Cookie Cutter Tutorial

The above little beauty is the team logo for the San Diego Chargers or who we San Diegans affectionately know as the Bolts.

Due to a couple of football party cupcake orders I have for this weekend, I'm going to be needing a few of these cut out of fondant. Instead of manually cutting them one by one, I thought it would be a good idea to use a cookie cutter. One problem: Where was I going to get a Charger Bolt cookie cutter in the size I needed?

I figured the best way to go would be DIY. Armed with incredible ingenuity and an over-inflated sense of self-confidence, my ECA and I headed to Lowe's for material ideas. We ended up buying some metal duct pipe that ran us about $3. I had the ECA borrow some tin snips from our onsite property manager and cut the piping in 1" wide strips that ran the length of the pipe (Come on, that's a man's job. I just bake cupcakes.)

Below is a step-by-step of how we made the cookie cutters:

1. Here's the ducting with the crimped ends trimmed off (thanks baby!)
   
2. One of the 1" strips.
   
3. The templates/guides I used for the cookie cutters.
   
4. I began by folding/bending the strip of metal around the shape of the bolt.
   
5. I used my thumbs to work out as many of the wrinkles in the edges as I could.
   
6. Of course, ECA couldn't let me have all the fun. He had a go at it, too.
   
7. Once you're done shaping your cookie cutter, you might be left with a tail.
   
8. Use the tin snips to cut it off but leave a little bit at the end to fold over and glue.
   
9. Wrap the extra bit over the raw edge and use a bit of hot glue from a glue gun to seal.
   
10. Ta-da! The finished products. ECA's is on the top and mine is on the bottom. It's OK, you can say his is better. It'd probably just serve to stroke his male ego. Oh fine I admit mine looks more like Sonic the Hedgehog than a Charger Bolt but COME ON, it was my first try!!
    
11. Look, I made a football, too :)

I've got a bunch of strips left that I can't wait to fold into other fun shapes. Perfect activity to do in front of the TV when you're watching something like, oh, say, Willow. Not that that's what I was doing or anything. Noooo... not at all...

I'd love to see some cookie cutters that you made! If you get a chance, post a pic!

Ghoulish Goodies

Here's the next round of dastardly delights for this Halloween!

I took my spiderweb cupcakes from last year and kicked 'em up a notch with a wicked-looking blood-red spider perched on top of each cupcake:

Next, I took inspiration from Sweet and Stylish to create these little ghosties to haunt my cupcakes:

Armed with fondant, an egg carton, a food marker, and some buttercream "glue," I made the ghosties yesterday and then let them harden overnight.

1. First, I cut 2" diameter (or so) circles from fondant.
2. Then I used my little roller to flatten them some more so they weren't so bulky.
   
3. Once they were a little thinner (and ghost-ier), I gently put the circles over the craters in the egg carton and pushed 'em in a bit with my finger (and sometimes the bottom of the roller) to get a smooth, round top.
4. After letting them sit out overnight I took them out this morning and used my trusty food marker to give them each a face personality of their own. Man, I totally could've used that food marker here. Oh well... next time!
   

I made one extra just in case a little ghosty didn't make it but the first 12 that I made came out just fine. Number 13 was little jealous that he didn't get to go :(

And the finished order!!

I think this combo is my favorite so far. I might have to make some more of these for tomorrow! Then again, maybe we'll find some other tricky treats to make :)