Purple Panda's

Today was a Bear kind of day. The little reading bear was done for the upcoming Book Festival on March 10 - 11. A huge event that I look forward to and spend as much time as I can going from one author lecture to another most of the two days. Meeting my favorite authors and new ones is wonderful! There is usually so much going on at the same time that the days are packed with people, tents, vendors, more lectures - lots of the energy I like - every thing that has to do with books and reading - YaY!!
Someday I will be on the other side, doing the vending and promoting for my Own work!
I have a few ideas and will find out the price of a booth for the event.

As I work to get my Etsy shop ready for opening I have just about finished the photos and was going to make my banner when my Illustrator software has decided to quite for no Reason. Just refuses to launch!! Of course it's because I am at the 12th hour  putting the shop together.  So I will have to ask for help from someone who has the software or A.Inline to put something together. Time is short and I also have a mosaic installation this weekend.
I hope there will be someone out there who will trade an hour of their graphic time for cookies!

Birthday Cookies

 My beautiful mom on her 73 birthday!  Flying pig with amethyst wings cookie. I went out to CA to celebrate her birthday and we spent a lovely day together, then came home for cake and coffee. A short but wonderful visit. She is my best friend and I always miss her when I leave and we visit often via phone. We have become much closer over the years and now I cannot imagine a week of not speaking to each other. New cookie designs and more on the way. My tip today regarding the molded cookies: keep the molds in the refrigerator until ready to use and in between use. The dough comes out much easier when the molds are cold. In the winter, no need to chill the dough - it just makes it harder to press into the molds. In the summer I keep the molds and dough in a flip top cooler as I use them.  

I have always believed that since cold air is heavier and sinks, trunk style cold storage units with the lid at the top make more sense. The cold air stays at the bottom, rather than falling out each time a fridge door is opened. 

Easter Bunnies!

I seem to have about 6 bunny designs and eventually will post them all.

Meanwhile working to get everything in the shop. I've been posting cookie designs as I finish them on my FB pages, Flickr and here. Getting everyone to look at my work so when my shop opens I will have plenty of Easter and everyday orders.

I know how nice it is to get unexpected 'fan mail' and these will be a great way to send a niftie giftie to say you are thinking about that person.

I just finished these cool Magical Birds pictured here. There are a few Cookie art blogs and FB sites I need to check out and ask about sanding sugar, baking sheets etc.. These cookie divas will appear later on this site so everyone can Oooh and Ahhh over like I did! So much talent I love to see.

Dream a Little Dream of Me...

The song Dream A Little Dream of Me from the Mama's & the Papa's always makes me think of soft lazy summer days picnics in the country with good eats and good friends, frisbee in the park etc. These little snoozing kitties are dreaming of good things. Cats are expert 'nappers'!

Meanwhile I am almost ready to open my online Etsy store where I will make the cookies to order. Everything took a bit longer than I thought. The extra county health permit, the picture taking sessions, organizing, accounting, packaging sources, supplies etc.. Yep, it's a process at first, but once everything gets going it will get easier after the first year or so. The cookie making part is the BEST of course! I get to create pretty eats in the wee hours of the night while listening to a book or music.

Opening date for Moonlight Cookies online store: Feb.29

Lots of uploading yet to go.

Bake at 340º

As I keep baking and experimenting with this recipe I have noticed that baking at a lower temperature for a few minutes longer cuts down on browning edges. The ideal cookie is slightly golden, but not brown at the edges. Thinner areas like ears, small details, legs etc, tend to brow more quickly and lowering the temp. helps prevent this. Plus making delicate areas thicker by adding a teeny bit more dough.

I love all my molds - some, like the napping kitty are so sweet. And I have learned so much just from reading other cookie artist blogs and FB pages. Like now I know the difference between 'sanding sugar' vs 'sugar sprinkles'. Sanding sugar is finer and the one I much prefer to use on my cookies. The sugar sprinkles are coarser, larger sugar crystals. The Wilton brand only has the larger crystals and when I finish most of that I am ordering the nicer, fine Sanding Sugar from a source called Sugarcraft. A HUGE baking supplies source in Ohio, they have lots of colors and the shipping is reasonable. I also found a lovely brown sanding sugar on Etsy under supplies. Kind of pricey, but...

Tomorrow is the big hearts day - my favorite holiday. Everything is so cheerful and I have never considered it a 'lover's' holiday. This is my favorite day to extend my gratitude to friends, family, clients and a few 'mystery' recipients - those who least expect anything. This year I have selected three and got them in the post today - late, but sincere.

tomorrow another mosaic day. I am liking the rhythm of art by day moonlight baking by night. I really wanted a part time job for extra cash, so decided to hire myself to bake very unique cookies and open an online store for the Moonlight Cookies. As sales grow I will be going totally organic with ingredients. They cost more, but it will be worth it in terms of quality. Right now I use organic eggs.

Adios Chocolate - for now

O.k., I know this has happened at least once to everyone. I just finished writing this post and am Rewriting it due to somehow accidentally deleting all of the text!

So, for the second time, the condensed version of the deleted post: When I sent out samples of cookies to various parts of the country I did not consider the obvious - that the chocolate backed cookies could melt if left in a hot mail truck.

The ones sent to CA did get melted chocolate cookies :~( and the ones sent to MA, PA, CT states were fine because they sat in cold mail truck.

Suggestion from recipients for now is to drop the chocolate part on shipped cookies. Looks like I'll need to do a bit more research on shipping chocolate. Start asking the cookie and baking divas how they do their shipping. Meanwhile, Back to the studio!!

Night Magic

Well it's almost midnight and this is the official first post of my new blog MoonLight Cookies where I will not only share new cookie creations, but tips, recipes I have collected, and (sometimes) nightly baking. Having always been a bit of an night owl, baking while listening to an audio story, music or even t.v. is my current zen to unwind.

More of a winter thing and this year going into overdrive which motivated me to start this blog - I want to separate my baking from my fine art. After tonight I will be posting my baking on this blog instead of Betanzos Designs where previous cookie posts are now.

So far I have been baking, photographing, and then gifting my cookie models while preparing to open my Etsy shop where the cookies will be available to order. Thought I would make Valentines, but everything is taking longer than expected. So meanwhile I will do my best to post something weekly.

Watch my little blog grow - "The Little Blog that Could" is what it feels like now.