Semi Sweet Designs

I recently discovered Semi Sweet Designs while researching a post on Breaking Bad desserts and, man, was I impressed by what I saw. Not only did I find some amazing Walter White cookies, but also a ton of other rad (yes, I just wrote "rad") cookies as well. I was even more impressed when I found out that Mike, the man behind Semi Sweet Designs is not a professional baker, but is, instead, a full-time aerospace engineer who bakes in his spare time! As he puts it, "By day, I’m a hard-working, cubicle-dwelling, number cruncher. By night, I’m a dough-mixing, cookie-icing machine." I love hearing stories about self-taught bakers. It gives hope to the rest of us! If you're looking for a little pick me up today, definitely head over to Semi Sweet Designs to check out more of Mike's cute pop culture creations! They are so rad! ~Erin

Sweet Testing: Lime Tarragon Cookies

I would like to start this post by stating that I hate licorice. I don't just hate it. I loathe it. If I were forced to eat  licorice by some evil, licorice loving bad guys, I'd probably make a multitude of face distortions while chewing and then, overcome with nausea, end up spitting it out, which would surely get me in trouble with the evil, licorice loving bad guys! That said, I do, for some strange reason, LOVE tarragon. That's right, I enjoy eating an herb that is often described as having a licoricelike flavor. Don't ask me to explain. I can't. All I know is that I love tarragon and I loved these cookies! They have a nice buttery flavor, which is very reminiscent of shortbread. The tarragon is subtle and the lime is refreshingly different. You know that I'm all about atypical recipes and experimenting with a savory spin on a dessert is always super fun!

One small note: These cookies are supposed to be much smaller and thicker. Mine spread out. This may have been because I used gluten-free flour or maybe because I didn't chill the dough for long enough. (Sometimes, I get impatient during the chilling and just charge ahead!) They were still delicious, but don't be alarmed if they look different than mine! ~Erin

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Inspiration Board: Breaking Bad

(This post does not contain any spoilers!) This Sunday, Breaking Bad, arguably of the best shows on television ever, ends it's six-year run. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be a good time to post some of my favorite BB desserts. I'm sure there will be a lot of parties this Sunday, so I thought I would provide a little inspiration to get you started. The most obvious, and probably simplest way to work the BB theme into your desserts is to by using blue rock candy (aka blue meth). I've only selected a few blue meth desserts below, but the ways in which you could use it are pretty much limitless. Personally, I think my favorite piece is the pink bear cake, which was shown floating in a pool, quite mysteriously, in several episodes. It's such a creative and original idea! I hope you're inspired by the rest of the desserts as well. Enjoy the the finale on Sunday and have an A-1 day! (Cookies above by Semi Sweet) ~ Erin

Blue Meth Cake by 17 and Baking

Bear Cake by hollyicing

Cookies by Sugar Rush Treats

Cookies by Semi Sweet

Heisenberg Hat Cake by Sweet and Splendid Bakeshop

BB Sweets

Brooke Bertelle, owner of BB Sweets, seems to know a thing or two about creating lovely baked goods. Her Facebook page is covered with some of the prettiest cookies and cakes that I have ever seen! I can't take my eyes of her button cake (yes, they are edible) and her Babushka Cookies are so cute; it's crazy!

Actually, the story of how Brooke started her business is almost as sweet as her cookies. In 2010, she was a assigned a school project to raise money for a Haitian hurricane relief program. She decided to bake and decorate a "Heart for Haiti" cookie and sell it to local businesses throughout south Florida. The cookie was a huge success! She managed to raise hundreds of dollars for the charity and, accidentally, started a business, all at the same time!

All of Brooke's cookies are handmade and decorated with sugar dough. You can see more of her desserts on her webssite, here. There are also sweets for sale in her etsy shop. (Thanks, Kristen!) -Erin

Printmeneer Cookie Cutters

As much as I love cookie cutters, I do get a little bored with the more traditional shapes. Everyone has them in their cupboard: the heart, the bell, the star. They’re fine when you’re a kid, but as an adult I really appreciate a cutter that has a bit more pizzazz, one that's unique and not every day. These cutters from Dutch company Printmeneer definitely fit that bill. Created using a 3D printer, the cutters are fun and whimsical and unusual. In their Etsy shop, you will find everything from cutters inspired by Piet Mondrian to cutters shaped like Volvos, to chevron like zig-zag cutters. So fun! For more info on Printmeneer and to shop online, click here. ~Erin

Whipped Bake Shop

As much as I love tile, looking at tile, dreaming about tile, I’ve never actually had the guts or the ambition to attempt a tiling project of my very own. It all seems a little too permanent to me. What if I don’t like it? What if I mess it up? What if? What if? Thankfully, Whipped Bake Shop in Philadelphia has come up with the perfect solution to my tile indecision. Tile cookies! Now you can indulge in a little tile buying frenzy, without any of the permanence, because, you know, the tiles will be going directly in your belly! The details on these cookies really are quite lovely. It is astounding how much they resemble actual tiles! And it doesn’t stop there. Whipped Bake Shop has a slew of unique cookies on their site. I’ve selected a few of my favorites  below. Each cookie is made with vanilla shortbread and hand-decorated by staff at the bakery using almond royal icing. You can find more info and buying information via their Etsy site and their website. (Thanks, Kristin!) ~Erin

Henteco Cookies

Do the Japanese have cute down to science or what? I can't get over how adorable these cookies are. It's crazy!! They would make great stocking stuffers or party favors for a child's birthday. Unfortunately, for me at least, they're only available in Japan, at a bakery called Henteco, which, as far as I can tell, means "quirky" in Japanese. Please let me know if that's not correct! If you live in Shinagawa in Tokyo, I would recommend heading right over there immediately to see these in person! For the rest of you, you can click here to check out the cookies in more detail. ~Erin

You can find more Henteco pics after the jump.

Inspiration Board: Springerle

My mom has been obsessed with Springerle cookies lately. She’s planning on making some for my sister’s wedding and Springerle madness has officially set in. She keeps buying and experimenting with all sorts of different wooden molds, the kind that are used to make these lovely German cookies. With all this Springerle talk surrounding me these days, it seemed like the perfect time to do a post on them!

Springerle cookies, which have been around since the 1300s and are traditionally anise-flavored, are created by pressing a patterned mold onto rolled dough and then baking. The result is a hard cookie covered in a beautiful bas-relief image. The molds themselves are usually inspired by folk art and are often imprinted with images of flowers, animals, and people (with flowers and animals). In addition to the cookie molds, there are also patterned rolling pins available, if you want to cover a large surface, like a pie covering. These little cookies are truly edible art! For more Springerle info and to check out a recipe for the cookies, click here.

Pictured above: "Lady" Springerle Cookies by The Springerle Baker. For more Springerle examples on this site see: Cookbook Excitement: Pie it Forward and Inspiration Board: Easter.

Birnbaum Owl Mold (18.95) from The Springerle Baker

Cookie made with owl mold from The Springerle Baker

Gingerbread Springerle by King Arthur Flour

Springerle Cupcakes by Bakerella

Springerle Cookies/Cake by Martha Stewart

Birthday Cake Oreos

I am not, by any means, a person who lives life on the edge. I have never, as Billy Joel once sang, walked through Bedford Stuy alone or driven my motorcycle in the rain. Instead, if I feel the need to do something crazy, I'll probably just eat some over-processed, packaged baked goods. An Oreo cookie is my equivalent of an all-night bender. Okay, not quite, but as a person who runs screaming in the opposite direction from any food that contains the words High Fructose Corn Syrup or Partially Hydrogenated Oil on its ingredient list, eating an Oreo is a pretty dangerous proposition. But let's face it, sometimes, even for a goody goody like me, exceptions have to be made and the Birthday Cake Oreo had my name written all over it. Created for Oreo's 100th Anniversary, this limited edition cookie tastes and smells exactly like Funfetti/Confetti cake, that delicious sprinkle-filled cake that was my childhood favorite. And it did not disappoint. The strong vanilla scent that spilled out from the opened package immediately brought back the memories of all those birthday cakes of yore and I ate two cookies (!!) in rapid succession. Totally brilliant! If you're a Funfetti/Confetti cake fan, I would definitely recommend them, but act fast, these cookies are only available for a limited time.

Nevie-Pie Cakes

I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting cake designs, but finding them isn't always so easy. Sometimes months and months will go by until I come across something that really excites me! This cake by Natasha of Nevie-Pie Cakes was just one of those cakes! It's completely hand-painted and utterly lovely. It almost looks like a really great wallpaper, but, you know, on a cake, instead of a wall. As soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to see  more of her work! After taking a quick tour of her Flickr page, I'm happy to report that Natasha's other cakes are also quite impressive. There are loads of pretty hand-painted cakes on her page, along with other fun and unique designs. I've chosen a few of my favorites above and below, but you can check out more of Natasha's work via her flickr page, blog, and website. (And, yes, those are "mushroom" cookies at the bottom!)