Bubble Gum Bubble Gum

Oh man I have been having some serious blogging withdrawals and baking withdrawals!!  My family really is on a sugar overload still coming off the holidays and the two huge batches of cupcakes we made for the contest.  But I did however bake up some sugar cookies.  I ran across this contest for decorated cookies and got a little excited.  The cookie has to contain a heart somewhere in the design of it.  So....

I started to think, hmm what can I design that will be cute, unique etc...  I ran a few ideas by my family, looked through my cookie cutters and really racked my brain for some creative ideas.

I looked over to the left of me in my living room & had a complete ah hay moment!!

A Bubblegum Machine

I goggled for a cookie cutter with no luck, so I broke out a pen and paper and started to sketch & may I add I am not the best at drawing.  But I came up with what I think is a cute idea.  Immediately I wanted to get to baking and hand cutting out the little cookies... but I waited because I wanted some baking supplies I didn't have.  Luckily I had a few errands to run last week that put me in the neighborhood of a baking supply store that has tons of fun things.  I was on a little of a time limit at the store due to having some other errands to run, but I could really spend all day in that store.  I picked up a few new cookie cutters, sprinkles, adorable bags and really wanted some red and pearl luster dust.  My creativity was ready to go... however the lady at the store was insisting that the luster dust wouldn't work on my icing (that it was only for fondant) and talked me into getting edible glitter.  I still got the pearl luster dust figuring I'd give it a try.
And really kicking myself in the bootie now because I really am not liking the way the red glitter looks on my cookie and loving the pearl luster dust that did indeed work beautifully just the way I had envisioned.  Man why did I listen??  Oh well~ trial and error right?  The more cookies I decorated the better they got.  But I know I want the red luster dust and will have to bake another batch before I submit pictures for a contest.
Plus, honestly I am still so novice to all this cookie decorating stuff~ some people are just absolutely artists.  Amazing!!  But with error and practice will come experience and beauty.  And in the meantime, they are still cute cookies & if I do say so myself delicious!!

I really do love my red bubble gum machine, I picked it up at an antique store a few years ago, funny thing is I've actually never filled it up with bubble gum.  I have put a few different candies in it for my nephew to put change in and get candy, he loves my bubblegum machine too.  I should really fill it up with some bubblegum for him... he would be in heaven~ my sis on the other hand probably wouldn't be so happy with me. ha!

Honestly who doesn't like bubblegum?  It's such a cheery thought.  Bubblegum ice cream is one of my all time favorites.  With this batch of cookies I also tried an experiment with putting in a little bubblegum flavoring in my icing in substitute of the vanilla~  it was pretty good.  Will work on perfecting that recipe and will share it with anyone else who is a bubblegum lover too!

 

And I got to use my bubblegum machine like a cookie jar :)

 

Remember the playground rhyme: 

Bubblegum Bubblegum in a dish how many pieces do you wish 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.... 

Wow just had a flash back to when I was young. 

And I have a few more ideas running in my head with the bubblegum machine design/concept.
So stay tuned!!  And I promise to not go so long again between posts... I have some fabulous pictures of some bread my mom baked~ just waiting on her recipe.  So come back & visit!