Mad about Cookies
I’m starting work at a new place on Monday. The plan was to take it a little easy for a couple of days before that, i.e. no baking, no running errands, no anything. BUT it figures that things rarely ever go as planned when it comes to rest.
A week ago, my cousin SL texts me with a request for 20 custom cookies for her marketing course project to be collected on her 21st birthday.
I’d stopped taking orders for a long time now, but I couldn’t, in all good conscience, disappoint her, especially when I knew her to be all stressed out about her coursework and that she probably didn’t have much time to search for other alternatives.
How much work could 20 cookies be? I factored in about 8 hours of baking and icing, taking into account the various designs and colours.
20 disposable piping bags and 5 hours into cookie decorating, all the while dealing with rapidly softening cookies and icing that refused to dry completely even in an air-conditioned room (oh, how I loathe this humid weather!), I remembered why I’d always limited cookie orders to a maximum of 3 designs with a choice of 4 different colours. Note to self: bake cookies longer and limit choice of designs and colour.
Happily, I was done right on schedule and stored the completed cookies in an airtight container, together with 2 small packets of desiccant.
The next morning, I was dismayed to find that some of the darker icing had bled into the lighter backgrounds. This was most apparent with the dark brown and red icing on white. My guess for the unslightly bleeds is that the darker icing had absorbed moisture overnight and proceeded to stain the lighter icing below, despite the airtight container and desiccant.
I was equally annoyed to find that the cookies had turned even softer, after just 1 day. There was nothing I could do to stop both the staining and softening process. I only hope the cookies survive till the time of SL’s presentation!
On the upside, SL has given me new cookie decorating ideas and a lesson in cookie decorating. I even managed to make her a celebratory cookie (and try out a couple of new designs for myself) for the all-important 21st!
I’m optimistic that I’ll still find time to bake when I begin my new job tomorrow, but for now, I’m happy that I got to do this just once more. 
March 29th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Prettiness!
March 29th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
karen, i think you’re reallyyyy amazing! i will never do anymore iced cookies, after bad experiences of having to handle so many colors, achy fingers and colors smudging! my dark colors always smudge, i dunno why
anyway you’re really good, so talented and just born to do these!!
March 29th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
If only they can be framed… so colourful and pretty to be admired by many…
March 30th, 2009 at 1:07 am
stick to the scone-experimenting for now, Karen!
the cookies still look really good though…lunch was fun that day…have a good week ahead, since we’re now close to each other workwise, I’ll text you one day for a 1-hour express lunch adventure!
=p
March 30th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Mia: Thank you! I hope you had a good trip in HK with WL.
Evan: Thank you, Evan. I actually like cookie decorating, but I dread having more than 3 colours because I only have 3 nozzles and have to change the bags so frequently.
Fen: Thank you!
Stef: Yes, scones are good pretty quick to whip up, so I should still have time to try that recipe you sent me. Let me know anytime you’re up for lunch!
March 30th, 2009 at 9:09 pm
Hello. Your cookies are magnificent! Really admire your intricate piping work.
Pretty & Awesome works.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Hi there! I was looking at your pictures on flickr, and then somehow got here. I really like your blog. Love the pictures! The cookies are my favorite. I was just wondering, are you from Malaysia? (You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to :P) Anyway, thanks for sharing your pictures!
March 31st, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Wow they look stunning. They must ahve taken you ages. Your piping skills are amazing.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:23 pm
Thank you, Lilyanette & Katie!
Corynn: Thanks! I’m from Singapore. Does it matter?
April 1st, 2009 at 10:36 am
Hi, I’m amazed with the skills that you have.. not only you’re good in science (computer, software, etc).. but you’re superb in art too (culinary, photography). I’m amazed with your photography & cooking skill.. they’re stunningly beautiful.. :)~
btw, do you take orders by any chance?
April 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
BEAUTIFUL cookies!
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April 6th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Oh no, I was just curious because I also found this site through another Malaysian blogger.
April 8th, 2009 at 7:32 am
For this kind of weather, I usually bung everything into the oven with a small dehumidifier. Works like a charm.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Wow amazing cookies and great color combination. Can I have a bite of these cookies?
April 14th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
if you ever start baking macarons again, pls drop me an sms or email =)
April 15th, 2009 at 2:15 am
shoot. i wish i would have never found her blog page - i too am mad about cookies….
your photos, as well as your cookies are beautiful
great page and i am sure i will be stopping by here often.
April 15th, 2009 at 2:16 am
i meant to say “found YOUR blog page” sorry ;-D
April 15th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Hi Karen
Am wondering if you are willing to teach me to decorate cookies?
April 22nd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hi!
do you make ice cream cake?
or how do i order customised stuffs from you?
i’m from singapore, do let me know.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Hi,
I happened to chance upon your website and i LOVE ur creations…
I love baking but i never get good recipies…
Can I get from you the recipes for the cookies decorations and how u do it
also i was wondering how to do macarons?
thks alot in advance….
May 8th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hi! I love your creations!! I was searching something and stumbled upon your blog! Love your cakes and all your goodies..soo pretty!
I love your piped roses! pretty!! 
May 18th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Do you know how to stop the black icing from bleeding into the background icing? I decorated some cookies for my niece’s birthday and my top colour had bled into the bottom colour by the 2nd day.
May 23rd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Hi my dear!
Never seen so wonderful cookies! Especially the roses are so pretty! Truely! What about coming over soon and doing some together? It must be horrible to handel the icing cause of the humidity… Would be a lot better over here in Germany, but I don’t really have a lot of time to bake these days… and especially to decorate them as nicely as u do! But if u come over I take time… By the way… dreames of Singapore tonight! :o)See u!
May 24th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Cheryl: I’ve encountered the same problem and am not entirely sure how to solve it. My suggestion would be to let the background icing dry completely (at least overnight) before piping the dark colours. Also make use that the darker colour isn’t too fluid to minimize the amount of moisture that may seep into the background.
Nette: Hello Nette! I hope everything is going well for you and that you’ve adjusted well to full-time teaching now. :o) We can definitely bake together the next time Harald and I are in Germany; we’ll certainly be there in May next year! Hear from you again soon…
May 28th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Absolutely gorgeous cookies!!!
November 11th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
These are some truly neat designs. I have been trying my hand out at cookie decorating and ran into similar problems with the color bleeds. Thankfully it is beginning to get colder so I’m hoping the problem doesn’t continue. Hopefully one day my cookies will look this great. How did you start out with decorating and get to be so good at it?
Christine M.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:08 am
these are soooo cute! you’re a fantastic artist
January 28th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Hey Karen!
I’ve tried making the icing, but failed!Can you guide me on how do you do it?It’s so niceeee!:D