Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Mason Jar Lady Bug Cookies


Dear Red Couch Recipe Readers.  It's that awesome season again when lady bugs come out from their slumber.  Little boys and girls everywhere are enchanted by them and catch them and place them in mason jars. 
 
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These cookies try to encapsulate that memory of finding lady bugs.
 
 
As a young child, my oldest daughter Tatianna, loved ladybugs.  One day after a successful hunt of lady bugs, I heard her say "Stop, that's enough!"  I asked her what she meant.  She said that "She had prayed to find lady bugs and she had found a lot, and she didn't need help to find anymore!"  Oh, those were the days.....
 
 
Several years we also bought lady bugs and released them.  Even though we followed the directions,  letting them out just before dark,  those lady bugs seemed to like our neighbors better than us!
 
 
 
If you would like to replicate these cookies, I have included a few tips on how to make them.  I received a mason jar cookie cutter in my swag bag at Cookie Con 2014.  It was from the Cookie Cutter Company.  Just search on the Internet to find sources for mason jar cookie cutters.
 
Make the cookies using a mason jar cutter, and then float them with royal icing, allowing them to dry overnight. 
 
At this point, color some of the royal icing, float consistency, red; I used Wilton's Red Red.  Pipe the icing into red circles for the lady bug bodies.  I used a Wilton 12 tip.  Make more than you think you will need, to allow for mistakes.  Pipe them in different sizes because lady bugs come in different sizes.  Allow them to dry overnight as your mason jar cookies are drying.
 
 
 
 
 The next day, spray the dried cookies  with the Pearl Wilton Color Mist, just to add a little bling.  The picture shows the cookies just after they have been sprayed, and before they are dried.  It only takes a few minutes for the cookies to dry. 
 
 
 
 
When the cookies are dry, take some white fondant and color  it gray.  I used the Americolor black. Then cut out the "lid" portion of the mason jar. 
 
 
Spray the "lid" with the Pearl Wilton Color Mist to give it a shiny appearance, then dab a bit of water on the back of the lid and place it on the mason jar cookie
 
 
 
Color some royal icing green; I used Wilton leaf green.   Pipe some grass in the jar using a grass tip (Wilton 233 tip).  Add a bit of baker's twine around the lid of the jar.  The twine was available at my Wal-Mart in the craft section.
 
 

Using a food marker, add the details to the lady bugs.  These food writers are available online.
 

 
With royal icing, glue the lady bugs into the jar.
 

 
Happy Spring from Red Couch Recipes!
 
 
 
I also made some quilted mason jars using the same cookie cutter. 
 
 
 
Thanks for dropping by!
 
Posted with Foodie Friday

7 comments:

Sue said...

I adore these cookies, Joni! Fairly simple and so very CUTE! This is my kind of cookie:)

Jacqueline said...

These are adorable and your ladybugs turned out so perfectly I thought you might have purchased them. The silver lid is fabulous. Bring a couple up and let me taste test them!!

We bought the lady bugs too and I never saw one all summer!

La Table De Nana said...

I want one now:)

Too cute for any word I could pick.

Debbie@Mountain Breaths said...

The cookies are darling! A fellow lady bug lover :-)

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Now Joni, if those aren't the most adorable cookies!! They're almost too pretty to eat, but I sure would love one. You did a fantastic job on them.

Sonia said...

Oh my the cutest cookies I've seen in a long while! Love ladybugs especially on cookies!!
Miss Bloomers

Rattlebridge Farm said...

Joni, I'm pinning and Tweeting your adorable cookies at warp speed. I love them!

Engageya