Sunday, October 21, 2018

When math meets cookies...


When math meets cookies, something beautiful happens!

Before CookieCon2018 Ann Clark asked participants which cookie cutter shape they would like to see in the future. Rebecca, The Cookie Architect replied she wanted shapes that interlock to cover the whole surface. This seemed like a cool idea.

Now, months later, I asked my mathematician husband how to create unique shapes that can do this. I scored a PhD level geometry lecture with my high school level math knowledge, but I think I got the essence of it. And he also told me to Google "Penrose Tiling", so I did : 

"Penrose tiling is an example of non-periodic tiling generated by an aperiodic set of prototiles. Penrose tilings are named after mathematician and physicist Sir Roger Penrose, who investigated these sets in the 1970" (Wikipedia). 

If you don't totally get it, it's fine. All we need to know is, that there are these shapes that you can put together many different ways to create awesome designs that cover the whole plate / table / house or universe. 

I tried to find one of the easiest Penrose shapes and make cutters for them:


This is two different diamond shape. As Halloween is coming up, I colored the big one purple and the smaller one orange, using TruColor Airbrush shine colors on the bare cookies.

I decorated with a simple lace design both tiles. I made 35 big ones and 25 small ones, because I did have to set a limit somewhere and this number will create a cute plate. (Remember, this design has no limits. No matter how many cookies you make, there will be a way to put them together. - It's fun)

I started to put it together:

 Five big ones.

Two small ones  around them and one big between the small ones.

 I took the previous apart, and added just one small between each pair of big.

 Adding three big tiles on top of each small one.

 Adding small ones all around.

 Adding another small on top of each small ones and a big one between them.

 I removed the last set of big ones and found different spots for them for a totally different design.

 I added one more set of big ones. And this is where I run out of cookies. 
(Too bad, it was so much fun!)

 The I went home and I proudly showed my husband my cookies and my pictures. He said they look cool, but I didn't make any with a small tile circle? Well... I didn't. My excuse was that I didn't bake enough of the small tiles. Oh boy, how I regretted not baking more of those at this point.

Trying to be a good student, I went to the kitchen table to put together the small-centered design:

 10 small in the middle (OMG, the first round, and I only have 15 left)

 20 big ones...

 This starts to look fun!

 Oops.. totally run out of tiles. I WANT MORE!!!!

 Look, how cool this is!

 Let's rearrange it! I NEEED more tiles!!!!

I think this is the best party cookie set ever! What do you think? If you need the cutters, they are in my Etsy store.

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2 comments:

  1. In my former life I was a math teacher...these are so fun!! Love playing with shapes. I can just see it in Christmas colors!! --Katy

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I will need to make a Christmas version too! (And bake more cookies for it)

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