April Check In & Chocolate Pots de Creme (Paleo)

Hi Friends! Hope everyone is doing well. My life has been unexpectedly busy lately & I’ve fallen a little behind on my blog posts... And my email.... And my social media!  But I wanted to stop in and tell you guys what’s been going on & tell you about some exciting happenings.

Chocolate Pots de Crème (Paleo) over on Empowered Sustenance
Lauren over at Empowered Sustenance asked me to guest post on her site, where I am sharing a recipe for Chocolate Pots de Crème and some thoughts on custards & AIP reintroductions (this recipe contains pastured egg yolks & chocolate, both of which I have successfully reintroduced). This recipe is one of my husband’s absolute favorite things I’ve ever made (paleo or not), so I encourage you to go check out that post!

Allergy Cards for eating out
I posted over on Instagram about these allergy cards I’ve designed to take to restaurants to ease the challenges of eating out while following AIP. While my own cards include info about some extra food sensitivities I personally have, I’m also working on making a generic AIP printable card that you all could use for eating out too. While using these cards don’t mean that AIP eating out will be problem free, but it does make communicating with restaurant staff much easier. Watch for that post coming soon!

My AIP-iversary 
Last week, I marked my first anniversary of following the Autoimmune Protocol.  Prior to following AIP, I was following a reduced gluten, low acid, standard American diet, and I was on various medications, but still not seeing all my symptoms go away....  A new doctor I had begun seeing suggested I make dietary changes similar to AIP (only eliminating a few further items than AIP has one omit). I committed right then and there. Truthfully, I did not fully understand the changes I was making or that they’d be longterm--I foolishly thought it would be a 6 week stint & then I’d go back to things as they’d been. HA! While my life is far from perfect now, it is so so so much better than it was a year ago!

(left) Texas Blue Bonnets blooming in early April; (right) South Carolina Dogwood during our Easter Trip  

Travels
My schedule has included much traveling as of late. We went to visit family in SC at the beginning of April. I’ve added acupuncture in to my care plan, as well as a new functional medicine doctor, so there have been weekly car trips to and from the city. Now, I’m back in North Dakota for a bit to spend time with my parents & other extended family.

(left) Tulaby Lake, MN; (right) taking a walk with my Mom and Mollie-dog 

As always, if you’d like to see what I’m up to on a day-to-day basis, follow me on Instagram. I’ll be back next week with a new post!

Blog Birthday & Coconut Macaroons (AIP, Paleo)

I’m feeling in a celebratory mood (and a tish nostalgic). Friday was “Sweet Treats” 5th birthday! So much has happened in the five years I’ve been baking, photographing & writing in this space…. 

When I started “Sweet Treats,” I had recently moved across the country, all by myself to Charleston, SC, and was enrolled in my first semester of pastry school at the Culinary Institute of Charleston. I had already been reading food blogs for several years and I figured that starting my own food blog was a great way to merge my background in graphic design & photography with my other love: baking and pastry. Plus, I kept reading about the “Daring Bakers” challenges on different blogs, and I wanted to participate. My very first Sweet Treats post chronicled my first DB challenge: vols-au-vents. I continued with many DB challenges until ultimately my work schedule made it impossible to complete the projects. Also over the first couple years of posting, I chronicled projects made both as a pastry student and instructor.

(some highlights from the past 5 years of blogging)

I’ve had fun re-reading the “Sweet Treats” archives & looking through old pictures. If you’d asked me in September of 2009 (when I started Sweet Treats the blog) where I thought I’d be in 5 years (2014), I never would have guessed that I’d be where I am today.  Along this journey, life has taken some very different paths than I ever expected....

• Teaching at CIC: Before attending culinary school, I spent some time teaching in a demonstration kitchen . I loved teaching and was thrilled when I was unexpectedly asked to become a pastry chef instructor at CIC after my first year as a student. I taught a variety of different courses & feel very thankful for all I learned in developing much of my own curriculum and from my teaching experiences.  One of the hardest parts of leaving Charleston was leaving my job at CIC--I still miss the classroom!! 
• Meeting Helene Dujardin: One of the very first food blogs I ever read was Helen’s Tartelette. At the time, I had no idea that she lived in Charleston (or that I’d be living in that city one day), but through the wonders of social media & email, we eventually connected and became friends in-real-life!!  She is such a gem (and the best wedding photographer we could have asked for). 
• Meeting Tami Hardeman Boutté: Through working as the kitchen manager for several of Helene’s food photography workshops, I met Tami, who also has become a great friend. If ever you find yourself stranded in the ATL area due to an unexpected snowstorm, I highly recommend getting stranded at Tami’s house :) I’ve since also been fortunate to work as a food styling assistant for her on a commercial job. (and, hopefully for another shoot next month!) 
• Moving to Texas: When I first moved to Charleston, I didn’t know how long I’d be there.... a year? Two years? More? But I certainly didn’t expect to end up in the middle of nowhere Texas, thanks to my husband’s job. The things one does for love :) Everyday of living here is a bit of an adventure, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 
• Instagram: Let’s be honest, Instagram has become a staple in my life. I may have a bit of an addiction, but the way I see it, Instagram helps me get to know people I never would have found before & helps me keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. And I’m able to share more behind-the-scenes things about my everyday life. Spoiler alert: not every recipe is successful & my entire life most definitely isn’t Pinterest-worthy. 
• Adventures with autoimmune conditions: Shortly after moving to Texas, my health problems began to compound, and I began searching for answers. After many visits to various doctors and a plethora of tests, multiple autoimmune conditions were diagnosed. Subsequently, I’ve made a number of dietary and lifestyle changes that I never anticipated making. Going “gluten-free” was not a choice I made based on a fad--it was a necessity! (as was a year of eating only foods with low acid properties...) I’ve tried conventional medications, some with success, though most included unpleasant side-effects. I’ve also had to come to terms with the fact that there is no quick fix for autoimmunity, or even a 100% cure. In all actuality, I will be dealing with these conditions (in some shape or form) for the rest of my life; there are steps I can take to manage my symptoms, but I still will need to be very self-aware. 
• Paleo & the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP): I never expected to find myself following the Paleo lifestyle. I thought Paleo was silly, and expensive. How could I, a pastry chef, ever expect to give up ALL grains, as well as many other ingredients I considered to be “staples” ?!? As it turns out, the clinical nutritionist/functional medicine doctor I began seeing in April 2014 uncovered a ridiculous amount of food sensitivities, which, coupled with my other autoimmune issues, basically put me not just on a paleo diet, but the even stricter autoimmune protocol of paleo (aka AIP). The results from following AIP, along with supplements & treatments from my doctor, showed dramatic improvement of my symptoms almost immediately. I’m going to be honest, though: AIP is a lot of work & takes a decent amount of planning. It isn’t always fun or easy (and it isn’t always a miracle cure), I think it is the best option for me. While I hope to not have to follow strict AIP forever (I’m already on the reintroduction stage), I do think staying on a paleo-esque diet will be important for the foreseeable future (and that gluten and I will never be friends again).

The past 5 years have certainly had their roller coaster moments of high highs and low lows, but I’m choosing to celebrate them with an AIP-friendly coconut macaroon recipe. These macaroons are free from dairy, eggs, gluten/grains, and refined sugar, but they’re not free from delicious taste. In fact, I do have to hold myself back from eating too many.....

As I’ve jumped head first into the autoimmune protocol and watched my life change dramatically in the past months, I’ve also been thinking a lot about this space. How on earth does a pastry chef with a dessert blog adapt her subject matter to fit within paleo/aip and not completely alienate her readers? I keep returning to two principles 1) staying true to myself and 2) helping others. Here are some of my thoughts as I look to the future:

• I have to keep my health in check. One of the major healing components of AIP is low-sugar consumption, even if that sugar is from natural or unrefined sources. It simply is detrimental for me to make sweets as often as I have in the past. They should be an occasional treat, not a regular thing. 
• While I might not be eating sweets as often as I did in the past, I am eating some really fantastic foods that not only taste great but make me feel better too. I plan on posting more of these every-day “staples” and savory foods, although I won’t lose the sweets entirely. I often post pictures of what I’m eating on Instagram, partially to remember what I’ve eaten and partially to show people that although   AIP can be a bit daunting at first (and honestly sort of a lonely journey) & one of my goals moving forward is to take my experiences & recipes to help inspire people to live a more healthful lifestyle (though note that everyone is different, so my dietary choices might not be the best choices for you). 

Whew! I feel like I’ve written a novel :) I do want to thank you, my readers, for sticking with me on this journey. It hasn’t been what I would have predicted, but I can’t wait to see where it leads! I’m grateful for your company along these adventures. Please let me know if there are any topics or recipes you’d like to see me cover.  And even if you’re not following AIP, I still encourage you to make these fantastic macaroons. They couldn’t be easier or more delicious.

Coconut Macaroons (egg-free, paleo, AIP)

adapted from Elana’s Pantry & Against All Grain

Yields approximately 18 cookies

120 g (1 1/2 c) Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut

7 g (1 Tbl) Organic Coconut Flour

pinch Sea Salt

26 g (2 Tbl) Organic Coconut Oil, room temperature

85 g (1/4 c) Organic Honey (or sub maple syrup to make vegan) 

1 Tbl Vanilla Extract (optional for AIP) 

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & set aside. Note: I used my toaster oven & a quarter sheet baking pan.

• Pulse the shredded coconut, coconut flour and sea salt in a food processor until combined. 

• Add the oil, honey & vanilla extract & pulse until well mixed. 

• Use a 1 Tbl cookie scoop to portion mounds of dough onto the prepared baking pan. Pack the dough into the scoop to ensure all macaroons are the same size. 

• Bake for 10 minutes (rotating the pan after 5 minutes), or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan at least 10 minutes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. Macaroons may lose their crispness over time, depending on the humidity. 

This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting Sweet Treats. 

Cherry Paleo Cake for Two

To be honest, I had sort of resigned myself to not having a birthday cake this year. Unfortunate, yes, I know. 

In my three months on the Autoimmune Protocol/AIP, I’ve only “cheated” a couple of times (mostly while on vacation in May), but the results were not so fun. Thus, I’ve made the difficult decision that eating something I’m not supposed to, even for a special occasion, is not worth the resulting pain & frustrations later....  Not everyone may need to be as strict, but that’s the decision I’ve made for now. 

an iPhone outtake from making the first cake

A couple weeks before my birthday, I started searching for potential birthday treats. I have successfully reintroduced a couple of items, like almonds & egg yolks & coffee, so that did help my search. But still, I really couldn’t find a good AIP cake option. (I should mention also that plantains, typically a staple of any AIP “baking,” and I do not get along...)

I had nearly given up hope of finding anything, when, on my birthday, I came across this berries & cream breakfast cake that contained all ingredients I could tolerate. While it may not be a traditional birthday cake with frosting etc., it was perfect for where I am in life right now. I made only a couple of changes, deciding to use the gorgeous cherries that are in season right now (instead of raspberries), and baking a single small cake in a rectangular baking dish (instead of dividing it into two ramekins). This cake was actually the first baking project I’ve done since APRIL--I had really missed baking, so actually making a cake seemed like an extra birthday blessing.

The cake might have been different than any other birthday cake I’ve had in the past, but adding a couple scoops of coconut milk ice cream and a candle made it feel just as special. Husband and I ate it straight from the baking dish while watching the Veronica Mars movie. The edges were similar to a sponge cake & the middle was similar to a pudding cake. What a special treat, perfect for two.

an iPhone outtake from making the first cake

an iPhone outtake from making the first cake

Cherry Paleo Cake for Two
adapted from Paleo Parents

5 large Organic Egg Yolks (pastured eggs, if possible)
56 g (1/4 c) Organic Coconut Oil, melted (plus additional for the baking dish)
63 g (3 Tbl) Organic Honey
2 Tbl Organic Coconut Milk, room temp
2 tsp Organic Lemon Juice, room temp

28 g (1/4 c) Organic Coconut Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Sea Salt

100 g (approx 1/2 c) Cherries, pitted and quartered

Coconut Ice Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream for serving

1. While the eggs are still cold, separate the yolks from the whites. Refrigerate the whites for a future recipe, if desired. Cover the yolks & allow them to come to room temperature. Measure the remaining ingredients and allow them, too, to come to room temperature. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Brush one small baking dish (or two small ramekins) with a little coconut oil. Stir together the dry ingredients. 
3. Beat the room temperature yolks with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Blend in the oil, honey, milk, and lemon juice.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until completely combined & there are no lumps. 
4. Scatter approximately half the cherries into the baking dish. Top with the cake batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. 
5. After 15 minutes, top with the remaining cherries (pressing them into the top of the cake), rotate the pan & bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are springy & the top is golden brown. The center may not be completely done.
6. Remove from the oven & allow to cool slightly. 
7. Serve with two forks and a couple scoops of coconut ice cream or coconut whipped cream. Best eaten sooner rather than later.

This post contains affiliate links.

Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

I haven’t felt as inspired in the kitchen lately. I could blame it on many different factors.... going out of town... lack of energy while still recovering from sickness... starting an exciting new adventure...  the busy-ness of life in general... My poor camera hadn’t been touched in a couple weeks, nor have I been keeping up with my writing (or, for that matter, the dishes that continually pile up in the kitchen)....

But, I did make a particularly fabulous batch of banana cupcakes last weekend that were too good not to share! They were for the birthday party of a friend who loves banana bread, so the leap to banana cupcakes seemed like a no-brainer.

The cupcakes were topped with cream cheese icing & garnished with a banana chip.  Funny story with the banana chip garnish idea.... I made the cupcakes & frosting sort of last minute, and in my haste to get them wrapped to take to the birthday party, plastic wrap fell into the soft icing tops of a couple cupcakes :( But then I remembered a stash of Trader Joe’s banana chips in my pantry.  I brought those along to the party & added them as garnish on the top.  Suddenly, no one was noticing the slightly marred icing :)

But let’s be honest, most people at the birthday party were more interested in tasting the cupcakes than looking at them. The flavor was spectacular! Cream cheese and banana are a perfect pairing. A couple people even said it was perhaps their favorite cupcake ever--those words do tend to make a pastry person feel pretty good :)

 Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to replenish my now depleted supply of frozen ripe bananas.

Banana Cupcakes
adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction

115g (1/2 c or 1 c) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
100 g (1/2 c) Brown Sugar
150 g (3/4 c) Granulated Sugar
3 large Eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 c mashed very ripe bananas (for me, that was 5 medium bananas, or just shy of 400 g)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
250 g (2 c) AP Flour (or substitute Jeanne’s GF AP mix, if wanting to make them GF)
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1/2 c Buttermilk (or 1/2 c milk mixed with 1/2 Tbl lemon juice)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two cupcake pans with 18 liners & set aside. (see note below) 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  
3. Mash the banana in a small bowl (I use my fingers, or a fork). Add the bananas to the mixing bowl, along with the vanilla extract, and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  
4. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl & mix on low speed until just barely combined. Add the milk and mix again on low speed until just barely combined--it’s ok if the batter is lumpy.  
5. Portion the cupcakes into the prepared liners. 
6. Bake for 17 to 19 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into one of the middle cupcakes comes out clean. The second pan may take a few extra minutes (mine took about 22). 
7. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before icing.

Notes: 

• While the original recipe yields 18 cupcakes, I found mine to be a little shorter than  I would have liked. Next time, I will plan to make only 16. 
• It would be super easy to make these cupcakes gluten free, by substituting your favorite cup-for-cup/ounce-for-ounce GF AP flour blend... My go-to blend is Jeanne’s GF AP Flour Mix.  
• I have only tested the recipe by weights, but have included volumetric amounts for those who do not bake by weight. 
• If you don’t have overripe bananas available (I usually keep a stash of bananas in my freezer), use this tip from Thefauxmartha  to roast bananas first. 

Cream Cheese Icing
adapted from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook

8 oz (1 c) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
16 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or substitute extract)
24 oz (6 c) Confectioners Sugar, sifted if lumpy

Banana Chips, optional, for decoration

1.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until well combined & lighter in volume. 
2. Sift the confectioners sugar, if it is lumpy. Once the butter/cream cheese/vanilla mixture is done, add the sugar & mix on low speed until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and mix for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. 
3. Place the finished icing into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used an Ateco 808). 
4. Pipe icing onto the top of each cooled cupcake and garnish with a banana chip, stuck into the top of the icing. 
5. Store leftover icing in the refrigerator. Decorated cupcakes may be stored at room temp or in the refrigerator for a couple days, though the banana chips might become soggy.  Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature before serving. 

note: this post may contain affiliate links

Ice Cream Cone & Pennant Banner Cookies

The past two weeks have been crazy busy in my kitchen! Unfortunately, all the craziness has left me no time to actually work on the blog recipes I’ve been intending to do....  So, instead, I’m going to do a little peek into one of my recent projects.

Two weeks ago, my kitchen was all about making banana pudding for roughly 200 people.  And, because I’m always paranoid that I’m not making enough food, I also made 6 dozen red velvet cupcakes *just in case.* Then, this past week has been all about a very important sugar cookie order....

I received an order for ice cream cone decorated sugar cookies for an almost-4-year-old’s birthday party.  While I was brainstorming the design, her mom sent me a picture of the birthday party invitation, because I always like to match colors where I can :)

But, in looking at the invitation, I came up with the idea of adding a second cookie design, based on the invitation design: some square cookies with a piped pennant banner/bunting.

Both the designs coordinated together, but they also had their differences.  The banner cookies had a touch more whimsy, in my opinion, while the ice cream cones were a little more stylized.

True to my art school background, I did a ton of sketches for these cookies, especially the ice cream cones!  I wanted there to be enough variation in the “flavors” with as few repeats as possible, which required me to sketch & color each and *every single* cone on paper before the piping process even began.

I added the piped cakes/cupcakes/ice cream cones to the banner cookies somewhat as an after thought (they were all elements of the invitation design).  But those little details have become one of my favorite parts! I would have piped even more detail, but I figured it was time to reign in my creative juices.   

I’ve also been chronicling this cookie adventure on Instagram & have had several people request royal icing recipe, so I’ll be including those at the bottom of the post.  And in case anyone wanted to know how I decorated each cookie design, I’m including that too. I seriously love decorating cookies! More than once this past week I’ve told my husband  how much I wish I could play with royal icing on a daily basis & get paid a decent wage for it.  But that dream probably won’t happen while we’re living in the middle of nowhere in Texas....  Oh well, a girl can dream :)

ICE CREAM CONE COOKIES 

Needed ingredients & equipment

• sugar cookies that have been baked two days previously & stored in airtight containers. 
• Royal Icing in pastry bags (I LOVE to use this method of putting the icing into plastic wrap first). 
• cone colored: outlining consistency & flooding consistency
• various ice cream colors (light pink, dark pink, orange, ivory/vanilla, chocolate, mint are the colors I used) in a 20-second-type consistency (sort of between outlining & flooding) 
• Multi-colored nonpareil sprinkles
• chocolate jimmies/sprinkles 
• Tweezers for placing jimmies/sprinkles 
• Toothpicks to spread icing & pop any bubbles
• Confectioners sugar, as needed, to thicken the icing. 

PLAIN ICE CREAM CONE COOKIES 

1.  Outline the bottom V of the cone with the cone colored icing. Reserve any leftover icing. Allow to dry. 
2. Flood the inner portion of the cone with the thinner icing. Use a toothpick to help spread the icing if necessary & to pop any bubbles that may appear.  On some cones, I left a “drip line”  free from icing (on the cone portion) that I would later fill with ice cream colored icing. Allow to dry. 
3. Use more of the outlining consistency to pipe the lines on the cone.  Allow to dry completely. I left mine at least 8 hrs to ensure it was totally dry. 
4. Once the cone icing is dry, use a 20-second-type icing consistency to make a general outline of the bottom ice cream scoop & fill in that outline. Be careful that the icing doesn’t spill over the edge.  Use a toothpick to help spread the icing & to pop any air bubbles as soon as they’re visible. Allow to dry roughly half an hour. 
5. Once the bottom ice cream flavor has begun to set, pipe the top ice cream scoop by making a general outline & then filling that outline. Allow to dry completely. I left mine overnight.  
6. Slightly thicken a portion of each ice cream colored icing by sifting a little confectioners sugar over the icing & gently stirring it to combine.  Place the thickened icing into a piping bag--because I didn’t need as much for this detail, I placed it into small parchment piping bags I made from triangles of parchment.  Pipe squiggly lines over the bottom of each ice cream cone to simulate the “ruffle” of the bottom of a scoop of ice cream.  

SPRINKLE & JIMMIE TOPPED ICE CREAM VARIATION

1.  After top ice cream scoop has been piped (and all other icing is dry) in step 5 above, carefully & evenly place the sprinkles or jimmies. I even use a pair of tweezers, if necessary. Try not to move the sprinkles around once placed.  Allow to harden completely, then continue with step 6. 

CHOCOLATE SAUCE & SPRINKLES TOPPED ICE CREAM VARIATION

1.  When piping the top ice cream scoop, in step 5 above, leave the top third of the scoop free from icing & leave spaces for the chocolate sauce to “drip”. Allow to dry completely. I left mine overnight.
2. Once the top ice cream scoop is dry, pipe the chocolate sauce pattern, making sure the “drips” are well visible.  
3. Then, carefully place sprinkles, using tweezers if necessary.  Allow to harden completely, then continue with step 6. 

PENNANT BANNER/BUNTING COOKIES

Needed ingredients & equipment

• square sugar cookies that have been baked two days previously & stored in airtight containers. 
• Royal Icing in pastry bags (I LOVE to use this method of putting the icing into plastic wrap first ) or in cornets, also known as pastry bags made from parchment triangles
• white colored: outlining consistency & flooding consistency
• pink, blue, green, and orange icing: slightly thinned outlining consistency. {I put these colors in cornets & just barely cut the tips right before use}
• add chocolate & cone colored icing, if planning to add the piped baked items. {I put these colors in parchment bags} 
• Multi-colored nonpareil sprinkles
• Toothpicks to spread icing & pop any bubbles
• Confectioners sugar, as needed, to thicken the icing.

1.  Begin by outlining the cookies with outlining consistency white icing.  Allow to dry.
2. Fill the inside of the cookies with the flooding consistency white icing.  Use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that appear. Allow to dry completely. I let mine dry overnight. 
3. Before beginning piping the banner, figure out the color order for the pennants. Place the piping bags in color order on a plate to make the process run more smoothly. 
4. Piping the pennant banner: Pipe a semi-diagonal line for the base of the banner.   Vary the line slightly, so that it goes different directions, if desired.  Let it dry slightly while piping lines on the rest of the cookies. Next, make the flags by piping connecting triangle outlines in different colors. Fill in the triangles, using a tooth pick to help with the bottom point, if necessary. 
5. Optional, piping the baked items. Pipe the bottom “table” color.  Allow to dry for 10 minutes. Use the chocolate colored icing to pipe the layer cake shape. Add sprinkles with a tooth pick, if desired. Pipe the cake stand shape. Add either a cupcake or an ice cream cone.  For the cupcake, pipe the liner color first, then a little bit of visible cake and finish by piping the icing swirl. For the ice cream cone, pipe the cone shape & the ice cream top. Let dry slightly then go back & add the ruffle to the bottom of the ice cream scoop. 
6. Optional, add a dot border around the edges of the cookies that didn’t get the piped baked goods. 

SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
can be found in this post 

ROYAL ICING RECIPE
I don’t remember where I initially found this recipe... I just have it written on a random post-it note in my recipe journal. If you know the source, please let me know and I will immediately credit this recipe! 

2lbs Confectioners sugar
2.25 oz / 6 Tbl Meringue Powder
3/4 c Warm Water
1 Tbl Vanilla Extract 

1.  In the very clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the confectioners sugar & meringue powder. Mix on low speed to combine. 
2. Add the warm water, increase the mixer speed to medium high & beat until thick, glossy & very white, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. 
3. Stir in the vanilla extract.  Scrape the sides of the bowl & mix on low speed until any unincorporated ingredients have been combined.  
4. Place the icing in a clean airtight container.  Wet a couple of paper towels & place the towels directly on the surface of the icing.  Top with a good cover & refrigerate until ready to use.  
5. When ready to use, remove from the fridge & add small portions of the icing into a bowl.  Color & thin the icing as necessary. Scrape the icing onto plastic wrap & form into packets (see instructions here). Store any unused packets or leftover icing in the refrigerator. I like to tint my icing at least a day before I plan to use it because some of the colors develop further overnight.  Save some icing as white in case you need to tone down any icing colors right before use.  
6. If you need to thin the icing for any reason, a clean spray bottle is the easiest way to add a little water as needed.  Colored icing that has been thinned should not be stored longterm (it begins to separate).