Frog Cookies

Frogs, originally uploaded by gensler97.

These are my latest cookies. I have always wanted to make frog cookies for my husband because he always draws a little cartoon frog. I kept mine a little simpler than his, but I think they turned out cute. These were not for him, but for someone else. Like always he is very supportive and told me they were great!

Happy Birthday Cookie Letters

Happy Birthday Kekse, originally uploaded by Yvis Tortenträume.

Yvis Tortentraume did a great job of turning a simple HAPPY BIRTHDAY into an adorable cookie arrangement. I love the flowers. They simply make the cookies warm and happy.

Valentine Cookies

Valentine Cookies, originally uploaded by gensler97.

I love 3-D cookies. Turning a couple cookies into a decorative cookie is a lot of fun and rewarding. The idea for the flowers made from mini hearts is straight from Wilton, but I think I will use this for Shamrocks too.

Valentine Cookies

Valentine Cookies, originally uploaded by gensler97.

I made these cookies for a few customers for Valentine's Day. The cornelli lace is my favorite, but the stripes and polka dots are nice too.

50 Cookie Cutters You Need!

My cookie cutter collection continues to grow. I have bought many cutters over the past year that I may never use, but thought they would be neat to have. I thought it would be a neat idea to come up with a list of the best basic cutters to have:

1. Let's start out simple. The Wilton 101 Cookie Cutter Set is the best place to start. How can you go wrong with 101 Cookie Cutters for $9.99. I lived on these cutters for about 5 years before I bought anything else. That is definitely over 50 cutters, but let's only count that as one.
2. The next cutter you will need is the Cupcake. This cutter is versatile for any birthday and can be turned into popcorn also.
3. I don't know if you need these, but I adore the Wilton Bug Cutter Set. I have used these for boys and girls. Adults love them too!
4. For weddings I recommend buying the 3-Tier Wedding Cake Cutter. This cutter can be amazingly beautiful and decorated as favors for the wedding guests.
5. For a girl who loves shoes, try this High Heel Shoe Cutter. Just think of the variety of ways to decorate it.
6. Sometimes you make cookies and just need to use a number for a special birthday or a letter for that special decoration. The cutters I like are the Wilton ABC and 123 Set. The set includes all letters and numbers for $8.99.
7. Don't buy any animal cutters until you first buy the Wilton Animal Pals Cutter Set. The set includes 50 animal shapes for $8.99.
8. St.Patrick's Day is a simple holiday and the #1 cutter you need for this occasion is the Shamrock.
9. You can't go wrong with a Set of Circle Cutters.
10. You may not use them often, but a Set of Rectangle Cutters does come in handy for business cards and envelopes.
11. Square Cutters are another basic cutter to have. These are great for presents!
12. The Ice Cream Cone cutter is adorable. A nice cutter for any summer party or child's birthday.
13. Dress cutters are very versatile. Whether you need one for a teenage girl who loves clothes, a wedding, or bridal shower it can be decorated in so many ways.
14. A Baby Bib is one great cutter for a new mom or baby shower. If you don't want to buy one, you can use a flower cutter and a circle cutter to make your own bib cookies.
15. Triangle Cutter is not a cutter most people will use often, but I like to have it on hand.
16. Hand cutters can be used for valentine's day, weddings, engagement parties, and spa parties.
17. Foot cutters can be used for baby feet, flip flops, and spa parties.
18. I have recently bought the Rattle cutter and think it is adorable for babies and their mom.
19. One of my favorite cookies for Christmas were the Mitten cookies. There are endless ways to decorate them and next year I plan to buy the hat to go with them.
20. Snowflake cookies can be used throughout the winter. The basic snowflake is white, but you can use red or blue to add drama to yours.
21. House cutters are great for the holidays and congratulations on your new home cookies.
22. You can forget the Baby Carriage cutter. These can be decorated simple or with ruffles, flowers, dots and stripes.
23. Ribbon cutters are always great for a good cause.
24. Tea Cup cutters are great for little girls birthday parties or a number of parties for women. Turn them into coffee or hot chocolate too.
25. With the popularity of the Red hat, a Women's Hat cookie can com in usefull.
26. Tea Pot cutters are great for tea parties, or just about any girl party.
27. When it comes to birthday parties, a cake doesn't have to be real cake. Why not make a cookie instead. The Small Birthday Cake is a nice size for a snack at a children's party.
28. Leaf cutters are something you may not use often, and I recommend getting a maple leaf. These cutters look great with fall colors swirled with a toothpick.
29. Paw cookies are great for many team sporting events since many mascots have paws. Just use team cutters!
30. I have not used my Purse cutter yet, but know this will come in handy. Purses are hot right now, especially with young girls and women.
31. Shirt cutters are great for sports.
32. If you have a cheerleader hopeful or someone with a lot of school spirit, you may want the Megaphone cutter.
33. Baseball Mitt cutters are so cute and so boyish.
34. If you are going to get the mitt, don't forget the Baseball Bat.
35. Balloon cookies are another great cutter to have. You can use this as a filler for any number of things.
36. Martini Glass cutter is great for adult parties. Dress your cookie up to look like your favorite drink.
37. Party Hat cutters are simple and adorable for a child's party or for New Year's Eve.
38. If you are having a tropical party always include a Palm Tree.
39. Bikini Top and Bottom are great for summer parties.
40. Don't forget the guys with the Swimming Trunks cutter.
41. Surf Board cutters are a nice addition for boys. It is always hard to find a cookie that is cool enough for your teenage son, but a surfboard can be a great hit.
42. Halloween Cutter SetI have found the best set for Halloween at Michaels. You may have to wait for the holidays to come, but I got a 40 piece set for $9.99.
43. Christmas Cutter Set is also found at Michael's for $9.99 for a 40 piece set.
44. Christmas Mini Cutters is another great purchase at Michael's during Christmas. $7.99 for 30 mini cutters.
45. Valentine Mini Hearts make a great bitesize treat and extra embellishments for the tops of cupcakes and more.
46. Baby Bottle cutters are a basic cookie to decorate, but can add a lot of drama to your shower.
47. As simple as you can make them, Onesie cookies can be a nice accent to a simple gift you buy a new baby. Decorate it to look like the onesie you just bought.
48. Apple cutters are great if you have children and want to send something to school to show your appreciation.
49. If you want to send a cookie to a teacher, throw in a Pencil cookie to add color and vaiety. Apples are nice, but break up all that red with a #2 pencil.
50. The topping on any princess party is always a Crown.

That is quite a list and I just realized that my list started growing with each different cutter. This list should get you through almost any holiday and special occasion you can think. There is actually much more than 50 cutters. There is a little over 250 cutters on this list, but you can get 200 cutters for $28.00 when you buy the wilton basic sets. Some people prefer metal cutters, especially when they are working with fondant because the lines are much sharper. If you are willing to pay a little more, copper cutters are a great way to go because they do not rust like other metal cutters.

3-Tier Cookie Cake

3-Tier Cookie Cake, originally uploaded by gensler97.

I have wanted to make this cookie cake for quite a while now. It turned out o.k., even though it was just practice. I could have done a lot more with the flowers. I just wanted to see how it would work.

One thing I learned is to use less frosting to glue them together. They were stuck together so tightly that we couldn't get the middle layers apart. I will definitely try this again for friends and family.

I made these for my sons Pinewood Derby. I saw the cars on the web, so this is not my design at all. The popcorn was my favorite to try but I only made one because I thought that icing would dry too hard to eat. When I finally tried it, it was just fine. A little crunchy, but fine. I think the cupcake is my new favorite cutter.

Cute Cookie Container

smile butter cookies, originally uploaded by widyas.

I like this simple container for mini cookies. I may borrow this idea.