Christmas Sugar Cookies

This weekend I got busy in the kitchen making homemade Christmas cookies from scratch. They were so delish and got great reviews, so I thought I'd share with all of you.

If you're looking for some sweat treats to bring a Christmas party or even some edible gifts to share with your coworkers, try this great recipe for rolled sugar cookies and stackable icing.


Rolled Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely before decorating.

*makes about 30 medium sized cookies 


Sugar Cookie Icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
assorted food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. 
2. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. (I ended adding more milk instead, for my desired consistency)
3. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity, if desired.
4. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush. Icing dries hard within about 1 hour.

 *recipes from Allrecipes.com

The Signature Drink

Shaken or stirred, blended or on the rocks, top shelf or virgin...a celebration just isn't a celebration without a few tantalizing libations.  I mean let's face it, next to the guest(s) of honor, it's often the bar that attracts the most attention at events, so it's worth putting a little thought and effort into what's going to be served.


While hosting a fully stocked bar may suit some, it's just not practical for everyone since it can add thousands to your budget.  So how do you show your guests a good time, without breaking the bank? Enter the signature drink!


I'm a huge fan of signature cocktails at weddings and events. By serving up one or two customized creations, along with a beer and white & red wine selection, you can avoid the sometimes exorbitant costs of the fully stocked bar.


Plus, beyond just the cost-savings appeal, these customized concoctions are an excellent way to add a personal touch to your event. Signature drinks typically mirror the theme and/or colors of the event and provide an excellent way engage your guests by carrying that theme into not only what they see, feel and hear, but what they taste and smell as well.


Here is one of my favorite summer recipes, the Strawberry Mojito.

Strawberry Mojito

Ingredients

• white sugar, for rimming
• 2 large limes, quartered
• 1/2 bunch mint leaves
• 7 strawberries, quartered
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup white rum
• 2 cups club soda
• 8 cups ice cubes
• 
  
• Directions

1. Pour 1/4 to 1/2 inch of sugar onto a small, shallow plate. Run one of the lime quarters around the rim of each cocktail glass, then dip the glasses into the sugar to rim; set aside.
2. Squeeze all of the lime quarters into a sturdy glass pitcher. Toss the juiced limes into the pitcher along with the mint, strawberries, and 1 cup of sugar. Crush the fruits together with a muddler to release the juices from the strawberries and the oil from the mint leaves. Stir in the rum and club soda until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into the sugared glasses over ice cubes to serve.

Cake, Cake, and more CAKE!

Fabulous cakes by some of my favorite Southern California cake designers.

I Believe It's Cake

A Pinch of Spirit

Hansen Cakes

Fantasy Frostings

Rossmoor Pastries

Torrance Bakery

Designer Wedding Cakes at Knock-Off Prices!

What do you get when you mix gorgeous wedding cakes, a Culver City art gallery, wedding pros, and 6-foot tall models? A Kick-Ass Cake Bash, that's what!

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the Broke-Ass Cake Collection, a new patnership between the Broke-Ass Bride and Fantasy Frostings which offers fabulous designer wedding cakes at knock-off prices. The premeire wedding cake designers of Fantasy Frostings have created sweet treats for the likes of Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Barbara Streisand; so you can be sure that the Broke Ass Cake Collection does not dissapoint.

Royal/T, a cafe/shop/art space in the trendy Culver City arts district, was a perfect venue for the event, and the artwork covered walls provided a great backdrop for the edible art being featured.

The Broke-Ass Cake Collection starts at $4.25 per serving and is available exclusively through the Broke-Ass Bride website.

Creating a Candy Buffet

I'm a firm believer that weddings and special events should always incorporate something a little sweet. Whether it's a plated dessert, a wedding cake, or a Pinkberry station, guests always look forward to that little touch of sweetness.

The candy buffet is a sweet trend that I see popping up at events everywhere. I always have to use restraint when setting up these delectable displays (the treats always look so good!), which double as favors for your guests.

A candy buffet is quite simple to construct and usually mirrors the colors or theme of your event. Here are some things to consider when constructing yours:

• Drape the candy buffet table with a colorful table linen to set off the display.
• Select 5-10 different kinds of candies that match your event colors or theme.
• Purchase candy in bulk from a retailer like A Candy Store.
• Head to your local craft store or Ikea to purchase clear glass containers at different height levels for each type of candy. (The different container heights will create a more intriguing display than if they were all one level.)
• Make sure the containers you choose have a wide enough opening so guests can access the candy.
• Don't forget to buy candy scoops for the loose candies. For individually wrapped candies, guests can just pick them up with their hands.
• Pick up some small cellophane bags or mini chinese take out boxes for guest to put their candy selections in.

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A Pinkberry Wedding

I just came across this on Inspired By This and had to repost. If you’re a Pinkberry addict like I am, then you can sense my excitement when I found out that Pinkberry now caters weddings and special events!

Breaking news for pinkberry lovers…Pinkberry is now doing wedding catering! To find our if they are doing it in your area, contact your local store. If you are getting married in the south bay area, you are in luck as the Hermosa Beach store is ready to make your event extra cool-get it fro yo? cool? Contact Ray the manager to get you set up. The event minimum is 25 orders which comes with transportation, set up, team to serve, breakdown and cleanup as well as all the serving bowls and utensils. Seriously loving this idea!! They are offering 6 delicious flavors: chocolate, coconut, pomegranate, passion fruit, original and green tea. They also bring all of their toppings! To get more information contact your local Pinkberry.

Images by Caroline Tran