It all started with this.
My church was hosting a Valentines Day event. They asked if I could help with dessert, to which I said, “YES! Of COURSE!! I’d love to!”
See, one of my favorite things about baking is being able to share. To help. To give back in some small way. Plus its nice to make stuff that people will actually eat. (I try to avoid giving my kids sugar, and hubby and I can only eat so much… so sometimes we have to toss stuff in the ole trasher-oo)
They gave me this napkin and said go to it!
Allllllrighty. (channeling Ave Ventura)
I started sketching and planning weeks in advance… breaking down the cookies to exact numbers.
I did each design (there were eight designs) in phases to make it a little easier. Eight designs on twenty cookies each.
I think this one is my favorite. I have a thing for plaid. I want to see it everywhere.
Kinda like the napkin right?
ACV=Alliance Church of the Valley
Lots and lots and lots of cookies.
These were the biggest project, as I did twenty cookies of each color. So. Eighty total. And with an average of eight hearts on each cookie… thats like, uh, alot of hearts.
And dont even get me started on the number of lines.
(ok, so I had to figure it out. Its roughly 640 hearts, cause I know some cookies had more then eight hearts on them)
Do you have a favorite?
Now.
I have one more surprise for you… and its a doozie.
There was another beautiful lady helping out with the desserts that night… and I gotta tell you… she was the STAR of the show. I am in awe of her talent and creativity!
She made… get this… RED VELVET CHEESECAKE.
I never even knew such a thing existed!! Its like a Valentines Day miracle!
She made FIFTEEN of them.
I get tired just thinking about that.
Just look at this amazing dessert.
*drooling*
Just look at that thick, decadent, chocolate crust.
Amazing!
Sarah (the young lady who made all 15 of those suckers) is a baker by profession, and just started her first job decorating cakes for a local bakery. I would say they are lucky to have her!
(I dont have Sarahs recipe for the cheesecake, but she mentioned it is like a chocolate cheesecake with red food coloring.)
RECIPES
Those cookies are beautiful! Your creativity is amazing and your work is perfection! I can’t wait to try your cookie and icing recipe, it sounds delicious!
Those cookies are pure art!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!!
Beautiful cookies and they look so good.
So perfect… I am in awe of your talent with that pastry bag… you should be a brain surgeon!!!
Amanda, This is the first time I have visited your blog and I must say, you are one very talented (and patient) lady. I am in awe of your work. Well done.
These plaid cookies re extraordinary-looking!
Oh my word! Those cookies are just beautiful!! I don’t know which design is my favourite… I love the pink hearts with the red swirlies around the edges…and the ones with the itty bitty hearts. I love them all and I can only imagine the hours you spent on them!
Well done, my friend.
You are a brilliant cookie-decorator! I can do cookies, but can’t decorate at all. I wish you lived near me!! The simplicity of the single red heart on the white frosting is my favorite.
The red velvet cheesecake is amazing looking. She must have used practically one entire food gel to get that color!
These are to-die-for cute!!
You must have such a steady hand to make all those perfect little lines and hearts. You’re an excellent cookie decorator – really you are!
Do something with that talent – start a home bakery or something! seriously! 😉
I know it’s not very Christian-like…but I hate you! 🙂 Just teasin’~I love you and wanna be you when I grow up (though I think you are at least 10 years younger than me!).
I did cookies for our church open house Sunday as well and um, let me just say you won’t be seeing a picture…but I do have a question…if my design “oozed” a bit after I made it, was the icing too runny? It wasn’t awful, just didn’t stay “nice.” And for the little tiny details do you still use that icing recipe, not the royal icing with egg whites? I was thinking that would maybe hold up better.
I will say this, my hubby was impressed and that was enough for me. 🙂
HUGS