with kids and I had a Pikachu Back Pack. There, one of my dark secrets. LOL) Now, these are all first generation Pokemon and if I am not mistaken they are all unevolved - I don't count Mewtwo since that was a remake and not an evolution. 

In all these baskets you will find the following Pokemon, some look better than others.

• Pikachu
• Psyduck
• Charmander
• Paras
• Bulbasaur
• Tenacool
• Squirtle
• Nidorina
• Meowth
• Mankey
• Clefairy
• Mew
• Jigglypuff
• Nidoran
• Mewtwo
• Ekans
• Ghastly
• Onix
• Geodude
• Diglett
• Vulpix
• Magnemite
• Seel
• Magicarp
• Ponyta
• Poke-balls

There you have it. An Easter fit for all us Pokegeeks out there!!! Go Catch 'Em All!!!!

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Super Mario Cookie World

~Insert Super Mario World Music~

Daily Deviant Given On July 14th, 2012

Oh yeah, that is much better. Welcome to Super Mario World, well the cookie edition. Forget the paper. lol. My newest geeky creations for lovers of Mario, Luigi and even that pesky Princess Peach. Yes, I know I have done Super Mario Brothers Themed Cookies before but I felt it was time for an upgrade. 

So here you have it! Super Mario Brothers taken to the next cookie level! The 4 center piece "flowers" are made from cookies that are growing from a combination of graham cracker dirt and chocolate ice cream soil. All detail work is done either in royal icing or edible food color marker ink. The little figures were something I found at Hastings a bit ago and grabbed "for the kids." The background pieces are cookie as well that are suspended with string. Thought of it at the last moment and was honestly too lazy after 3 days of work to go back out and grab some fishing line. LOL

Now, grab some dough, color it and get to making your very own - Flower Power!!!!

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Valentine's Day

It's Valentine's Day! And what better way to show your love than with cookies!!! Forget the chocolates! Chocolate chip cookies are a must!  These quick and simple cookies are sure to please. They roll out thin, bake perfectly and taste wonderful. Sugar cookie easy, chocolate chip taste and the crunch of a shortbread all wrapped into one. Decorate and share with the one you love! (Or yourself, yum yum!) Recipe is not originally mine but has been tweaked a little.

• 1 1/3 Cup Butter, Unsalted
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
• 1 Extra Large Egg Yolk
• 2 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2/3 Teaspoon Salt
• 3-3 1/2 Cup Flour
• 1 Twelve Ounce Bag Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Cream the butter until soft
2. Add in both sugars and beat until smooth
3. Add egg yolk, as well as the vanilla and salt, and mix until well combined
4. Add flour one cup at a time and mix until just combined. Stop adding when dough forms. Some days you will need 3 cups, some days more, some less.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Roll out dough 1/8 inch thick and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
7. Cut out shapes and bake at 350 F for 8-12 minutes, just until edges are browning lightly. 
8. Remove from oven, place on wire wrack and cool fully.
9. Decorate with your favorite topping or use to make ice cream sandwiches. 
10. ENJOY!

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Star Wars Lego

Okay, finally sitting down and taking a quick breath to post this. I just dropped off the Star Wars Lego Birthday cake and from the looks of things, everybody loved the design.  Yay!  Very glad the birthday boy looked excited about it. ^_^

Would say more about this but in all honesty I just want to sit back and relax for the rest of the day.  Between getting the Turkey cookies and the cake this week I am beat. So, see you all later next week and if I don't get to say it later - Happy Thanksgiving!

Cake: White
Icing: Buttercream, Fondant, Decorator
Death Star Foundation: Rice Crispy Treat
Figures: Fondant

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What man? Megaman!

Oh how I love old school games, if you couldn't tell. I am hooked on making these 8 bit game cookies and I have a lot more that I want to do. So many more that I want to do. I think I have only just begun to scratch the surface of what all is actually possible to make with cookies and icing. Guess I have found a new canvas! Oh yeah! How sweet it is!

The hubby, Chef Gibson, and I have been talking about a lot of old school things these days because of the cookies. Not just old school games but shows as well. Things we watched growing up and every time something comes up in conversation all I can say is - COOKIE!

So many cookies and so little time. Actually time doesn't seem to be the major factor right now. With it being the holidays I was going to be baking and decorating like crazy as it was.

This is just giving me practice and something to actually bake instead of wondering what I should make. Though I will admit that none of these cookies are holiday related. Next batch will be. Already have them baked up.

Going to be trying yet another technique that I have used before. Okay, this one isn't totally new. I used it with my daughters birthday cake - Painting with Luster Dust. Granted that was on a cake and cookies are a bit different. Plus I am not sure how it will work on Royal icing instead of fondant but we will see.

I took some of the dough from the chocolate batch and cut out some lovely fall cookies with it. I cannot wait to get started on icing those and decorating them but gonna have to wait because I do have a slight problem....

Anyone want a cookie? LOL I have so many sweets in the house lately and I cannot let the kids just devour them constantly. So, if you are in the are and want cookies, let me know. I might just have an extra batch sitting around, LMAO!

Anywho, I am out and will see you later! Enjoy the main man himself - Mega Man! Along with the stage villains from MM2!

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Super Mario Brothers

Another day, another cookie. Sadly the pictures for these really turned out like crap but gonna post them any way. Anyone that wants to donate a better camera for macro photography will forever be on my - You Rule - list. ^^ LOL Anywho, back to the topic at hand.

It's a me! Mario! 

That's right my 8 Bit fiends! We have another in the 8 bit cookie series. This time the main man himself, Mario is making the grand entrance. Along with him comes his entourage Luigi, Peach and others.

We also have Bowser and some other creatures that seem to always like getting in the way. Better watch out because the Princess is in this castle but that just means she is going to die like the rest of them.

Hey, they're cookies! They live the sweet life well! :P

I also have a bit of a nice treat for you! A cookie recipe! That's right! Yummy yummy cookies that you can make at home with you and yours. Now, the base sugar cookie recipe for these cookies is not mine. I got it from a goddess in the cookie world, Marian from Sweetopia!

Seriously, you should read her, she is wonderful. I took her base Sugar Cookie recipe, some tricks for keeping the dough from spreading and added my own personal twist. And what did we get for all this? Only the most divine Chocolate Sugar Cookies I have ever had. ^_^ Granted I am biased but hey, my blog! LOL :P

Anywho, here you go!

• 2.5 Cups Unsalted Butter, room temp
• 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Large Egg
• 2.5 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• .5 Teaspoon Almond Extract
• 4.75 Cup All Purpose Flour
• .5 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Salt

1. In a bowl sift together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar on slow speed until just creamed. 
3. Add in the eggs and extracts.
4. Mix until just combined.
5. Fold in the flour mixture until everything comes together. Be careful not to over mix the dough or get too much air into it. You don't want these to rise or lose shape.
6. Take the dough and roll it out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until .75-1 cm thick. I use dowel rods on each side to rest my rolling pin on. This gives me the perfect equal thickness for each cookie. 
7. Place the rolled out dough into your refrigerator for 3 hours. 
8. Remove and cut out shapes. Arrange on cookie sheet 1-2 inches apart. Return to refrigerator for another hour. 
9. Repeat steps 6-8 till all the scraps are used up and chilling.
10. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Make sure oven is to temp before baking.
11. Remove each cookie sheet from the refrigerator 1 at a time and bake for 12 minutes. 
12. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 2 minutes before placing on wire rack to cool fully.
13. Decorate!
14. Serve and Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my kiddos are right now! 

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