Pastillage Stars

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Lacey

My brother-in-law is getting married this weekend and I am doing the flowers for the wedding. Back before I wanted to be a baker, I wanted to be a florist. And I was. For seven years. It’s been a while since I’ve done flowers, but I’m looking forward to getting to “play with flowers” again (that’s what people think florists do).

Today I will be heading to the flower market bright and early to pick up my order. At the request of the bride I will be using mostly roses and daisies with a few other flowers added in to jazz things up. After picking up the flowers, I will spend the day making corsages, boutonnieres, and bouquets.

Captain Awesome has a pot luck at work today and asked me to make something that he could take. I’ve had a lot going on this week with the wedding and all, so I wanted to make him something that wouldn’t take a whole lot of time. Cupcakes tend to be my go-to baking item when I need something fast. Since the 4th is next week, I decided to make him some red, white, & blue cupcakes decorated with pastillage stars.

Pastillage (sounds like pas-tee-ahj) is a sugar based dough that is used for creating show pieces as well as decorations for pastries. Pastillage dries very quickly and becomes hard when dry. If you have ever eaten an Altoids mint, Necco wafer, or a conversation heart, then you have had pastillage. A batch of pastillage can be whipped up in a short amount of time using simple ingredients that you might already have in the kitchen.

Pastillage is fairly easy to work with when making simple decorations. The more elaborate pastillage show pieces do require a higher level of skill and patience. For this post, I am showing you how to make simple stars, so if you can handle a cookie cutter, then you can do this.

Pastillage Recipe

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (7g)

2.75 oz water

20 oz powdered sugar

2.5 oz cornstarch

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Begin by placing the water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. This is called “blooming” the gelatin. Let the gelatin sit for about 5 minutes.

Sift together the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. Set up a double boiler. Place the mixing bowl with bloomed gelatin over the double boiler. You want to heat the gelatin just enough to melt it. The gelatin will look clear when it is melted.

Add the sifted dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Place the bowl on the mixer and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together. Turn the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. Work quickly and knead the dough until it is smooth. Double wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it sit about 20 minutes.

Pastillage dries quickly, so it is best to work with a small piece of dough at a time, rather than try to roll it all out at once. Keep any unused dough tightly wrapped until ready to use. If a crust forms on the dough, cut off the crust before using.

When you are ready to cut out your stars (or any shape you desire), roll the dough out onto a work surface lightly dusted with corn starch. Roll the dough fairly thin. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the stars. Place the cut-outs on a sheet tray lined with parchment. The pastillage may require several hours to dry (depending on how hot/humid your environment is). For best results, allow the pastillage to dry over night.

Once the pastillage has dried you can decorate it with royal icing, like I did. Pastillage can also be painted with an alcohol based paint. Of course you can always just leave it undecorated because it is very beautiful in its natural state.

This is what the “bloomed” gelatin looks like.

This is what the gelatin will look like after being heated.

Roll the dough out thin and use a cookie cutter to cut desired shape.

Place the cut out dough on a parchment lined sheet to dry.

Pipe stars with royal icing.

Use your pastillage stars to decorate frosted cupcakes.

I’ll share flower photos and wedding stories with you next week. I will also announce the winner of the 31 bag next week. Have a great weekend!

-Lacey

www.facebook.com/stcookie

@SmallTownCookie

Fourth of July Wreath

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Lacey

If you are looking for the giveaway you can find it here.

Fourth of July is right around the corner. I love the fourth. It is one of my favorite holidays. For me the fourth brings with it the start of summer in the Pacific Northwest, fun with family and friends, and oohing and aahing over immense explosions that light the night sky.

A while back I pinned a wreath on pinterest. I love the look of it and the paper medallions remind me of the fireworks that I look forward to every year. The original article included instructions for making your own. I knew I wanted to make one, but I chose to make mine using my Silhouette, instead of hand cutting the paper as the article suggests.

I used the Award Ribbon Pinwheel shape from the Silhouette online store to create the paper medallions. I used 4 different sized medallions for my wreath and created the different sizes by simply resizing the pinwheel shape in the Silhouette Studio.

If you would like to make a wreath of your own you will need:

18 inch styrofoam wreath
8 yards of 1.5″ ribbon
paper medallions (I used about 50)
various colors and prints of card-stock to make the medallions
buttons (about 50)
glue (I used both tacky glue and hot glue)

Assembly Instructions

Cut out and assemble the medallions. Wrap the wreath with ribbon (the original article says 4 yards is needed, but I used closer to 8). Secure the ribbon in place with glue. Use hot glue to attach the medallions to the wreath. Glue a button to the center of each medallion. Marvel at your creation.

-Lacey

www.facebook.com/stcookie

@SmallTownCookie

Big Changes, Bridal/Baby Shower Gift Idea, and a Giveaway!

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Lacey

The giveaway is now closed.

There are big changes around these parts. You may have noticed that Small Town Cookie can now be found at www.smalltowncookie.com. In addition to getting my own domain, I also broke up with blogger and moved to wordpress. I’m still figuring out how everything works and I am still tweaking the look of my blog. Please be patient with me. These things take time.

Summer is here and with it comes invitations to bridal showers, weddings, and baby showers. I’ve been invited to a bridal shower later this month and was on the look out for a unique gift for the bride, when my friend Danielle showed me a catalog.

Danielle recently became a consultant for 31 Gifts. 31 carries a variety of bags, totes, and storage containers in a wide array of colors and prints. There are also options to add personalization to a bag.

After looking through the catalog I decided that a bag from 31 would make a great shower gift. There were several bags that I liked and it was hard to choose one, but eventually I settled on the Organizing Utility Tote. I chose this bag because it is a nice size (not too big, but not too small) and has 7 outside pockets. I ordered the bag in Aqua and had it personalized with what will be the bride’s new monogram.

The bag alone will make a wonderful gift that I think any girl would be glad to have. However, if you want to add something to a bag to make an even more spectacular shower gift, here are some ideas:

Bridal Shower/Wedding Gift Ideas

Date Night-In Bag- Place a bottle of wine or beer, a board game, some chocolates or candies, and a gift card for pizza in the bag.
Honeymoon Bag- If the bride and groom are going to be spending their honeymoon poolside, then add matching beach towels, flip flops, and sun block to the bag.
Dinner Bag- In your nicest hand writing, write out your favorite dinner recipe. Place it in the bag along with any shelf stable ingredients used in the recipe.
Wedding Day Survival Kit- Fill the bag with items the bride might need on her wedding day. Items might include: hair spray, needle & thread, a bottle of water, a snack, band-aids, dental floss, tissues, etc.

Baby Shower Gift Ideas

Diaper Bag- Fill the bag with items typically found in a diaper bag.
Baby’s Book Bag- Fill the bag with books for baby.
Hospital Stay Bag- If mom will have an extended hospital stay, include magazines, books, comfy slippers, or even a robe.

If you want to check out the items that 31 has to offer, you can find their catalog here. See something you like? Well guess what?! Danielle is offering Small Town Cookie readers a discount through the month of June. To receive your 10% discount you must email your order to Danielle. To contact Danielle by email, visit her website here and click the “email me” link. Make sure to tell her you are a Small Town Cookie reader. Orders placed on the website will not receive a discount.

Also during the month of June if you spend $35 you can purchase a large utility tote for $10. That’s a savings of $15. What are you waiting for? Get shopping!

Ok, now for the giveaway. One lucky Small Town Cookie reader is going to win an All-In-One Organizer in Best Tweets from 31. The bag measures 8″H x 12″W x 6.5″D. This bag is very versatile and great for many uses. You could use it in the car as a catch-all, let the kids use it to carry their toys, or fill it with something fun and give it as a gift.

To enter, look through the 31 catalog then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which item from 31 you would most like to own.

For an additional entry, like Small Town Cookie on Facebook. Then come back here and leave a comment saying you did. If you already like Small Town Cookie, then leave a comment saying so.

And if you would like one more additional chance to win, follow Small Town Cookie on Twitter @SmallTownCookie and then tweet “I just entered to win a bag by 31 Gifts on www.smalltowncookie.com”. Then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me you did.

You must leave a separate comment for each entry method!

Contest ends on June 27, 2012 at midnight pacific time. One winner will be chosen at random from all eligible entries.

Good Luck

-Lacey

www.facebook.com/stcookie

@SmallTownCookie

Father’s Day Dessert: Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Lacey

For a few months now, Captain Awesome has been asking me to make ice cream sandwiches similar to an It’s-It. I thought it would make a nice treat for Father’s Day, so I made some just for him. Aren’t I swell?

If you don’t know, It’s-Its are ice cream sandwiches made with oatmeal raisin cookies, ice cream (duh), and a chocolate coating. They have been made in San Francisco since 1928. They are delicious treats. Unfortunately our local grocery store does not carry them, so it’s not very often that Captain Awesome gets to enjoy one.

The thing about It’s-Its is that even though they have raisins, you don’t bite into a raisin when you’re eating one. It’s like the raisins have been pulverized or something. I wanted to try and replicate that, so I combined the raisins with about half of the oats. I gave them a good toss so that the raisins would get coated in the powder from the oats. Then I put the two in the food processor and processed until the raisins were ground into bits and came together.

I used two 10×15 sheets like this to bake the cookie in. Line the sheets with parchment. Process the raisins with the oats and set them aside.

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugars, spices, salt, and baking powder. Then mix in the eggs and honey. Next add the raisin/oat mixture and mix until it is evenly distributed throughout. The mixture will be thick and look like this.

Finally, stir in the flour and the remaining oats. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for about 20 minutes. Chilling the dough makes it easier to press into the pans.

Once the dough has chilled divide it in half. Press each half into a parchment lined sheet. Use an offset spatula to help smooth the dough.

Wrap the dough lined sheets with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours until chilled.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Baking times will vary based on your oven and rack position, etc. (I originally baked at 375°, but I feel this was too hot and would bake at 350° in the future.) Keep a watchful eye on the cookies as they will brown fast. You want them to be golden, but not too dark. If they get too dark, the raisins will taste bitter.

After baking, allow the cookies to cool to room temp. Once they have cooled, wrap the sheets in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

When you are ready to fill the cookies with ice cream, remove your ice cream from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. You want the ice cream to be soft, but not melted. Use any flavor of ice cream you would like. I chose Tillamook Vanilla Bean.

Remove one cookie sheet from the freezer. Loosen the cookie from the edges of the pan, so that it will easily come out once it has been assembled. Cover the entire cookie with ice cream. Work fast and use and offset spatula to smooth the ice cream. I added enough ice cream so that it came up to the rim of the sheet pan. I used about 3/4 of the carton. You can add more if you would like.

If at any point your ice cream starts to melt, just pop everything in the freezer for about 10 minutes so it can firm back up.

Once your ice cream is on the cookie, place the whole thing back in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes remove the ice cream covered cookie and the other cookie from the freezer. Top the ice cream with the 2nd sheet of cookie. Press gently on the cookie so that it will stick into the ice cream.

Put the whole thing in the freezer for about 2 hours so it can firm up. After it has been in the freezer for a couple of hours, go around the edge of the pan with an offset spatula to loosen the cookie and ice cream from the sides of the pan. Turn the pan over onto a large cutting board and lift the pan off. The cookie and ice cream should slide right out.

Cut the cookie into bars. I chose to cut mine into 16 pieces. They were kind of on the big side, so you might want to cut yours into a smaller size.

Place the cut bars in the freezer. While the bars are in the freezer, melt some chocolate over a double boiler. Add about a tablespoon of shortening to the melted chocolate.

Work quickly and dip the bars into the chocolate or use a fork to drizzle chocolate onto them. Place the chocolate coated bars onto a parchment lined sheet. Place them in the freezer to firm up.

Store ice cream sandwiches in the freezer in an air tight container or on a sheet pan wrapped in plastic.

This recipe does take quite a bit of time to produce because of the time needed to chill everything. If you want to make it, I recommend doing so over the course of 2 days. Bake and chill your cookies on the first day and assemble the ice cream sandwiches on the second day.

Ready to make your own? Here’s the recipe:

Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

Oatmeal Cookie Bar Recipe

(Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies)

6 oz butter, unsalted, softened

2.5 oz sugar

3.75 oz brown sugar

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 egg white

3.25 oz honey

4.5 oz all purpose flour

7.75 oz oats, old fashioned or quick cooking

11.25 oz raisins

Line the bottom of two 10×15 sheet pans with parchment paper.

Combine the raisins with about half of the oats. Toss to coat the raisins with the powder from the oats. Place in a food processor and process until the raisins are chopped into bits and it all comes together.

In a mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugars, spices, salt, and baking soda. Add the vanilla, eggs, and honey. Mix to combine. Add the raisin/oat mixture and mix until combined.

Add the flour and oats and mix.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Use an offset spatula to press the chilled dough into the parchment lined pans. Wrap the pans in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool the cookies to room temperature.

Wrap the pans in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Ice Cream Sandwich Assembly

Spread softened ice cream onto one of the frozen cookies. Place the pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then top it with the other cookie. Place the whole thing in the freezer for about 2 hours.

Use an offset spatula to loosen the cookie and ice cream from the sides of the pan. Turn the pan over onto a large cutting board. Lift the pan off. Cut into equal sized bars. Place the bars in the freezer.

Chocolate Coating

16 oz Chocolate (Dark, Milk, or a mix)

1 Tbsp shortening

Melt chocolate over a double boiler. Add shortening and stir to combine.

Dip the frozen bars into the chocolate or drizzle them with chocolate. Place bars on a parchment lined tray. Place chocolate coated bars in freezer until chocolate is firm.

Have a Happy Father’s Day Weekend!

-Lacey

www.facebook.com/stcookie

@SmallTownCookie

Brownie Sundae Pie

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Lacey

It’s National Best Friends Day! Did you know that? You do now.
Today I’ve got a treat for you that is perfect for sharing with a best friend… or two.

Brownie Sundae Pie

I’ll get to that in a minute. First let me tell you about my best friends. They are two great ladies that mean the world to me. Unfortunately I don’t get to see them as much as I would like to because they both live in California, and I live in Oregon. Thank goodness for Facebook and cellphones.

These two ladies have been my friends for many, many years. Candyce and I became friends in 6th grade. We were instant friends and have remained friends all these years. Kerry and I became friends in middle school. I am so thankful to have them both in my life. I don’t know what I would do without them.

Kerry, Lacey, Candyce
July 2002

I am super excited because I get to see Candyce this year! Our families recently made plans to spend some time together later this summer. The last time I saw her was in 2010, and the last time I saw Candyce’s son, he was a toddler. He’s 8 now.

So. Freakin. Excited!

Anyway, back to the Brownie Sundae Pie…A few weeks ago I picked up a deep dish tart pan by Nordic Ware.

Remember my post last week with the birthday cake graham crackers? Well, I had some dough left over and decided to use it in my new deep dish tart pan. I rolled out the dough, lined the pan with it and then I filled it part of the way with brownie batter. After baking and cooling the brownie, I filled the pan the rest of the way with ice cream. Then I topped the whole thing off with Chantilly cream and sprinkles…Oh yes I did!

I suggest you make one and share it with a friend in celebration of National Best Friends Day.

To make the Brownie Sundae Pie you will need:
Birthday Cake Graham Cracker Dough
Brownie Batter
Ice Cream, any flavor, about 1/4-1/2 carton
Chantilly Cream
Sprinkles

Start with the Birthday Cake Graham Cracker dough. You can find the recipe here.

Prepare the dough and chill it. Then roll out about 1/4 of the dough in a circle shape to 1/8″ thick. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Be sure to use flour on top of the dough too, as it can be sticky. Place the dough into the tart pan. Gently press the dough into the fluted edge of the pan. Trim any excess dough from the top. Place the dough lined pan in the refrigerator and allow it to chill for one hour.

The next step is to make the brownie batter.

Brownie Batter Recipe
(Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Fudge Brownies Recipe)

2.5 oz butter, unsalted
5.25 oz sugar
1 egg
1.25 oz dutch process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp water
2 oz all-purpose flour
4 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the butter and sugar in a saucepan. Heat until the butter is melted, but do not let it boil.

In a medium bowl combine the egg, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla, baking powder, and water. Whisk until smooth.

Add the melted butter and sugar to the bowl. Whisk until combined. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips. Mix just until combined.

Pour the batter into the chilled tart pan lined with graham cracker dough.

Bake for 15-25 minutes. The brownie is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. The graham cracker crust will look dark.

Allow the brownie to cool on a rack for about 30 minutes. Then place it in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes.

When you are ready to add the ice cream to the pie, remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. You want the ice cream to get soft, but not too melty. For my pie, I used Tillamook Vanilla Chocolate Chip. It’s my new favorite.

Place several scoops of ice cream on top of the brownie. Use an off set spatula to smooth the ice cream and gently press it down. Continue this process until the entire surface of the brownie is covered. Place the pie in the freezer to allow the ice cream to firm back up.

While the pie is in the freezer, make the Chantilly Cream.

Chantilly Cream Recipe

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the ingredients and whip on high until soft peaks form.

Top the pie with Chantilly Cream.

Finally, top the pie with sprinkles.

Serve with chocolate sauce or other sundae toppings.

Happy National Best Friends Day!

-Lacey

www.facebook.com/stcookie

@SmallTownCookie

Birthday Cake Graham Cracker S’mores

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Lacey

Recently the blogging world has been all a flutter with sprinkles. I mean they’re in everything! From cheesecake, to waffles, to bridal bouquets. Really bridal bouquets, really! Sprinkles are even adorning the faces and lips of some. And if you watched the Today show this morning, you might have seen the segment on “sprinkles” for finger nails. They’re calling it caviar, but what-ev! Those are totally sprinkles.

And you know what else is hot in the blogging world…S’mores. I guess it’s because it’s almost summer, but S’mores are popping up again on food blogs. I mean, who doesn’t like a molten hot marshmallow?

So what’s a girl to do? Jump on that bandwagon. That’s what!

Birthday Cake Graham Cracker S’mores

These little sweeties are a delectable treat, perfect for a summer evening.

I think the graham crackers would make a nice little end of the year treat for a teacher. Package them up with a bag of marshmallows and a bar of chocolate. Easy-peasy and super cute.

Want to make some? Ok, let’s go.

Birthday Cake Graham Cracker Recipe
(Recipe adapted from SmittenKitchen.com. Original recipe from Nancy Silverton’s Pastries from the La Brea Bakery)

2 Cups plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour (you can use all, all-purpose flour if you want)
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 oz (1 cube) butter, unsalted, cold and cut into 3/4″ cubes
1/3 cup partially invert syrup* See note below for how to make this
5 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 Cup sprinkles (I used rainbow jimmies)
Granulated sugar for topping (optional)

*Make the partially invert syrup by combining two parts sugar (8 oz) and one part water (4 oz) in a pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes, until clear. Do not stir the mixture while it cooks.

Combine 1/3 cup partially invert syrup with the milk and vanilla. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Combine flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a mixer bowl. Use the paddle attachment and stir the mix on low, just to incorporate everything.

Add the cold butter cubes to the mix. Mix on low until it resembles a course meal.

Add the milk/syrup mix and mix on low. Allow the paddle to go around a couple of times and then add the sprinkles. Continue to mix on low, but stop mixing as soon as the dough starts to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of lightly floured plastic wrap. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic and place it in the refrigerator. Chill for 1.5 hours or overnight.

Rolling the Dough
When you’re ready to roll out the dough, divide the dough in half. Return half to the refrigerator. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as well. Continue to add flour as needed. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8″ thick.

Trim the edges of the rectangle. Cut the dough into 2″ squares with a fluted pastry cutter. If you don’t have a fluted cutter a straight edge cutter will work. You could also cut the dough using any shape cookie cutter. Wrap dough scraps in plastic and return them to the refrigerator. The scraps can be re-rolled to make more crackers.

To make them look more like graham crackers, mark the squares with holes. You can make the holes with the blunt end of a wooden BBQ skewer.

Place the cut dough on parchment lined cookie sheets. When a sheet is full, wrap it with plastic and place it in the refrigerator.

Repeat with the second half of dough. You can also re-roll the scraps after they have been chilled.

I did not re-roll my scraps and I made a total of 52 cookies. I saved the scraps to use for something else later.

Chill the crackers for about 45 minutes before baking.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking sheets. If you’d like, sprinkle the tops of the crackers with granulated sugar.

Bake the crackers for 14-20 minutes until done, rotating the pans half way through baking. The crackers will look dark when they are done, but they can burn quickly, so don’t let them get too dark. If you take them out too soon, the crackers will be chewy and not crunchy.

Let the crackers cool on the baking sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Store crackers in an airtight container.

This is what the dough will look like after mixing in the butter.

Sprinkles! AKA Rainbow Jimmies

This is the dough after mixing.

Crackers, cut out and marked.

This is what I used to cut the crackers out.

Crackers after baking.

See the difference in color? The one on the right is slightly under-baked.

Making S’mores
Since these are birthday cake graham cracker s’mores I decided to replace the usual chocolate with vanilla melty’s that I tinted pink.

I melted the candy and smoothed it out on a piece of parchment. Then, because I could, I sprinkled it with rainbow jimmies. Before the candy hardened completely, I cut it into squares with a sharp knife.