Grape Cookies

Pinterest is the best because you can find SO many great ideas that you probably never would have known about or thought of yourself.  I saw a great recipe for jello cookies that will work great with our Sweet Pressed Cookie stamp sets on Pinterest and found the recipe courtesy of iheartnaptime.com here.

The best thing about these cookies other than the great color is that they actually taste like the flavor.  I tried grape since my husband is a fan of grape flavored everything and he was going to be the one testing them out the most!  I really wish you could jump into the computer to taste these cookies.  They are delicious!  I was so happy to find that they worked with the cookie stamps and they tasted good!

If you print out the recipe to use with Stampin' Up!'s Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps like I did, please note:

1. Omit the baking powder so the cookies don't rise during baking and ruin your stamped image.
2. The recipe calls for 4 different flavors but I wanted to try just one.  I added 4 Tbs. of the grape jello into the batter and saved the rest to roll the dough into.
3. The recipe mentions "you might need to add food coloring" but the color really doesn't pop until you DO add the food coloring.  I followed the box recommendations for purple to get the color that I liked.
4. Mix the rest of the grape jello mix with about 2 Tbs. of sugar than roll the dough balls in the sugar mix before putting onto cookie sheet.
5. Press your cookie stamp into the doughs.  The sugar "should" prevent the dough from sticking onto the cookie stamp.  If not, clean your stamp before pressing into next dough.  If you don't like how your stamp turns out on the cookie, just roll into ball and try again!

I am so excited to try these with all the different flavors of jello.  Next on my list is Strawberry since that is MY favorite!!

Sweet Pressed Snickerdoodle Cookies

If you are not aware of Stampin' Up's sweet pressed cookie stamp sets than you are missing out!  These are the cutest silicone stamps that allow you to add a stamped image onto your cookies.  It's so simple you won't even believe it.  Each set comes with 3 different designs.

Occasions

Holidays, orange is pumpkin face that you can't see

A sugar and shortbread cookie recipes come with the set when you order them.  I just had to find other cookies that would work with these because I can only take sugar or shortbread so much!  I found someone had tried snickerdoodle and it worked.  I just had to try and wanted to take pictures of each step to show you how easy using these cookie stamps really are.

I found the cookie recipe here.  All you have to do is omit the baking soda from your snickerdoodle recipe if you are using these cookie stamps.  The cookies will not expand during baking without the baking soda which keeps the image on the cookie.

Here's how to make these snickerdoodle cookies:

1. Make your snickerdoodle recipe without baking soda.  Allow dough to cool in fridge four about 30 minutes.  This will help prevent the cookie dough from sticking to your stamp

2. Using cookie scooper, place about 2 inch ball and roll sugar and cinnamon mix on ball

3. Line up on cookie sheet

4. Choose image to use and place on wooden handle

5. Trying to center the handle on the ball, begin to press down

6. Using even pressure, push down until the dough is right at the edge of the stamp all the way around.

7. Than use your fingers to gently remove stamp around the cookie.

8. Switch handle with another stamp

9. Repeat steps 5 through 7.

10. Switch stamps and repeat steps 5 through 7

10. Bake cookies according to recipe (my oven isn't the best so I can't give you an exact time)



11. Pull out cookies and cool

 The pictures after baking aren't the best but hopefully you can see the image come out on each cookie.  I think the flowers came out the best.  I just absolutely love these cookie stamps and can't wait to see what ones Stampin' Up! comes out with next.

 

 

March Class

I had such a nice time teaching my class on Saturday.  I'm learning more and more every time that I do these.  I'll show you up close pictures of each project. 

This box holds A LOT of candy!  I sent each guest home with some chocolate and 2 snickerdoodle cookies!

Flowers attached to handle of box

Window Card

Embossed flower on inside of card

If you want to know how I made these projects you can place a minimum $50 order (before shipping and taxes) online or in person than I will email you the Word or PDF tutorial.  The tutorial features step by step instructions and pictures to help you create these projects using the Mixed Bunch stamp set.  To see a full list of supplies needed to make these projects check out my previous post HERE

The other thing that I just have to share about this class are the snickerdoodles that I made.  I read on stampin connection (which is a demonstrator only site; another great perk about Stampin' Up!) a snickerdoodle recipe to try with the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp sets.  I absolutely LOVE snickerdoodles and my class was the perfect time to try them so I could send home extras with the ladies.  They turned out great (minus a bunch that were burnt due to my awful oven but I could rant for hours about that)  I left out the baking soda from the recipe which is what you need to do if you are using the Sweet Pressed Cookie stamp sets in order for the stamp image to come out after baking.  I stamped the cookie before baking with all 3 images and here's what they came out to look like:

The first image is the bunny, the middle is the shamrock and the third is the flower.  A little hard to tell in the picture but the flower came out the best but the other ones are just as cute in person.  I was just happy to find another recipe beside sugar that would work with these cookie stamps.  I will post directions on how to make these cookies on another post.

My next cookies will be peanut butter that I've heard will work too.  If you know anything about me, you know how much I love peanut butter so I'm REALLY dying to try these!

Cookie Party

This past Sunday I had some friends over to introduce them to the Sweet Pressed Cookie stamp sets and some of the other products from the Occasions mini catalog.  This picture above is some of the samples I showed.


Table set for make and take



More examples and supplies displayed

I had the cookie dough prepared and rolled out so we could stamp, bake and craft within the 2 hours I had set up.  The ladies had such a fun time experimenting with the different color sugar I had with all 6 cookie stamps.  We also experimented together using the cookie stamp as a chocolate mold.  Guess what?  It works!  They turn into the cutest cookies as well as chocolate.  Take a look at the snowflake chocolate that comes in the holiday cookie set.

You can see the blue sugar we tried on the cookie snowflake behind the chocolate

All I did was warm up chocolate wafers than careful spoon some chocolate onto the cookie stamp than spread it around with the back of the spoon.  When you think the stamp is covered with enough chocolate (be careful not to have too much or you will make a HUGE mess with the chocolate going over the sides) you place them in the fridge to cool.

Now here comes the tricky part; removing the chocolate without breaking it!  The nice thing about our cookie stamps is that they are made of silicone that are very flexible.  I just started bending from one side than working my way around the chocolate until it all came off!  Just take your time because the end result is worth it!  Another great reason to buy the cookie stamp sets.  This would make a great treat for anyone who loves chocolate and/or cookies.

While the cookies were baking, we made bag toppers for the cookies to go home in.  Here's what they made.

These were such a hit with the ladies.  They loved being able to take their cookies home in these adorable bags.  How cute would these be to give away for any occasion?  I just love Stampin' Up! because they have everything you need to make personalized gifts.  We sell everything to make these treat bags including the bags!

If you would like any of these supplies you can do so by shopping through my online store www.brittnysmith.stampinup.net.  Click products than "Shop Now" to get started.

I also have to toot my own horn because this party was a $500 order which means that I received $80 worth of FREE product as well as 2 items at half off and a free hostess bundle from the Sale-a-bration catalog.  This is such a good time to host a party and reap the benefits with FREE merchandise.  Thank you ladies for coming and placing your orders.  I greatly appreciate it and will send you something special in the mail as a thank you.  If you are interested in hosting your own party with your family and friends contact me ASAP because there are only 5 weeks left for Sale-a-bration where you get even more FREE items for hosting during this time.  Don't miss out on this wonderful promotion!



Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps

As soon as I saw that Stampin' Up created stamps to make cookies, I had to have them.  I'm not the biggest baker but these just looked too cute not to have!  Plus what a great way to promote my business during workshops, classes and other events with hand stamped cookies!!
 
I used the one recipe included when you order the cookie stamps.  It wasn't the greatest but I had left over icing from my sons birthday party that I used to make the cookies even better.  I know next time to have icing ready if I use the same recipe.  It comes with another recipe that I will have to try one of these days to let you know my thoughts.

If you haven't seen these stamps, just feast your eyes on these below...aren't they just the cutest?!!

Cookie stamps ready for action!
 

You use a round wood mount to put the silicone base on than stamp your cookie!  That's all it takes



Ingredients to make recipe (minus salt cause I forgot in picture)

Cookies pressed with Stamp...how simple is that!

Cookies pressed and ready for the oven

Snowflake cookie after baking

Heart pressed after baking

Added icing that will add some flavor!




In the upcoming Occassions mini catalog starting January 4th, 2012, there will be three more cookie stamp sets introduced that you will just have to have if you love these holiday ones. Stay tuned for those shortly after the new year!  I cannot wait to introduce them to you in my upcoming classes!

Shelli on Today!

Shelli Gardner was on the Today Show this morning promoting the Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamp sets and donating to the toy drive.  These are a great tool to have in your kitchen just in time for your holiday baking.  Stop by my online shop to order yours by Dec. 14th to guarantee delivery by Christmas!  They would also make a great gift to anyone on your list who loves to bake cookies!

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