Fall Cookies

 

After baking a large quantity of cookies for a baby shower just a few weeks ago, I opted to keep it simple for Thanksgiving and the annual bake sale this year.  The scarecrow and the acorn turkey have always been a couple of my favorite designs, they make me smile.

It's Turkey Time

 

The cookie collection for our large family gathering includes the acorn turkey that is one of my favorite designs, a turkey from a seashell cutter and two "flips" from cutters that I have owned for years and have never used.

A turkey from a flower cutter inspired by the very creative, Jill FCS .  .  .

and a scarecrow from a manger.  This is the first "flip" that I designed on my own.  It won't be one of my favorite scarecrow designs, but it was fun to try something new.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Brings Another Bake Sale

Cookies are bagged and tagged for the annual CCW bake sale.  Designs include traditional pumpkins, a gnome and several "flips."  

An ice cream cone = a turkey 

and turned upside down: 

A hamburger cookie cutter = a scarecrow

An acorn = a turkey

A tulip = corn

 

Let's Give Thanks

 

Baking for Thanksgiving started with a collection for my friend, Jim, to share with the caring nurses that he sees at the Infusion Center on a weekly basis.  I chose simple designs and traditional fall colors for this collection.

Our family gathering includes a large crowd, so this year I opted to make multiple cookie platters for our celebration.

Since the Chicago Bears are playing on Thanksgiving Day this year,  football cookies and a navy blue and orange turkey needed to be part of the treats.

It has become tradition for the younger generation in the family to receive a special cookie and they challenge me to find a new turkey design every year.  This year, I opted for a turkey made from a Halloween skull cutter.  Of course, Leann's version had to be in puzzle form. 

A holiday wouldn't be the same without the itty- bitty, bite size cookies.  I love making them and who can resist just one,  little bite?

Cookies always look better when they are dressed up for the party with cute little toppers.

Finally, some special cookies to celebrate some special school achievements for great nieces, Mary Grace and Leann.

 Mary Grace, was one of six students in her 8th grade class selected to make a trip to observe a Federal Court session and interview the judges.  In addition, Leann received a report card with straight As, which was a nice reward for her year of hard work and intense tutoring to improve her reading skills.

I practiced a few techniques that I don't use very often and they cookies are not my best work, but pretty packaging always makes the cookies look better.

Although turkeys are the center of attention on Thanksgiving Day, it looks like the Eagle might be a good luck charm for Mary Grade and Leann.

Thanksgiving

Cookie sticks seem to be the trend this year, so I added some to the platter of cookies for our family gathering.

I doubt that I with abandon my traditional cutters for sticks, but they were a nice mix with my traditional fall designs.  My favorite was the sunflower, it has a hint of glitter that can't be seen in the photo.

Since "silly" turkeys are somewhat of a family tradition, I made a segmented design for each of the 11 great nieces and nephews.  

The cookies were bagged and tagged with a topper that said, "I am thankful for you."

Feeling Thankful!

Give Thanks

 

The first Thanksgiving was my inspiration for cookies this year.  An internet search provided plenty of design ideas for Pilgrims, but Native American cookies required some creativity on my part.

 Of course, silly turkeys are a big part of our Thanksgiving tradition.

A few simple minis completed the collection.

To Friends and Family near and far, Happy Thanksgiving.

Fall Cookies

New scarecrows and sunflowers. . .

. . . plus some traditional favorites for a fall bake sale.

While baking cookies this week, the Chicago Cubs were playing in the World Series.  Although I knew championship cookies would be big sellers IF our beloved Cubbies won the series, I was superstitious and just "couldn't count my chickens. . ."

As I am packaging the cookies I am watching the Cubs Parade to celebrate their World Series.  In addition, I continue to read all the amazing posts that people are sharing via FB regarding this special Chicago celebration.  A friend posted  a picture of the following cookies that he purchased at a bakery for $4.00 each!

Perhaps a prop will increase the price of my cookies at the fundraiser!

Fall 2016 will be a memorable one for all Chicagoans!

Go Cubbies!

A Turkey Free Thanksgiving--NOT!

Last year, my Thanksgiving cookies were all about the turkey, thanks to all the creative bloggers who posted various designs and tutorial. This year, I decided that the Thanksgiving cookie collection would not have ANY turkeys, not one!  After all, how many different ways can you design a turkey?

Since I have never made Scarecrow cookies, I decided a fall theme would replace the traditional bird.  My husband is usually enthusiastic about my designs, but not this time.  He said, "Thanksgiving without a turkey?  I don't get it."  I was not deterred, I just kept telling myself, "no turkeys."

So the fall theme took shape, and a Scarecrow was born using Sugarbelle's instruction's to re-purpose a Snowman cutter.

Of course, a Scarecrow needs crows, so I re-purposed a carrot cutter and took design inspiration from a childhood cartoon.

I added another crow design when I found this cute creation by Nanny.

At this point, I started second guessing myself . . .Thanksgiving + bird = turkey, NOT crows! Turkeys needed to be added to the collection.

My second scarecrow design was made with a re-purposed hamburger cutter, thanks to the creativity of Jill FCS.  I thought his hat would be a good place to include a turkey in the collection.

When a surprise package arrived in the mail, I knew that I couldn't wait until Christmas to use these cutters! Thanks, Donna.

Since the little ones in our family love puzzle cookies, I decided that the Bearfootbaker's  turkey design created with a re-purposed acorn cutter would be the perfect bird to disguise.  I bagged these cookies and added a little tag that said, "I am not a turkey."

What happens to design themes when an unseasonably warm fall is interrupted by snow? It wasn't a few flakes or a light dusting . . .the headline in the paper read, "Season's first snow is Chicago's largest November snowfall in 120 years."  The cookie collection now needed Snowmen!

Finally, when I saw this adorable football turkey designed by Jill FCS,  I knew I had to add them to the collection.  They reminded me of the fun I had a few years ago collaborating on a football design with my Sugar Sister .

Scarecrows, crows, turkeys, football and, snowmen. . .so much for themes.  I guess my design style is eclectic.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Goofy Turkeys for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving cookies in the past have been traditional turkeys, mini turkeys, flower turkeys, football turkeys.  .  . this year, I opted for a gang of goofy turkeys.  Eight  different designs and not a turkey cutter in sight.

Design inspiration came from SweetSugarBelle  to use an ice cream cone cutter to create a turkey.

I then followed The Bearfoot Baker's directions to use an acorn cookie cutter for another funny turkey design.

Once I made these designs, I decided that "goofy" turkeys would be my theme for the family cookies this year.

For the teen girls, a glam turkey with a tag that said "girls just want to have fun."

Since my niece, Kendall, was recently named as an all-area athlete, I decided to make her a volleyball turkey complete with bling on the feathers and toes.

It is interesting how the same cutter can be used to create different designs.

A pineapple cutter was used for the cookie for the older boys.  The cookies are not exactly how I had  envisioned them, but they will work with a tag that says, "a goofy turkey for a goofy guy."

 For the younger children,  I made turkey puzzles inspired by, MunchkinMunchies.

A Christmas ornament and a small ice cream sundae cutter (see group photo at the top), completed the collection.

Gobble, gobble, gobble!