What I Did Last Night and a Big Crash! Oh, Elliott!

Classroom at The Stock Pot

Last night I went to a cookie decorating class at The Stock Pot in Tulsa. They offer classes from time to time* and this is one I really wanted to take.

My place setting at the class

The instructor already had cookies pre-made for us to decorate but she did mix up a batch of sugar cookie dough and showed us her technique for rolling, cutting and baking the cookies. She generously gave us her recipe too - Yea! 



Cookies I decorated with buttercream icing

Part of the class was devoted to the preparation and application of 3 different types of icing for decorated cookies: buttercream icing, royal icing, and fondant. The instructor prepared the buttercream icing, showed us how to use both it and fondant on cookies, and gave us tips on  preparing the perfect royal icing. (She was going to mix up a batch of royal icing and show us how to apply it to cookies too but unfortunately the whisk attachment for the mixer she was using couldn't be located, nixing those plans.) 

I've decorated cakes for years with buttercream icing so I was pretty familiar with that method. What I really I wanted to know more about was the perfect consistency of royal icing for outlining and then "flooding" the cookies to get a smooth finish. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to do that after hearing our instructor's tips.

Plus, I found a website on the internet, UniversityofCookie.com,  with some video tutorials on cookie decorating.



Elliott's "accident"

After we got home last night I arranged my decorated cookies in the little bucket that I received at the class. I wanted the buttercream icing to have a chance to crust over before I put them in bags.

This morning I got up early, bagged the cookies up and put them back in the bucket. (You'll see the finished product at the bottom of this post.)

I was visiting some blogs as I was waited for the sun to come up (so I could take a picture of the cookie bouquet) when I heard a crash come from the kitchen. I could see the bucket - or what had been the bucket of cookies - from where I was sitting and Elliott's little tail ske-daddling off the counter. That little stinker!!!! He sure does have a sweet tooth but he didn't get any. I'm sure glad I'd already bagged those cookies up!

I said his name in a very stern manner and gave him that look. You know the look I'm talking about. 

I went to check out the damage and it wasn't too bad. I put the cookies back in the bucket again and went to look for the little culprit. He was hiding under our bed.  

Way back underneath our bed. As you can imagine I had to get down on my hands and knees to get these pictures.

He knows what he did.

So don't look too closely at the cookies or you'll see some smooshed icing.

I have plans to make some cookie dough today. Hopefully I'll find the time.

*If there's anyone in the Tulsa area who is interested in learning the fine art of making sushi, I noticed on the Stock Pot's list of upcoming classes that they have one scheduled for the first part of April. There's probably information about it on their website. I won't be there (not a fan of sushi) but thought I'd pass that along. Disclaimer: The Stock Pot has no idea I'm posting about the class last night or the fact that sushi class is scheduled. I'm just passing on the information.

You Be the Judge

Look at this face. Does Elliott look guilty to you? Let me tell you a story.
Elliott likes candy. Sometimes we give him a little bite. He savors even the tiniest bit that he's allowed.

This is the corner in the living room where our love seat usually sets. At Christmas, it has to be moved so that we have a place for the Christmas tree.

As cold as it's been, when we took the tree down, I asked AD to bring the treadmill in from the garage so I could use it inside until the weather turns warm.

Here's where the love seat is sitting for the time being. Right in front of the bar. We really don't use the bar that much so it's ok.

At Christmas I had some bowls of old-fashioned hard candy sitting on the bar. You know the kind - ribbon candy, raspberry filled candies, etc. There was some wrapped peppermint hard candies too along with some wrapped cinnamon candies. That candy is still there in the little snowman container. (Please disregard the Christmas candles that are still sitting there. I'm putting them away today.)

Anyway, back to Elliott. He really liked the old fashioned candies. A few days ago AD caught Elliott getting up on the bar and going for the candy bowl. So he moved the candy bowl to the kitchen counter

just on the other side of the bar.

This morning as I was reading through a few blogs I heard a noise in the kitchen. Kind of a clinking noise like dishes being knocked together. I immediately thought I knew what was happening.

As quietly as I could I made my way into the kitchen just in time to see Elliott's little tail following him back over the bar and down onto the love seat. He turned around and looked up at me. The look on his face was priceless but I wasn't able to take a picture.

Immediately Elliott wanted to go "out" and when he came back in he went straight to one of his favorite beds (yes, we have several dog beds around the house.) That's when I took the first photo you saw today.

So take another look at it and I ask you - does Elliott look guilty to you?

Wordless Wednesday

There's just nothing like a good chew bone!