Take-A-Peek Tuesday!.....Roll Out Cookie Dough Without Making A Mess!

So, I do this funny thing with my cookie dough.
I've been doing it forever, so I really didn't think much of it,  it's just....y'know....how I roll.

It started with me being lazy. (By now we know that's how all my organization starts, right?)
I love making cookies.....HATE rolling out the dough. Well, not the actual rolling, but all that flour underneath the dough.
Flour gets everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
BLECH!
I've tried rolling it between pieces of parchment, but I didn't really like that.
Just too....I don't know, crinkly. And the paper kept rolling back up.
So I thought.....what about plastic wrap?
It stays where you put it, I can wrap up the edges of the dough, and NO MESS!
Here's how it goes!

I stretch out two lengths of saran wrap on the counter a few inches longer than my rolling pin.

I've always loved these slip-on rolling guides.   I use the 1/4 inch size.




Roll your dough into a ball and divide it into two equal portions.

This works best with dough that isn't sticky. Because I don't add any flour when I roll, I add a bit extra when I mix the dough.

Those look about equal.

Cover that up with another piece of plastic wrap. (Cover the second one now as well. Don't want it to dry out!)

I found that if I make a vertical dent in the dough first, I get a shape that stacks up a bit better.

Kinda like that.  

Then just....roll.
The guides on the ends mean you never have to guess how thin the dough has gotten.

A little origami to fold and seal!
That's it!
Each batch of dough makes two sheets!

I usually make at least 8 batches at a time. Once the bowl has butter in it....might as well just keep on mixing!
They chill in the fridge until firm, then head straight to the freezer!

No Mess! Not even the rolling pin!
What do you think? Wanna give it a whirl?
I hope you do! Let me know if it works for you!

Take-A-Peek Tuesday! Easy Woodgrain Cookie Tutorial!

Did you happen to see those little signs I made for the Easter tushies this year?

Yup, those are the ones. 

At the time I didn't really think of them as woodgrain.  

I was going for a dirty, grubby sort of look, like Mr. MacGregor's garden.

So, when I started getting questions about how to make woodgrain on cookies, I was stumped.

"I don't know how to do that?

How the heck would I even begin to know how to do that?

oooooooh...maybe I did do that. 

Hmmmmm."

They're super easy to do.  Especially if you think of them as 'dirty' instead of 'wood'.

'Cause, how can you mess up something that's just supposed to be dirty?!

I cut rectangles and lightly pressed a skinny wooden stick onto the front before it baked. To make it look more like a garden stake,  I extended it out the top and made it crooked. (really, I meant to do that...)
Flood with white or ivory and let it dry.


Gather up all your supplies...

Some clear water or vodka, plastic paint palette with ivory and brown food coloring, clean foam brush or sponge, and a dry paper towel.

Dip the foam brush in water, then the color and smush it around in the middle of the palette. (looks like I got a little red in there to by mistake)
Try it out on the towel to see if you like the color...

...and wipe it all over the cookie.

Let that dry just a bit, maybe a minute or two. I liked it a bit drippy and messy...
For the first pass, use just a little bit of color.

For the darker bits, dry your sponge almost all the way, then dip the corner into the color.
Paying special attention to the edges, lightly paint streaks back-and-forth.

Keep adding streaks until its dark enough for you.

Don't forget the edges....

And that's that!
Dirty ole wood signs for your garden...




....or old poison labels for Halloween!

I hope you try it out!

(and show us lots of pictures when you do!)

Take-A-Peek Tuesday! It's Tool Time!

Some people have bouquets of flowers....I have bouquets of spatulas!

Okay, not really.   Pretty darn close though.
I keep this crock full of spatulas right next to my stand mixer.




Can I show you my favorites?

These two are my manly-man spatulas used for cookie dough. They're super stiff and strong.  
When my dough is finished mixing, I scrape it into a ball with one of these,  then use the sharp edge to cut it in half for rolling.
 It's sort of like a curved bench scraper with a handle.
Here's the silly part...they came with my food processor. I've never actually used them with my food processor.... but I love them.





Here's something else I use all the time.
It's a little baby whisk!

Isn't it cute!!!
Perfect for whisking up meringue powder and water before it goes into royal icing!!!






It even has a little baby price.

You can't beat that!!!






I saved the best for last though...

My very favorite, can't-mix-icing-colors-without-them spatulas.





I'm convinced they were created just for mixing icing.
Just look how perfect they are!

No seams, scrapes the bowl perfectly, and the very best part...
the edge is sharp enough to do the 'second' test.
Y'know the test to see if your icing is the perfect consistency for flooding?!
I don't have to get a knife! Isn't that great!
Love.


Love so much I have 18.
No that's not a typo, I have 18.



But that's okay, know why?

Such a deal!  

Here are some links in case you'd like a spatula of your own...or 18.


Cuisinart Spatula

Baby Whisk at World Market
Spatula at Sur la Table