well nancysfancy...it looks as though you have a following. so when are the classes?....LOL
OMG-
Those are the most amazing cookies i've ever seen!
I love, love, love them.
Please teach me.
kbselig: My husband does the baking and the cutting if the job is very big. We did about 800 of one busy design and 500 of three simpler ones in a couple of weeks in December for a big caterer. Time varies with complexity, of course, and I do batches (never one at a time).
kneadacookie: Thanks for commenting on the whimsey factor -- that is very important to me, what I consider my signature. I use marker from time to time, but it is not a major tool for me.
Nancy's Fancy Cookies & Cakes
Oh NancysFancy - welcome and thank you for being part of CC. I agree, this is a great place to be for those of us who work alone. I hope you will enjoy being part of CC - we're honored and grateful to have your participation. Congratulations on finding a wonderful new outlet for your incredible talent!
yes very happy to see you hear nancy. maybe we'll all learn a little from you. you are truly talented
I just spent about an hour looking at about every single photo on Nancy's web site! Awesome!! (But my how time flies when I'm on this web site and need to do other things on a Sunday afternoon!) It's nice to know that even professional illustrators get addicted to cookie decorating! Welcome, Nancy, we will all be waiting to hear your advice. Do you outline the cookie first and then flood? And do you use a special recipe for your royal icing? It looked like a few details my have been fondant? I read that you work about 60 hours a week - great to know that your husband is supporting you and helping out. FYI - I live near to Kirkwood and ran into Nancy Englebreit shopping at my Michael's. Of course, I was buying Wilton stuff and she was buying art stuff!
Thanks so much for the compliments, all.
My husband maintains my web site -- I'm pretty computer illiterate and I've never spent more than a minute looking at it, so it's nice to hear some independent confirmation that it is OK
Do you outline the cookie first and then flood? And do you use a special recipe for your royal icing? It looked like a few details my have been fondant?
I always outline first and then flood. No special recipe for royal; I use meringue powder, not raw egg whites. Some details for the fancier cookies are with fondant -- good eye!
I have a question, for anyone who has worked with royal icing: when I outline and flood a very narrow area the drying process creates a sink hole sometimes -- not always, but enough to mar the look of many cookies and drive me insane. Any ideas? I'd be most grateful to hear from anyone who's had the same problem -- and figured out how to solve it.
Yes! I have the same problem and I posted this question in December. I have noticed that it only happens in smaller areas, too. It really bums me out. Unfortunately, I have not come up with a solution ... yet!
Nancy! Welcome to the family. Your cookies are outstanding. You must have tremendous patience! And what a husband to help you out like that. May I ask how he makes the cookie cutters? I would love to have my hubby churn out a couple for me. I have them in my head, but have not been able to find the cutter. Verry frustrating. You are an artist and an inspiration. Amazing work!
i'm glad to hear it's not just me with the sink hole problem. how comepletely frustrating to work so long on a cookie to come back later and have a giant crater in a tiny spot that matters enough for me to put it there in the first place. i'd love to hear if anybody knows the answer.
You're artwork....I just can't call it a cookie....is magnificent. They are like murals on a wall, art in a museum...you are very talented, like the Van Gogh of cookies. If I could be 1/4 as talented as you I would be ecstatic. Your cakes are gorgeous too...I really like the 3tiered with the painted flowers.
Oh, Oh, Oh, I am so excited to be able to answer a question from someone so talented.
The holes are from air that is trapped. Just either use a toothpick of your tip if small enough to gently swirl the or drag the icing to release the pent up air that will let you have sink holes. It it is a bit more work, but you obviously have the patience of a saint.
Thank you for answering our questions and best of luck to you in your business.
Julia
Wow those are amazing! Patience of a saint is saying it all-I would not have the patience to create works of art on such a small canvas! They are absolutely incredible!!
And what a husband to help you out like that. May I ask how he makes the cookie cutters? I would love to have my hubby churn out a couple for me.
Well, it is handy to have a handy man around. He has posted pictures of the cutters he has done for me and the tools he uses here.
Nancy
Nancy's Fancy Cookies & Cakes
THis Nancy is my hero! I could look at her cookies all day long. It looks like a lot of them are colored in, rather than one base color and the rest as details. crazy!
Nancy, your cookies are so inspirational. It is an honor to have you on this site!! I hope you love this site as much as the rest of us!!
I agree, Nancy. You are a master at your craft. Your cookies are spectacular!
Regarding making your own cutters, there was a post on CC about making cookie cutters for anyone who is interested:
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-49118-cookie.html+cutters
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