The Bunny Hill Homestead

Snowman Sugar Cookies

2012-02-05T09:28:00.001-05:00

Simple snowman cookies for winter!

Sugar cookies with royal icing.

The noses are chocolate covered sunflower seeds.

Angry Birds Cookies!

2011-09-23T08:29:00.001-04:00

Like the rest of the world, I have an unhealthy relationship with the Angry Birds game. So when I was asked to make cookies for a birthday party, I couldn't say no!

Since they don't make cookies cutters for these characters, I drew a template and cut them out by hand.

The cookies were party favors, and the cupcakes were dessert.

Yum!

Corset Cookies

2011-06-13T08:47:00.000-04:00

I have wanted a reason to make these cookies, and finally got the opportunity!

These were partry favors for a bridal shower this past weekend.

Lots of detail with a #1 pastry tip, which took forever.

But worth the effort!

I used my top secret sugar cookie recipe, and they are decorated with Royal icing.

I used teeny tiny dragees for the silver detail.

Communion Cross Cookies

2011-05-24T17:14:00.000-04:00

Even though it is a very simple shape, a cross cookie can be difficult to design.

Especially for boys- cookies for boys exclude flowers and glittery do-hickeys as decorations.

So I opted for a simple, art deco inspired design.

I used a #2 tip to pipe the blue lines, then covered them with white sanding sugar.

Golden Retriever cookies, again!

2011-05-23T17:38:00.000-04:00

These have to be the most popular design that I have made!

Golden retrievers in the likeness of a dog named Charley.

Birthday Cake!

2011-05-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

I had a busy weekend, with lots of baking orders due.

One of them was for Sophie,who turned 8, and got a vanilla cake to celebrate!

I used the tiny flower shaped sprinkles to decorate the outside of the cake,

and some bigger gumpaste flowers for the top.

Here's a better view of the side-sprinkles:

I love the colors!

Raspberry Ice Kitchenaid- My One True Love

2011-04-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

It is a beautiful thing.

See how is shines in the light?

The smooth, sleek lines?

The clear glass bowl?!

And the color makes me melt...

Its the new Kitchenaid Artisan Susan G. Komen mixer.

The color is called Raspberry Ice.

I saw it as soon as I walked in the door at work today, and I made all sorts

of squeaky noises and jumped up and down...and, well, generally made a fool of myself.

So, I am trying to justify the purchase of this beautiful thing.

I already have a Kitchenaid (which is the best darn mixer you could ever want!), but do I need another??

I suspect that I dont need it, but I really really want it!

Glitter Cookies!

2011-04-23T18:38:00.000-04:00

So I am a little obsessed with edible glitter.

Just like the dragees, I want to put it on everything.

Like grilled cheese sandwiches!

(Seriously, one day I am going to make blinged-out

grilled cheese sandwiches, and they will be spectacular!)

So I dipped into my massive stockpile of edible glitter and

threw some one these bunny cookies.

They were part of the selection offered at the bake sale today.

(Which was a success, by the way. Thanks to everyone who donated!)

Now, I am thoroughly exhausted, and must recharge with brownies, leftover cupcakes, and good bourbon.

For tomorrow I will be back in the saddle, and baking for the massive orders due this week!

Hoppy Easter!

Spring Chickens

2011-04-21T22:11:00.000-04:00

A peep-in-need arrived on our doorstep last month.

She has since grown, quadrupled in size, at least.

We had to bring home 2 new friends to keep her company, so

now we have 3 new peeps.

The future egg-layers of America!

White Rabbit Cookies

2011-04-17T18:39:00.000-04:00

The kitchen here at Bunny Hill has been in full swing,

pumping out Easter cookies of all kinds!

Of course, we make bunny cookies of all shapes and sizes,

and in quantities too numerous to count.

This is a new design that I tried this year. I found inspiration for this cookie on another website, but for the life of me I can't find the original creator. So, whoever you are, thank you for your idea!

These are snowy -white sugar-cookie girl bunnies, decked out in pearl necklaces, and have tiny pink noses. They also have pearly pink ears, and fluffy tails.

These cookies will be offered at the bake sale next weekend

(April 23)

(yes, another bake sale!!)

at the Media, PA Library

(12pm-4pm!)

Bake sale benefits the Luv-N-Bunns Bunny Rescue.

Hope you will come out to see us!

Easter Egg Cookies

2011-04-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

I have a strange attraction to dragees. I want to put them on everything!

(dragees are those little silver/gold/pink/blue metallic balls)

They end up on cookies, cupcakes, cakes, and grilled cheese sandwiches...

(OK, not grilled cheese sandwiches)

So I made some Faberge- inspired Easter egg cookies with them.

I used tweezers, and a steady hand, to adhere them to the royal icing.

(The big ones should not be chomped on directly, so as to protect your dental work)

They also move very quickly, so when they are spilled on the table, they immediately scatter in every direction, onto the floor and under the appliances. I will be cleaning up dragees in my kitchen for the rest of my life I think....

Bake Sale!

2011-04-08T09:57:00.000-04:00

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Bake Sale, Baby!

Thats right, the kitchen here at Bunny Hill has been churning

out goodies galore!

The annual Luv-n-Bunns Rabbit Rescue Easter Fundraiser is

this sunday, April 10.

!:00pm-4:00pm

at the

Marple Library

2599 Sproul Road

Broomall, PA

In addition to an array of gourmet treats to tantalize your tastebuds, there will other Wonderful Things!

A couple of "spokesbunnies" from the shelter will be making an appearance, and posing for Easter photos.

Also, there will a teddy bear creation station, and crafty things for the kids.

So pack up the kids in the family truckster, and come to see us!

Carrot Cake!

2011-04-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

I can't count how many carrot cakes that I have made...

Dozens and hundreds...Dozens of hundreds!

And not just for Easter Brunch! Year-round, I get

orders for this delicious, divine concoction!

Its a top-secret recipe that I have perfected, and I'm not sharing :-)

(sorry, but a gal has to have a secret or two!)

Its not one of those heavy, dense carrot cakes. It doesn't have 52 ingredients like some of them.

It does contain carrots, and walnuts, and some other very important things.

Its light and dreamy, and is enrobed in a light cream cheese buttercream.

Yum!

Now, I have a slice of cake to get back to....

Mini Pies with the Breville Pie Maker

2011-03-24T20:44:00.000-04:00

A couple of months ago, I got one of these:

A Breville Pie Maker, from Williams Sonoma.

At first, I was apprehensive about bringing another appliance home, but I gave it a chance.

And it is awesome!!

Its very simple to use- you preheat it, cut your pie dough into circles (with the supplied cutter)

and then assemble the dough in the machine with the pre-cooked filling.

Ten minutes later, you have pie!

It browns very evenly, and creates a very sturdy product.

These pies can definitely withstand a trip in a lunchbox or picnic basket!

Now, I must get back to my pies.....

Flower Cookies for the Ides of March

2011-03-15T07:14:00.000-04:00

I made some cookies for the Special Teas Tea Room in Chadds Ford last week.

Bright spring flowers are just what we need this time of year. The equinox is less than a week away, and I can't wait for winter to be officially over!

They are vanilla sugar cookies, with creme bouquet royal icing.

Yum yum!

Quinoa Salad

2011-03-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

I found a great recipe for Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) Salad on Tasty Kitchen, and tweaked it a little to suit my taste. Its light, yummy, and super easy to make.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

For the dressing:

Juice of 4 limes
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin, Or To Taste

1/3 cups Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoons Ground Pepper, to taste

__________________________

For the salad:

1-½ cup Red Quinoa (or white quinoa, if you prefer)

1 Tablespoon Salt

1 can Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed

1-1/2 cup Corn Kernels
1 cup Finely Chopped Colored Bell Peppers

1 whole Jalapeno Pepper, Seeded And Minced
1/2 cup Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/4 cups Finely Chopped Shallots

Preparation

For the dressing:

In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, salt, minced garlic, and cumin. and olive oil.

Add pepper to taste. Set aside.

For the salad:

In a large bowl rinse quinoa in at least 6 changes of cold water, until water runs clear.

(you want to rinse of the saponins on the grains. Very Important)

Drain in a large fine sieve.

In a medium size pot, add the salt to 1-1/2 quarts of boiling water and cook quinoa 15 minutes, or until tender. Prepare a colander with cheese cloth over it and drain the cooked quinoa into it.

Cool, and fluff with a fork.

Combine in a bowl the beans, corn, peppers, herbs, and cooled quinoa. Toss with the dressing.

Can be prepared a day ahead for flavors to combine.

Serve at room temperature.

Shamrock Cookies

2011-03-11T08:13:00.001-05:00

I love this color combination.

Nice and bright, just in time for spring!

Bunny Cookies!

2011-03-04T07:26:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year again!

Easter bunnies are bounding all over my kitchen!

I made some of my old school bunny designs,

while I am brainstorming some new bunny cookie ideas.

I love these bright spring colors!

These are vanilla sugar cookies, with royal icing.

I used the Creme Bouquet baking emulsion

to flavor the royal icing- it is a lemony-vanilla flavor.

Yum!

Gumpaste Flowers

2011-02-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

Today, I had fun with gumpaste.

Gumpaste is a sugar paste that hardens when it dries, and is perfect for making flowers, leaves, butterflies, or pretty much anything your little heart desires.

So today I made some decorations for a birthday cake. I kneaded in the food colors, rolled it out super-thin.and used little cutters to make the shapes that I wanted.

It was like being a kid again, with play-doh.

This one is my favorite:

And this is the cake:

I made all sorts of little flowers, butterflies and leaves. I brushed them with edible

luster dusts to give them some "oomph".

And the whole cake got a whopping dose of raspberry colored disco dust for good measure.

(unfortunately, the camera didn't pick up the sparkle)

Wafels & Dinges Spekuloos Spread

2011-02-23T15:37:00.001-05:00

I discovered a new wonderful thing.

It is an equal to Nutella.

Or is it better than Nutella?

I shall have to spend much time contemplating this.

And have many taste-tests!

It will have to be a thorough, lengthy process.

So this new Wonderful Thing is called Spekuloos Spread, courtesy of Wafels & Dinges.

Wafels & Dinges is a waffle truck in NYC, and are apparently the best darn wafels in the whole universe.

They sell the spread at the truck, or at this website.

So here is my Ode to Spekuloos

You can eat it on your toast,

You can take some to your host.

You can put on your ice cream

To dislike it would be blaspheme.

Eat it with a spoon

While you watch cartoons

Eat it with your jelly

Its yummy in your belly

Kitty Cookies

2011-02-20T18:54:00.001-05:00

I made kitty cookies for the owner of 6 wonderful felines that we pet sit.

I made each cookie to match a kitty.

Here are the Annie(siamese) and Bob(orange tabby) cookies:

And Mia(the blonde), Butchie(grey), Elby(the fat one) and Lucy(black and white).

Elby is senstive about his weight.

He thinks he is the svelte 9 pound cat of his youth, not the whopper that he is now.

We try not to mention his large-ness when we visit. He gives me the major stink eye if I say anything.

So I hope he wasn't insulted by his cookie!

(Elby, if you're reading this, don't worry, I know its all fur!)

Valentines Cookies

2011-02-15T18:59:00.001-05:00

I made lots and lots of Valentines cookies this past weekend.

These ones are my favorites:

And these were fun to make:

Plain-Jane sugared hearts:

And I had to make the conversation heart cookies:

Golden Retriever Cookies

2011-02-12T15:17:00.000-05:00

This week I made golden retriever cookies for Valentines Day.

I put cute little heart sprinkles on the collar.

That was a little time-consuming- I used tweezers to place each

one of those little buggers on the collar!

Cleansing Flights

2011-02-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was unexpectedly warm (45 degrees! Heat wave!).

So, the honeybees took advantage of the balmy day, and the warm sunshine that was shining down on their hive, and came out for some fresh air.

What they really came out for was a cleansing flight.

(translation: bathroom break)

They won't poo in the hive, ever!

(Seriously, I couldn't make something like this up!)

So they basically hold it all winter, until a warm day when they can zip outside to "take care of business".

See those little yellow spots on the snow?

Yep, that's bee poo.

So, they've been holding it since Sunday. And may have to wait till next week.

And they never complain!

Dog Cookies

2011-02-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

That is, cookies intended for dogs' consumption.

Not people-cookies shaped like dogs.

I decorated 150 doggie cookies for Giggy Bites doggie bakery this week.

They are donating them to a breast cancer fundraiser event at Wagsworth Manor.

Finally, a batch of cookies that I didn't have to guard with my life!

(people-cookies somehow disappear from my kitchen....very mysterious...)