Thursday, October 30, 2014

Traditional red gingerbread hearts

red gingerbread hearts

This is the real traditional Hungarian gingerbread heart: red cookies with white icing.

Although I love to explore new techniques, use colors and get creative, these red hearts always cheer me up. These hearts will be framed in a shadow box. What a great gift idea!

If you make smaller hearts you can use them to decorate your Christmas tree. Just make a small hole with a skewer and the ornament is ready.

It's a fun and easy decoration. Bake the basic gingerbread recipe, and let the cookies cool. Then mix one egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk and some gel food coloring (I use Americolor super red) and color your cookies, using a paintbrush. Let them dry before decorating with royal icing.

The decoration don't have to be intricate at all. With only a few lines and drops they will look great. If you would like to practice piping beautiful designs, my newest book has 11 practice sheets.
You can also go for inspiration to my co-authors website. Aniko is a wonderful artist, you will enjoy her work.

Hope you will join the fun in this holiday season!

red gingerbread hearts

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Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Black and white wedding favors

Do you think a white wedding favor is boring? I did 40 different white heart cookies (8 sets of 5) and they were a lot of fun. As the color of the event was black and white, I added black as an accent color for the other 40 cookies. Would you like to see them?

 Set #1 Eyelets and little flowers



Set #2 heart and lace


Set #3: Needlepoint


Set #4: Flowers and lace


Set #5: Needlepoint and roses


Set #6: Playful curves


Set #7: Traditional flowers


Set#8: Curly curves


Tell me which set is your favorite? Do you like black and white?

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Beach wedding cookies


Beach wedding cookies

I got a sweet message from a couple who planned their beach wedding a couple of weeks ago. They were looking for some cookies that reflect the beautiful location, maybe pink and blue with a palm tree and birds.
Beach wedding cookies

Then we decided to change the colors a little and I added two palm trees grown together to represent their unity.

Beach wedding cookies

And I love to make a bigger cookie for the couple to keep.

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Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Shell cookies with chocolate filling

Shell cookie with chocolate filling


For the dough you will need:
225 g (1-3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 large egg
120g (1 stick) butter, softened
60g (1/2 cup) confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the filling:
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cocoa powder
60g (1/2 cup) confectioners sugar
1 egg yolk
60g (1/2 stick) butter

For decoration:
dark chocolate

First, start preparing the filling.


 In a small saucepan. mix the milk, flour, confectioners sugar and cocoa powder.

 Cook it on medium heat, constantly stirring until it thickens. Remove from heat, mix in the egg yolk and let it cool completely before the next step. (Start making the cookies and finish the filling when the cookies are cooling.)

 When your chocolate mixture cooled down beat the butter until fluffy and add to the chocolate mixture. 

Beat the cream until well mixed and fluffy.

You can simply use a spoon to fill your cookies, but I prefer to fill a plastic bag, cut the corner and use it to fill the cookies.


Now, let's see the cookies:

 Mix all ingredients for the dough and knead it util everything is well incorporated. 

Take small pieces of the dough to fill your molds with a thin layer of dough. 

  You need only a thin layer, as the dough will spread a little and you want to put filling inside.
 Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until it has a light brown color. 

 Let them cool enough so you can safely touch the mold and turn the molds upside down to remove the cookies. 

 Let the cookies cool completely before filling them.

 Decorate half of the cookies. Use melted chocolate to draw some lines in the cookies.

  With a toothpick you can pull the lines to follow the shape of the shell. Put the cookies in your freezer for a couple of minutes so the chocolate harden.

 Fill half of your cookies with the chocolate filling.

Put the chocolate decorated halves on top of each filled cookie. 


Store in refrigerator until served. Enjoy!


Pastry molds are available on my website.

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Shell cookies with walnut filling


For the dough you will need:
225 g (1-3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 large egg
120g (1 stick) butter, softened
60g (1/2 cup) confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

For the filling:
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup ground walnuts
4 tbsp confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g (half stick) butter
1 tsp Bacardi (optional)

For decoration:
dark chocolate

First, start preparing the filling.


In a small saucepan. melt 1 tbsp butter and mix in 2 tbsp flour on medium heat.

 Gradually add 1/2 cup milk, constantly stirring and heat until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool completely before the next step. (Start making the cookies and finish the filling when the cookies are cooling.)

 When your mixture cooled down add the ground walnut, confectioners sugar, vanilla, rum, butter and mix until fluffy. 

 You can simply use a spoon to fill your cookies, but I prefer to fill a plastic bag, cut the corner and use it to fill the cookies.


Now, let's see the cookies:

 Mix all ingredients for the dough and knead it util everything is well incorporated. 

Take small pieces of the dough to fill your molds with a thin layer of dough. 

  You need only a thin layer, as the dough will spread a little and you want to put filling inside.
 Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until it has a light brown color. 

 Let them cool enough so you can safely touch the mold and turn the molds upside down to remove the cookies. 

 Let the cookies cool completely before filling them.

 Dip the edge of half of the cookies in melted chocolate. Put them in your freezer for a couple of minutes so the chocolate harden.

 Fill half of your cookies with the walnut filling.

Put the chocolate decorated halves on top of each filled cookie. 

  Sprinkle some confectioners sugar on top. (optional)


Store in refrigerator until served. Enjoy!



Pastry molds are available on my website.

Go to my website to see more of my work.
Join me on Facebook.
Follow my youtube channel.