Cal Berkeley Sugar Cookies

The month of May heralds the start of commencement season, graduation from high school and college/university.  Can you hear the notes of Pomp and Circumstance in your head?  My friend Bibsy commissioned these Cal Sugar Cookies for a dual celebration in her family: her youngest child's recent acceptance into Berkeley, as well as her oldest's graduation from the esteemed university.  Talk about a smart family!

 

The cookies aren't too hard to make, as long as you have a good stencil.  I got this "Cal" one from U-Stencil.  They have a wide range of college and universities to choose from.  I started with my tried and true vanilla sugar cookie and applied a base coat of royal icing until it was completely dry.  With the aid of the stencil I applied a thin layer of colored royal icing in the shape of the school's logo.  The consistency of the royal icing for the logo is key; it needs to be thick, like toothpaste.  

 

Be forewarned, though, that stenciling can be a messy affair, especially when working with a darker icing color as I was.  After I finished stenciling one cookie I had to thoroughly wipe and dry the stencil before moving on to the next.  But I think the end result makes it worth it.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie

 

Recently my friend Jesse commissioned a cookie order to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of her soon-to-be sister-in-law.  I suggested a Platinum Engagement Ring Cookie as the design, selfishly on my part because I haven't made or decorated that shape before.  I bought this cookie cutter set from Amazon and used my favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipes.  

Aren't the packaged favors so cute?  They would be beautiful for a bachelorette, bridal shower or wedding reception.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

 

I recently had a friend over for lunch and for dessert I made these individual Lemon Pudding Cakes.  As a lemon lover I will gravitate towards citrus flavors any day over something like chocolate.   The recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen and while it's very simple to make, it packs so much delicious flavor.  

Miraculously, when the batter bakes you end up with a thick pudding on the bottom of the ramekin and a light, fluffy cake on the top.  Don't ask me about the science of how that works because I have no clue.  All I know is that it's divine!  Will definitely be keeping this recipe on hand.

Recipe

Coconut Pineapple Cake

 

The Duncan Hines Dolly Parton coconut cake mix has become a recent favorite of mine and I'm finding even more ways to incorporate it into my baking.  I wanted to thank a friend for a recent act of kindness and I thought the cake would be a nice and delicious gift.   This time I took a tropical turn and made a Coconut Pineapple Cake.  Who doesn't love the combination of coconut and pineapple?  [You have the right to remain silent if you don't!]

 

 

The first time I made Dolly's coconut cake I filled and frosting it with cream cheese ermine frosting.  While that cake was delicious, to reduce the sweetness on this cake and let the pineapple flavor really come through, I made a small batch of vanilla pastry cream for the filling.  I then added homemade pineapple compote which was spread between the cake layers.  On top of the pastry cream layer I also applied another thin layer of the pineapple compote.  You can never have enough pineapple in my book.

Lightly sweetened mascarpone whipped cream enveloped the cake which was then finished with a flurry of dessicated coconut.  As I was gifting the cake on Easter Sunday I added a few holiday themed sprinkles.  I can attest that this coconut pineapple cake not only looks good, it tastes amazing!