Garden Party Love

I made these cookies for a special party that culminated the Olde Towne Garden and Homes Tour that took place today in Portsmouth, Virginia.  I was really thrilled with them and the recipient said they were a big hit at the party she attended.

I don't intend on ever being a cookie blog, but it seems as if I am posting a lot of cookie pictures lately.  I apologize.

There's a great excuse though...it's because I am always working on them!

I use the photos to study my technique and see ways that I can improve.  Tonight, as I was looking at some of my facecrack photos, I realized how much I have grown since I got "the cookie bug" and it amazes me.

I have probably made more than 1,000 cookies since Christmas.  No lie.  That's a heck of a lot of butter.

I use a cookie recipe that I researched and became comfortable with.  I adore it because it's stable and tastes wonderful.  No...I am not giving it out.  Do your own research.

I also work in glaze icing.  I am not a fan of Royal, but sometimes I will make a 50/50 mix of glaze and Royal for detail.  The cookies here are all glaze.

I prefer the taste of glaze over Royal.  It's just a personal preference.  I have a discriminating palate.

I keep my icing pretty loose on the consistency scale, working at about a 5-7 second spread.

Thank you so much if you popped over from The Barefoot Baker's Link Party...I really appreciate everything you cookie girls have taught me through the Internet.  I seriously do.  I owe it all to you for taking my natural ability in icing and giving it a voice.

You are a bunch of wonderfully creative souls who constantly inspire me and make me stretch as a sugar artist.  For that, I am very grateful.

I am just jelly tonight because some of you are in Louisville, KY at Spring Fling.

Serious...Jelly.

This is Home Girl...and yeah, I am pretty obsessed with cookies!