Autumn Carpenter's Weblog

New Book, The Complete Photo Guide to Cookie Decorating is here!

autumncarpenter — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:16:03 +0000

I am so excited to release my second book in the Complete Photo guide series! This book is on cookie decorating. I am thrilled with how the book turned out. The book includes lots of step by step instructional photos on all the techniques shown on this blog.

Order the book from Country Kitchen SweetArt and receive a free gift. Also available from Qbookshop and Amazon.

Complete Photo Guide to Cookie Decorating

autumncarpenter — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:35:53 +0000

I just received a sneak peek at the cover of my newest book, “The Complete Photo Guide to Cookie Decorating”. Looks great! I can’t wait to see the final product. The book will be available in March or April of 2013!

Flying High, Airplane Birthday Party Treats

autumncarpenter — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 12:12:11 +0000

These little airplane treats are all simple projects using polka dots and red, white and shades of blue.

Airplane Sheet Cake

Airplane push pop treats

Marshmallow Clouds and Airplane Cookies

Airplane Chocolate Candy Suckers

Airplane and Cloud Cupcakes

Visit www.shopcountrykitchen.com for instructions creating these airplane treats.

Sinister but sophisticated Halloween Treats

autumncarpenter — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 20:53:15 +0000

I love the combination of a damask print and skeletons. It gives a combination of an elegant but scary treat. Detailed instructions can be found on Country Kitchen SweetArt’s website.

Skulls on Damask Cupcakes

Skull head Cookies

Skull head mint cookies

Show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness!

autumncarpenter — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 13:18:54 +0000

You can’t miss it… Pink is everywhere! I’m sure each and everyone one of us knows someone who has battled breast cancer. For me it is my mother-in-law. I’ll never forget the day my husband and I were told. My father-in-law said to my husband, “your mom is going in for surgery today”. They had known for some time, but decided not to tell anyone, as they didn’t want us all to be worried. I admire my mother-in-law’s strength and courage throughout her mastectomy, treatments, and checkups. She a survivor going now on her thirteenth clear year.

Show your support through organizations like the American Cancer Society, Cancer Centers, and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Many organizations are hosting events all month long!

Directions for the treats below can be found on Country Kitchen SweetArt’s website.

: Breast Cancer Awareness Cupcakes

Breast Cancer Awareness Chocolate Suckers

: Breast Cancer Awareness Cookies

Excited to be #1 in the Library Journal best selling list!!!

autumncarpenter — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:48:53 +0000

#1 in the Library Journal Best Seller List

Guest at Artistically Speaking Talk Show

autumncarpenter — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:48:01 +0000

Come and join me as I will be a guest on Artistically Speaking web talk show, this Sunday at 6:30 EST. Join the live chat! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/artisticallyspeaking

Sneak peek- Cupcake and Cookie Texture Sets

autumncarpenter — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:48:41 +0000

After many long months of waiting, I finally have the Cupcake and Cookie Texture tops almost ready to go! By next week I will have three of the six sets ready to sell. The following are the sets that will be available:

Geometric
Scroll
Whimsy Blooms
Floral
Christmas
Winter

Samples using the Geometric Cupcake and Cookie Texture Top Set:

: Geometric Cupcake Tops. Elegant on their own!

1st birthday cookies with cupcake texture tops

Flower cupcake with Geometric Textures

: Bunny Cupcakes with Cupcake Texture Tops

About the Texture Sets:
The texture sheets are made of a lightweight clear plastic. Either side of the mat can be used. One side will give a raised impression, while the other will give a recessed impression. Each set comes with three mats. Each mat has a design that is repeated four times. Below is a sample of the geometric set.

3 sheets- Each with a design repeated 4-x's (12 textures total)

Instructions using the cupcake texture sheets:
Bake and cool cupcake. Generously ice cupcake with your favorite cupcake icing. Lightly spray texture mat with a cooking spray. Wipe excess grease with a paper towel. Roll rolled fondant to approximately 1/16” thickness. Place the smooth, rolled side of the fondant face down on the texture mat. Place the rolling pin on one end of the fondant with the mat underneath. Firmly roll over the fondant, rolling to the opposite end. Do not double roll. Lift the mat and the fondant. Flip over the mat so the fondant is on the bottom and the mat is on top. Peel back the mat. Cut fondant using a circle cutter from Autumn Carpenter Cupcake Top Fondant Cutters. Place textured fondant circle on top of the iced cupcake. If icing has crusted, brush a thin layer of piping gel onto the icing or slightly dampen icing with a small amount of water from a squeeze bottle to adhere the fondant circle.

Coordinating Cupcake Top Fondant Cutters:
The diameter of baked and iced cupcakes may vary according to recipe, amount of batter, and amount of icing used. Choose a cutter sized to completely cover the top of the iced cupcake. Use the texture sets in conjunction with my Cupcake Top Fondant Cutters. The cutter set contains 3 stainless steel cutters, 2¾”, 3” & 3¼” for standard size cupcakes.

Painted Easter Bunny, Duck and Chick Cookies

autumncarpenter — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:45:16 +0000

Back in 1993- yikes…that seems like ages ago… anyway, in 1993 I picked up a Better Homes and Garden Christmas Cookies magazine. The magazine featured a family who painted cookies every year at Christmas. I loved the idea of painting on cookies. This article really ignited my passion for cookies. From that day on, I began painting and piping with cookie icing nearly daily. Although I will get into candy making moods, or cupcake making moods, and even jewelry making moods, but I seem to always come back to decorating cookies as my absolute favorite pasttime. These Easter cookies are covered in white run sugar icing. After the icing has hardened (overnight), the cookies are painted with food color thinned with water.

Painted Easter Bunny, Chick and Duck Cookies

Easter Bunny and Carrots

autumncarpenter — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:42:29 +0000

Easter, Easter, Easter! Yay! A Fun bunny and carrot theme perfect to add a bit of cuteness to the Easter table. The cake and all of the treats are super simple to decorate.

The cake is covered with blue rolled fondant. Grass is piped along the edge. Piping gel is spread on the base and is sprinkled with cookie crumbs. The bunny was hand molded. For a bunny this size (he is about 7 inches tall), the body must be made using gum paste for stability. Ideally, the body should be made several days ahead of time with an apple stick through the center of his body to support the head (especially since his head is so gargantuan!). The apple stick should extend about an inch or two above the body. The bunnies ears also must be made several days ahead of time. Several days later, the bunny head can be formed and placed on the apple stick.

There was not a bunny head cookie cutter that I liked, but I did like the head from of a 8″ sitting bunny cutter. I simply cut the head off. The cookies are covered in fondant, and sculpted using a blunt end of a paring knife.

I was inspired by a vegetable dip with carrots I saw on Pinterest. Instead of using a cup of vegy dip, the flower pot served as a vessel to hold a cupcake iced in chocolate and cookie crumbs. Instead of real carrots (ummm… that would just be weird…), chocolate carrots were used.

The chocolate bunnies are solid. They were made for display. If I were to make these for an Easter party, I would fill them with my favorite Easter candy center—Peanut butter! Of course the bunnies are surrounded by more chocolate carrots!

The last treat is the easiest. Simply carrot cello bags filled with orange sixlets.

I used Oreo cookie crumbs(without the cream filling) to display the cookies and the candies. While I can’t promise that your table top will remain clean should you choose to copy the cookie crumb idea, it will still make an adorable setting for your bunny and carrot treats! For detailed instructions on these projects, visit Country Kitchen’s Website.

: Bunny and Carrot Cookies with Fondant

: Cupcakes in a flower pot with Chocolate carrots

: Chocolate Bunnies and Carrots

: bags of carrots with candy