Card Cookies

Here are some cute cookies I made for a local ladies bridge group.

These were a nice mix of simple and hand painted cookies.

The simple cookies are just white flood icing and red/black piping icing. At the last minute, I added some nice dot details to give them a little something special.

The hand painted ones are white flood icing, black/red piping icing dot border, hand painting with food coloring, silver pearl dust painting and white pearl dust dusting {phew}.

To paint with food coloring, just take a few drops of gel food coloring and mix it with a few drops of water. It will be a "watercolor consistency". You have a to be a little bit careful about the amount of water you use, because you don't want to gouge your cookie. With a little bit of practice it is a fairly easy technique.

The pearl dust is a Wilton product, it is my new favorite (expect to see it on pretty much every cookie from here on out). It comes in a ton of colors and you can use it to give your cookies a nice glittery dusting or mix it with a little vodka/everclear/clear extract and paint with it (like the club outline).

The cookies were an Orange Vanilla Cardamom cookie from SweetAmbs. It is a realllly fantastic cookie (my older sister's favorite). And worth the price to download from her website at $1.99.

Double Chocolate Torte

I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, which was the first food blog I ever found. I knew that I needed to make this. It was calling my name. The smooth dark chocolate, the sweet whipped cream and raspberries. I mean, how can you go wrong? Oh, that’s right. You can’t.

I recommend a tall glass of milk with this.

Double Chocolate Torte
From Smitten Kitchen

Cake

8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. 
Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan; dust with sugar. 
Melt chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.
Cool to lukewarm. 
Whisk in sugar. 
Whisk in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. 
Mix in vanilla and salt, then flour. 
Pour batter into pan. Bake until cake just rises in center (tester inserted into center will not come out clean), about 35 minutes. 
Cool completely in pan on rack. 
Cover; chill while making mousse.

Mousse

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup whipping cream, divided
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 cups fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons red currant jelly melted with 1 tablespoon water

Melt butter in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). 
Whisk yolks, 1/4 cup cream and vanilla in small bowl to blend. 
Gradually whisk yolk mixture into bowl with melted butter. Whisk constantly over simmering water until thermometer registers 150°F, about 6 minutes (mixture may appear broken). 
Remove from over water; add chocolate and stir to melt. Set aside.
Beat egg whites and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl to medium-stiff peaks. 
Whisk 1/4 of beaten egg white mixture into warm chocolate mixture to lighten. 
Fold in remaining egg white mixture. 

Pour mousse over cake in pan; smooth top. 
Chill torte until mousse is set, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
Run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen torte. Release pan sides. 
Transfer torte to platter. 

Using electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. 
Spread whipped cream over torte. 
Top whipped cream with raspberries.