Graduation Crafts

For Kevin's graduation, I didn't know what to give him.  I'd been kicking around the idea of learning how to make some of the amazing, finicky cookies I've seen made using the flooding technique.  I spent several nights reading the fantastic blog Bake at 350, absorbing all of her tips and tricks until I was convinced I could do it.  Then I found a Jayhawk cookie cutter - and my decision was made.  I baked the cookies in PA using this recipe and took them to KS.

I made frosting using meringue powder which is to egg whites as Tang is to orange juice. (Sorry about dying your nice spatulas blue, red, and black, Dad.)  Then each of the three shapes I selected were outlined.

This rapidly turned into a more complicated job than I had anticipated but luckily my very talented mom was there to lend a helping hand. Next came the flooding part where slightly thinned out frosting is used to fill in the outline.  This part is probably the most fun, like coloring in a coloring book - there are guidelines.

 After flooding all the cookies, we let them dry overnight and piped on some additional details that made them specialized for Kevin.  Instead of the Jayhawk's traditional KU, these 'hawks got KQs.

My favorite cookie ended up being the graduation cap that I piped an orange tassel onto (the engineers get orange tassels - mine was boring white).  I was so happy with the way the fringe turned out.

The diplomas got 2010's and we were all set for the graduation party. 

The cookies went over really well although a number of people (ahem, me) ended up with black and blue tongues.  I'm pretty happy with how my first effort at flooding cookies turned out and I'm excited to try some more.  I'm trying to think up some genetics and/or anthropology cookies to make for my dissertation defense.  

I'll leave you with a few more glamor shots of my cookies: