CookieD-oh

Hello again. I guess I'll celebrate the start of summer vacation with a blog post! Anyone for another royal icing post? My recipe has evolved over the years; I started out using Antonia74's RI recipe, then I started adapting it to better suit my needs. First I added corn syrup for shine, then I started playing around with the amount of meringue powder. And then I started experimenting with flavors. I think I'm happy with where I've landed as far as a final product. So here's how I make it: First, gather your ingredients. You'll need warm water, meringue powder, cream of tartar, lemon extract, vanilla extract, corn syrup and powdered sugar. Next, whisk the meringue powder with the warm water until it's good and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and keep whisking until soft peaks form. *Free tip of the day: sift your meringue powder before adding it to the bowl. (I use a small sieve.) It's been my experience that the little lumps that clog the pipin...

I think I said about a year ago that I was going to post my recipe for buttercream frosting soon.  It's still soon, right? Anyhoo, this is the recipe I always use, and it can be adapted to do almost anything.  It's an American Buttercream, because I'm a simple girl with simple tastes.  And maybe a little lazy. The original recipe can be found  here.   Rick's Special Buttercream Frosting.  Rick is my hero. I have adapted the recipe for my use, and this is the basic formula I use. In this post, I'm making a double batch, so the pictures are going to show more that the text is telling you to use.  Sorry, last minute cake request.  It was unavoidable. Mix one cup of shortening (preferably not trans-fat free...that means no Crisco...use a store brand) and one cup of softened butter.  Now, it's February here in the Midwest.  I left that butter on my counter ALL DAY, and it was still a little cold. But it all worked out in the e...

...because the Internet NEEDS another marshmallow fondant tutorial! I use Rhonda's Ultimate Marshmallow Fondant.  Found  here.   It's fabulous and I love it.  It's been my favorite for about four years, give or take. And the ingredients... Now, the recipe starts out with 15 ounces of mini marshmallows.  Every marshmallow I've ever bought comes in either a 10- or a 16-ounce bag.  However, this recipe will not work right with 16 ounces of marshmallows.  For real.  So take out one ounce of marshmallows and do whatever it is that you do with one ounce of marshmallows. Or I guess you could just buy three 10-ounce bags and make two batches, if you want to do it the easy way. Grease a microwave-proof bowl and spoon.  Pour the marshmallows into the bowl.  Add two tablespoons of water.  Set aside. I like to mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl before I melt the marshmallows because you will want to add ...