As you may know, I recently launched a live chat series with CookieCon 2018 instructors, which debuted with cookie and pie phenom Chris Taylor on May 18. Well, I’m extending that chat series into our Cookier Close-ups with in-depth interviews with these same folks. Today, we’re back with Chris Taylor...
What makes the difference between a cookie aficionado and a cookiepreneur? Profit! Remember we are talking business here, and the bottom line is the bottom line. I am going to dive right into this two-part series. Part I, Creating a Successful...
The sun is shining; the birds are singing; it’s a warm, wonderful spring that's quickly turning into summer. It's a time for new beginnings! I’ve missed all things cookie while I’ve been away, and so it’s with great pleasure that I...
I don’t know about you, but I have faced many challenges in my lifetime, the biggest of which knocked me down so hard I thought I would never survive. Oddly enough, it was through that challenge that I found my true calling and built a small...
While summer doesn't officially hit those of us in the Northern Hemisphere until June 21, it sure feels like summer today here in Kingston, Tennessee, where I'm attending a family wedding...
In this edition of Toolbox Talk, I'm zooming in on another ingredient that can mystify cookiers outside of the United States (US): corn syrup. It is sometimes listed in royal icing recipes, but it is not available all over the world...
Even though summer doesn't officially start until June 21, I've "seas"ed the new season with this month's nautical-themed release! As always, I'll show you my new stencils and how they work, but I'm also going to share an extra summery flourish...
Hello, all! I’m Hallena and this is the Fantastic Bakes and Where to Find Them 's first tutorial. I will be showing you how to create your own Kopykake copycat for a fraction of the price. What is a Kopykake? According to the...
There is something about painting on a cookie that I can't resist. People say it's a great stress release and outlet for self-expression and creativity. For me, painting is not only a very accessible and enjoyable...
Many years ago (almost thirty), a friend of mine and his girlfriend found a way to make some money by selling framed sailing knots. The knots, each labelled with its name, were glued onto a nautical chart together with other embellishments like mini anchors and ship wheels...
I thought that cute puppy might get your attention! Now that you're here... As you are undoubtedly aware by now, last year the EU passed a strong set of guidelines aimed at protecting individual data privacy rights. These guidelines are called General Data Protection Regulation (aka GDPR)...
Welcome back! I hope your hands are well rested after making the trays and the flowers in Part One of this tutorial, and that you're now ready for the "baking".
Fall (or I should say autumn, as it sounds more like the Italian word "autunno") is one of my favorite seasons. I love the explosion of warm colors on the tree leaves, especially on those sunny days when the sky is crystal-clear and the air is chilly...
Fellow cookiepreneurs, the holidays are upon us, and I hope this month’s post finds you in high spirits and looking forward to the coming days. Before I begin, I wanted to share that I recently received feedback that some of you would be...
I LOVE challenges that create what I call a "circle of learning." Originally, my intent with this challenge was to introduce more people to all of the wonderful tutorials available (for free!) here on Cookie Connection, and thereby provide people with new cookie decorating techniques and skills. However, through the course of the challenge...
Hi, everyone! I’m back with our second (and last) installment of Cookier Close-ups featuring our 2017 Cookiers’ Choice Awards winners. A couple of months ago, we spoke with Cookiers of the Year Ginny and Doug Levack of Creative Cookier (here), and now we’re chatting with none other than swissophie (aka Sonja Galmad), our 2017 Cookie Artist of the Year...
This project is halfway between a cookie platter and a 3-D cookie project. It is once again intended to be a treat to share with friends, with the 3-D mug offering a new and different way to arrange and serve cookies...
“If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else’s shoes or at least eat their food. It’s a plus for everybody.” ~ Anthony Bourdain
Between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and my niece Lara and her new husband Chandler, I've had a weekend wedding extravaganza! It started at 6 am with a livestream from Windsor Castle and ended...
Creating dimensional royal icing designs on my cookies is one of my favourite techniques. I especially love the more complex designs that make cookies a thrilling challenge.
Just mention the word "marketing" to a cookie maker, and she'll most likely want to run and hide under a blankie. We all know marketing is really important, and we know we need to do it, but we don't entirely understand what it is or...
Yep, you read it right! This week, we're putting the spotlight on those cookies that have been riding high on our hot lists* all month! And for good reason - they're all stunners! Enjoy the sights that follow! (I'm keeping my...
The vast majority of the year, heart, flower, and lace cookies dominate our Cookie Connection photo feeds. But, come early June, we start seeing tons of cookies that Dads are sure to love too...
Well, judging from this hot list, you folks have clearly had a more productive cookie week than me! After all these years of cookie decorating, you'd think I'd have the basics figured out. But...
The last several months leading up to this release have been a lot like the road trip my family took each summer to get to our vacation spot in Maine. Every few minutes, a chorus of kids would ring out from the back seat, asking my Dad, "Are we there yet?!"...
When I first started decorating cookies two years ago, one of the difficulties I encountered was putting together a satisfying set of cookies with the harmony of shapes and colors that I admired in the sets of veteran cookiers. It was hard...
One thing I will always remember about my kids' first day of school, in their early years and even later on, is the picture I used to take of them in the morning right before they walked out the door and headed to the bus stop on their own...
You've probably noticed that most of our Cookier Close-ups have focused on how people got started in cookies and the business of cookie decorating. (And that's because they have!) This is all well and good, perhaps, but I’ve decided to...
What makes something vintage? For me, it has always been more of an "I-know-it-when-I-see-it" kind of thing. But then I got to thinking: what actual qualities of a thing, when put together, make my brain think, "Yes, that's vintage!"? In this 25th "Silver Anniversary Edition" of Practice Bakes Perfect...
Halloween is quickly approaching, so it's time to get planning for it! The big question is . . . do you have the coolest, most scary costume of the night picked out? And what about your Halloween cookies? They...
I'm sad to announce that this will be my final blog post as a tutorial contributor on Cookie Connection. I've got some personal matters that need my undivided attention and therefore I've decided to take a break from...
As many of you know, I have been hard at work (for over a year!) with my partner Badger Air-Brush Co., a premier US airbrush manufacturer, designing a new high-performance airbrush system for cookie and cake decorating...
Seeing as the Fourth of July is just around the corner, it's only logical that we celebrate the top 10 patriotic cookies in this week's Spotlight. But don't be surprised if you see far more than stars and stripes and red, white, and blue on our hot list...
The recent Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #21 about lace was the source of my inspiration for this project. Each challenge is a wonderful experience because it focuses participants...
My first days of school seem like only yesterday. Every August of my childhood as I was about to begin my next year of primary school, it was always the same story: like clockwork, my mum would take me to shop for new dresses...
Hands down, teaching is the thing I like most about cookie decorating. Not only do I get a huge kick from seeing students’ eyes light up when they master my projects or a new technique, but I also learn a ton from everyone attending –...
Hi, everyone! Happy 2018! We're fresh from ringing in the New Year, but I'm already releasing spring and Easter sets for you! I know, I know, I feel like I'm living in some kind of time warp...
It's that time once again when I settle into my comfy living room couch with a glass of wine and computer in hand and proceed to be astounded by the gorgeous cookies gracing our hot list...
Food coloring is arguably the second most important element in cookie decorating after the royal icing itself. The art of choosing colors and/or mixing the exact shade are the subjects of many blog posts...
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and what better opportunity to talk about love? In this case, love for a cookie decorating technique: the crackle effect!
The first time I heard about shortening was when an American colleague couldn't find it for a recipe she planned to make for Thanksgiving dinner. When she served sweet potatoes covered with melted marshmallows, I wasn't immediately...
Wow! Last month, we had one of the liveliest chats in recent history with Dotty Raleigh of Sugar Dot Cookies, another fabulous CookieCon 2015 instructor. The chat room was buzzing! People came craving solid, practical advice about how to launch...
Well no one's ordered any autumn cookies from me this year, and I do love a collection of pumpkins and gourds. I always have a few in the window where I work. I particularly love the quirkily shaped, knobbly gourds, both beautiful and funny! Though...
What do these cookies have in common? I made all of these sets last fall, while I was doing another great cookie challenge, one hosted by the wonderful LilaLoa . All of these cookies were made with the same set of icing, with...
With a mere four days to go to my favorite cookie decorating holiday, my second sweet Valentine's Day Spotlight, promised over three weeks ago, is long overdue - but well worth the wait! Without further ado, here you have it: the hottest...
Just two or three weeks ago, I was worried that I might have sprung fall cookies on you too soon. But now I'm wondering if I didn't start early enough! Given the abundant crop of autumn-inspired cookies posted to Cookie Connection in recent weeks, I...
As a cookiepreneur, you have so many important decisions to make - and none more important than establishing both a vision for what you wish to build and the starting point from which to build it. Launching a business without a vision, strong...
I’m really terrible at piping people. I give them a try every once in a while when I’m inspired by some tutorial or image, but my people never look right. Their eyes might be uneven, their noses too large, or their hands so full of fingers that they look...
In real life, my tastes verge on plain. I’m a no makeup, jeans-and-t-shirt sort of girl. Naturally, my wedding ring is a simple gold band, and that’s exactly how I like it. Despite these tendencies...
Too often in recent weeks, I've been posting our Saturday Spotlights on Sundays and using the "better late than never" excuse. Well, not this week! (Let me pause while everyone breathes a big sigh of relief . . .) Thanks to my husband...
