Can you feel it? The sense that winter is past its midpoint, and spring is just around the corner (or at least, here in Chicago, that the risk of days in the single digits is behind us).
Happy holidays! Hopefully, by now, you have cranked out your last gingerbread man, assembled your last poinsettia cookie platter, and are ready to have some REAL cookie fun! But, first things first...
Hi, all! SURPRISE! It's me, Julia, not your usual lovely Christine. Since it's the holiday season and the time for giving, I wanted to give our hardworking contributors a crack at a challenge for a change. So, since most of them entered this time, I have flown solo through this recap...
Hello, and welcome to Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #13! In my family, 13 is a very lucky number, and I hope this challenge is lucky for you too! As I said in the recap for the last challenge, Lucky Challenge #13 is special and a...
Well, hello, cookie people! I know it has been an extremely busy time in the cookie world - from back-to-school to CookieCon, to the GO BO Foundation Bake Sale, to the beginning of the holiday baking season . . . And so, I am extra appreciative that...
Hello, and welcome to the latest installment of Practice Bakes Perfect! This time, we are reaching, once again, into our big bag of "cookie Kryptonite," and asking you to face your decorating demons. What fresh hell could I possibly have in store for...
Holy cow! Where DID the summer go? Before you know it, it will be time to take out those Christmas cutters and start using them for (gulp) Christmas cookies! Before I get on with announcing the winner of Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #11,...
Ho, ho, ho! I know many of you are wearing shorts, swimsuits, and sunnies, but here in the Practice Bakes Perfect kitchen, it is Christmastime! Well . . . sort of. You see, for this latest challenge, you will be asked to repurpose your...
Practice Bake Perfect Challenge #10 is officially one for the books. I could not have been more impressed with the depth and overall quality of the entries we received. It is no small feat of planning and execution to produce a dozen...
According to Mr. Webster: Array (noun) - An impressive display or range of a particular type of thing. (verb) - To display or arrange things in a particular order. But what's a cookie array? To me, a cookie array is a collection of...
Well, hello there! I was BLOWN AWAY by how many of you were up to the test and participated in Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #9! Who knew there were so many different ways of piping lettering on cookies? Apparently, you all did, because the...
Well, hello there! I am thrilled and honored to be taking over these challenges from The Cookie Architect , who could not have done a more brilliant job in masterminding these challenges. And many thanks to Julia M. Usher for hosting this site...
Hello, everyone! I've got some good news, and some other news for you today! Other news first: After much reflection, I've decided that these Practice Bakes Perfect challenges are too much of a time commitment for me at...
Well hello, everybody! Hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful New Year. I know I'm excited to start this year with my idea of a good time - cookies! This challenge will be simple to describe, but...
[EDITOR'S NOTE: My apologies for another delayed Spotlight - two weeks in a row. The fault is entirely mine, and, this time, my excuse is recovery from an all-day video shoot on Saturday on top of a world class cold. Waaa! Onward to more pleasant things! ~ JMU] Another outstanding showing from everyone for the Practice Bakes Perfect 3-D cookie challenge! We were so excited to see how people just went for it, inventing new techniques and making cookie dough do amazing...
