The new year is always a time for fresh starts. It's also a great time for cookiers of all stripes to identify areas in need of improvement and new challenges to overcome. Personally, I've realized that I have to do a better job of planning my projects. When I am too stressed, I tend to get sloppy, and I definitely don't enjoy the process as much. I need to remind myself to always allow enough time to focus on the joy of creating and on celebrating all of my achievements along the way, no matter how big or small. Even with mistakes, I need to do a better job of celebrating the lessons learned. But enough about me.
If you too resolve to up your cookie game this year, then you're in luck, as there are so many resources on Cookie Connection to help! Just click around the main navigation line, and you'll discover all sorts of tutorials, interviews, and forums with technical tips. The various tutorial collections under "BLOG" and the photos posted by members to "CLIPS" offer plenty of projects to try, as well as interesting techniques that may trigger you to make something completely new. For example, @Manu biscotti decorati just treated us to a new Made by Manu tutorial that takes textured royal icing to new levels. Plus, time still remains to enter Watch-Learn-Create Challenge #58 with @Delorse, where she gives all of her inside scoop on making perfect bows just so you can too. Truly, at every turn of the (website) page, you'll find a nearly endless supply of inspiration for advancing your cookie skills. And let's not forget: this site is also the perfect place to share your progress!
As for this Spotlight, it seems only fitting to balance out all of this forward thinking with a brief look back at 2024. So here, in today's hot list*, you have a final look at the ten top-trending cookies of the last week of last year. It's sure to be a springboard to more inspiration and fabulous cookies in 2025! Let's take a look.
#1: Cheers to a New Year! by Bakerloo Station
#2: Stars and Snowflakes in White and Red by Bożena Aleksandrow
#3: Gingerbread with Edible Lace by Icingsugarkeks
#4: Gwiazdki i Snieżynki w Bieli aka Stars and Snowflakes in White by Bożena Aleksandrow
#5: Sprinkle Cookies by Icingsugarkeks
#6: Christmas Time by Dora
#7: Nutcracker Cookies by Evelindecora
#8: Gingerbread House by Zeena
#9: Snow Bear by Sofiya
#10: More Christmas by Barbara Ells
You may have noticed that I minimized my comments on each clip. I did this on purpose because I don't want to influence what each of you see, particularly if this post is providing your first glimpse of these cookies. I want you to be as inspired as I am even if you see something different to appreciate. As has always been the case, each of these creations speaks for itself. Congratulations to all of our honorees - @Bakerloo Station, @Bożena Aleksandrow, @Icingsugarkeks, @Dora, @Evelindecora, @Zeena, @Sofiya, and @Barbara Ells - for being featured. Julia and I thank you for sharing your creations with everyone here. Also, special congrats to @Bakerloo Station (aka Christine Donnelly) for earning our cover spot this week for her very festive and clever New Year’s cookies. If you didn't already know, Christine was recently named Cookie Connection's January 2025 site artist, which means you’ll find more of her fabulous cookies (New Year's ones as well) gracing our banner and backdrop throughout the month.
I'm looking forward to seeing everything that you make and share in the months ahead. Here's to a new year filled with joy, inspiration, and all sorts of sweetness!
So that no one has an unfair advantage in making it onto a hot list, the algorithm is secret even to site administrators. Only our platform developers know the code, which has been exhaustively tested by those developers and Cookie Connection staff.
All photos shown here are the courtesy (and copyright) of the designers listed.
To check out our other hot lists, at any time of day, visit our Hot Spot, also found in the site's main navigation line.
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Lisa Foss is a hobbyist cookie decorator. After careers in corporate communications and freelance writing, she focused her attention on the nonprofit sector. She spent more than a decade at various soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and prison reentry programs throughout New York City. Lisa’s cookie journey began in 2011 when she started making gingerbread houses. Though she enjoys making cookies for family and friends, Lisa’s main focus is cookies for charity.
For more information about Lisa and her work, please check out her Facebook and Instagram pages.
Byline photo credit: Shutterstock
Note: Saturday Spotlight is a weekly Cookie Connection blog feature written alternately by Lisa Foss and Julia M. Usher. Its primary intent is to cast a spotlight on the week's top-trending cookie posts, as determined automatically by the site algorithms described above. This article expresses the views of the author, and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. To see all of Cookie Connection's past Saturday Spotlights, click here.
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