improvisation

figuring out how to accomplish specific designs is probably the most fun AND frustrating parts of making cookies and cupcakes.  well, for me at least.  a friend asked me for cookie favors recently and sent me this:

so i made the rounds, hitting up all of my favorite local baking suppliers in search of that cutter.  too bad for me that all that driving was completely in vain - nobody had it or had even seen it.  i didn't have time to order online, and so i went through my (embarrassingly extensive) stash of cutters to see what i might have to work with.

in the end, i decided i could use these with a few alterations:

and sure enough, with a little cutout here and there, i ended up with this.

i was happy not to have to mix up too many different colors for these.

and so they don't really look exactly like the example...but i think i got close enough.

the teen attended a birthday party this weekend for a "despicable me" fan, and asked me to help her make a fun treat to take.  her timing was perfect, because i'd just seen something that looked super cute and really easy to make.  and how convenient that i already had everything i needed, just waiting to be assembled.

after a first attempt, the teen realized that the white chocolate chips weren't working.  "smarties!  we need smarties, mom," she said.  voila.

do you see where this is going?

pa-POY!

makes me want to see the movie(s) again.  i love the minions.