New Year's Eve Cookies

Celebrate New Year's with these wonderfully sparkly and delicious cookies.

 

 

New Year's Countdown Cookies - Let the countdown begin with these delicious and sparkly cookies (13 large cookies and 24 minis) for $40.  

 

 

New Year's Party Cookies - Welcome 2013 with these elegant cookies (6 large cookies and 24 minis) for $30.

 

New Year's 2013 Cookies - Celebrate the start of 2013 with these cheery cookies (8 medium cookies and 24 minis) for $20. 


 

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2013.  Peace on Earth.

Christmas 2012

The offerings for Christmas 2012. Place your orders immediately, space is extremely limited!

To ensure I don't miss your order - email me at sweethandmade@rocketmail.com

 

Large Christmas Cookie set

This set of 18 delicious cookies include a snowman, 4 ornaments, 2 mittens, 2 christmas trees, 3 snowflakes, 3 stars and 3 candy canes. $40

 

Hockey jerseys - perfect team gifts, customized with your team's names and numbers! $30 for 12, $3 each additional cookie.
 

 

 

Small Christmas Cookie set

This set of 10 delicious cookies include a snowman, 2 mittens, 2 christmas trees, 3 snowflakes and 2 stars. $24
 





Gingerbread snowflakes - 8" across, not suitable for shipping. $8 each.

 

 

Christmas Cookie Kit

Unlike any cookie kit available in the stores, my "Christmas Cookie Kit" comes freshly made for you with 12 ready-to-decorate chocolate or gingerbread cookies (flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and chocolate or molasses and spices), a piping bag of royal icing (simply sugar and meringue powder), small candies and dragees. This is very different from the store-bought variety which has been sitting around for months! All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the fun the kids are having. If you are lucky, you'll get to sneak a few delicious bites! $20 per kit.
 

 

Mistletoe and Mittens Cookie Set

This set of 12 delicious cookies include 2 snowflakes, 2 mittens, 4 ornaments, 2 holly leaves with berries and 2 mistletoe cookies. $30

 



 

Ornaments Cookie Set

This set of 12 delicious cookies include ornaments in two different colours, accented with sanding sugar snowflakes. $30

 

Snowflake Cookie Set

This set of delicious cookies include 12 snowflakes. $30



Red and Blue Flower Cookies

Flowers, of the most delicious kind, designed to brighten someone's day. Totally inspired by Callye, Sweet Sugar Belle, cookie genius!

Moustache Cookies

 

 

Really cute moustache cookies for Movember.



Cookie Cutters

Trying to get some organization in my more than 300 cookie cutters!

Baby Shower Cookies

These beautiful cookies were made for a baby shower with a yellow and grey theme.

Changing the Focus from Cakes to Decorated Cookies

My business started as an extension of my hobby; baking, and while I didn't know how it would turn out at the time, I started making a lot of cakes - weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, showers, etc.  I loved being part of the celebration for these exciting events but since I am being honest with you, often struggled to love the final product.  I have always considered myself a baker first, an artist a distant second.  The cakes I was called upon to do often involved intricate details, some of which I love to do (like sugar flowers), some of which send chills up and down my spine (sculpting figures, for example).  I tend to focus on every imperfection, despite the accolades I received.  Being a small business owner, I always took the work and sometimes worked myself into a frenzy trying to produce the best cake and all its elements.

Last summer I started making a lot of hand-rolled, hand-iced sugar cookies for my town's farmers' market, to much acclaim I might add, and loved the creative process involved.  I also marvelled at how I continued to improve my skills in this field and often was happy with the products I produced.  I have made thousands of these cookies for the market, as well as hundreds (at a time) for corporate events and weddings. This past Thanksgiving was a revelation - I cranked out 450 cookies over a couple of days, loving every minute of it, probably because ever since I was a child I have had a strange facination with production lines, and making these cookies makes me feel like a one-man production line!  I realized I would be really happy if I did decorated cookies all the time.  And so, for the last few weeks I have been seeking advice, speaking to customers and friends and trying to decide if this would be an appropriate move for Sweet Handmade and myself.

An important factor in deciding to change my business focus is time management.  It is extremely important to me to create a fresh product and since celebrations that require cake often take place on the weekend, my work week didn't usually start until Thursday and I would often find myself working Friday night and Saturdays.  While I haven't exactly been missing out on hot dates and parties, I am sad to be missing time with my family, as they are upstairs watching movies or hoping for family time.  With my daughers being teenagers, I recognize they won't want to hang out with me much longer and I don't like to miss these opportunities.  Decorated cookies have a different kind of schedule.  The decorating often takes a day or two and the icing takes up to 24 hours to dry.  This takes my work week back into the Monday to Friday range and frees up my evenings and weekends.

The final factor that I have been considering is the ability for these cookies to travel.  My niece in Nova Scotia ordered cookies for her sons' birthdays and I would have never considered any kind of cake for this journey.  These delicious cookies not only travel well, they also stay fresh for a couple of weeks.  This allows me to open up my customer base to anywhere in Canada.

So with this post, I am announcing that Sweet Handmade will now only be offering hand-rolled and hand-iced sugar cookies.  I will continue to offer birthday parties (which include both cake and cookies) because they are so much fun!  All cake orders I have accepted will be honoured, of course.  Over the next few weeks I will post pictures of some of my newest cookie photos, with inspirational ideas like cookie gift boxes, wedding and shower favours, birthday party trays, and corporate cookies.  Like my cakes, the possibilities are endless and with your support I hope to continue to grow Sweet Handmade!

12th Birthday Cake with High Heals and Animal Print

I am no longer taking cake orders, I am only creating (and shipping, when necessary) beautiful decorated sugar cookies.  This cake is from the archives and was never published before.

12th birthday cake for Angelique with heals and animal print.

14th birthday pinboard cake with edible images

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating instead on delicious and beautiful decorated sugar cookies.  This cake was finished with edible images, also possible with cookies!  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Chloe's 14th birthday pinboard cake with edible images.

Wooden Tub Baby Shower Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating on beautiful decorated sugar cookies - check out some of my beautiful baby shower cookies here.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Wooden tub baby shower cake.

Beautiful Birthday Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, focusing on decorated cookies for birthdays and all special events.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Birthday cake for Ellis.

Ferrari Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating on beautifully decorated sugar cookies instead.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Ferrari cake for James.

1st Birthday Jungle Animal Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders.  My business is now decorated cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Jungle animal 1st birthday cake.

Golf Cake for Dad

I am no longer taking cake orders, now focusing my business on decorated cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

A golf loving dad's 43rd birthday cake.

Winery Wedding Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating on decorated sugar cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.  

Created for a lovely couple exchanging vows at a local winery, with a buttercream finish and meringue flowers and grape clusters.

Hockey Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating on decorated cookies instead.  I have a great interpretation of this cake in cookies - check them out here!  This cake comes from the archives and was never posted before.

Celebrating Connor's birthday with a hockey cake.

Las Vegas 30th Birthday Poker Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, but contact me for decorated Las Vegas poker cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Las Vegas poker cake for 30th birthday.

Lemon Crate Cake for Book Launch

I am no longer taking care orders, concentrating on hand decorated custom sugar cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

This cake was created for a book launch event - Marlene's Meal Makeovers Cook Once, Produce Twice Kids.

13th Birthday Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating instead on beautifully decorated, custom sugar cookies - check out this Sweet 16 set!  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Confetti and streamers for Chelsea's 13th birthday.

80th Birthday Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, specializing now in beautiful and delicious custom sugar cookies, like this set for someone turning 70.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before due to poor photograph quality.

Rose cake for a classy lady's 80th birthday, I love this beautiful design!

Star and Guitar Cupcakes

I am no longer taking cake or cupcake orders, specializing instead on hand decorated sugar cookies.  These cupcakes are from the archives and have never been published before.  

Stars and guitars for birthday fun.

Winter Scene Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, but can hook you up with terrific sugar cookies in any design to match your theme.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

Winter scene for a joint birthday with fishing hut and snow mobile in the back of the pickup truck.

First Birthday Cake with Smash Cupcake

I am no longer taking cake orders, cut can create sweet cookie sets to match any theme, like these cute Mickey cookies.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before due to poor picture quality.

Striped cake with matching "smash" cupcake for Kyle.  I still love the colours.

Barbie and Princess Cakes

I am no longer taking cake orders, but am creating stunning and delicious decorated sugar cookies, like these cute Lalaloopsy cookies that any girl would love!  These cakes come from the archives and were never published before.

Barbie cake for Emily.

Princess cupcake tower for Jojo.

Hungry Caterpillar 1st Birthday Cake

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating on decorated sugar cookies instead.  This cake comes from the archives and was never published before.

First birthday cake for Owen.

Girl Cakes Never Posted Before

I am no longer taking cake orders, concentrating instead on decorated sugar cookies.  These cakes come from the archives and were never published before.

Ballet cake for Mady.

Tenth birthday for Gabby.

Halloween Cookies

Whether you are having a Halloween party or just want some special cookies to give to your most special trick-or-treaters this year, my delicious and cree-ee-eepy cookies will fit the bill!

 

 

An angry Frankenstein, a cauldron of bubbling brew, witches feet, hissing black cats, scary flying bats, a couple of haunting ghosts, deadly spiders on their webs, creepy jack-o-lanterns, and tomb stones of those departed in the most wicked of ways...  Sounds ghoulishly good!  Contact me for pricing or visit my facebook page.

Hockey Cookies

While the NHL season is currently in doubt, local arenas are abuzz with youngsters of all ages taking to the ice.  These cookies were to celebrate the home opener of the Bradford Bulldogs Minor Midget A boys game last Saturday night.  Personalized for each player, these cookies can easily be adapted for any sports jersey.

Shabby Chic Cake

Please note - I no longer accept cake orders, focusing instead on custom decorated sugar cookies.

Ali is a giver.  I sensed that the minute I met her last year at our planning meeting for her mother's 50th birthday/Mickey Mouse themed party last year.  A detail-oriented organizer, she threw her mother a terrific party, complete with a pretty nice Mickey cake.  (http://www.sweethandmade.blogspot.ca/2011/05/mickey-mouse-cake.html)  She is also a new aunt to twins and is very involved in their lives, despite the fact that these little boys live hours away.  She tends to do for everyone before she does something for herself, but hopefully she knows how important she is to her family and how much they all love her!  Her mom wanted a special cake for her birthday this year, in their favourite flavours - brown sugar marble for the cake and red velvet for the cupcakes.  She loves shabby chic style, so I used that as design style.  Happy birthday Ali!

I love the look of these large flowers and the pearl accents.

My first cakes

As my skills have improved over the years, I thought that today I thought I would share some of my first cakes, not all of them made by me, but some of them downright hilarious! 

Here is my first birthday cake.  I guess my mom wanted to keep it simple, but to me it looks like a store-bought flan with some whipped cream.  This is what you call "semi-homemade".  I'm sure we all enjoyed it, the boy in red sure looks happy about it!

 

By the time I turned six, I had had my share of the cakes my mom could get at the local pastry shops.  Whipped cream, fresh fruit, light sponge cake - yuck!  So, my ingenious mom would get me an ice cream cake.  I think there was some sort of mocha flavour, which I didn't like either!  I don't think she knows that.

 

I still own that tray.

 

Blowing out the candles!  When my mom tells my girls about my desire for ice cream cakes, she always says "ice cake", because in Dutch ice cream is "ijs", so my kids must wonder if she just slapped a icicle on a plate or something!

When I turned nine, this was my cake.  Homemade with whipped cream.  Pretty cute!

Check out the Holly Hobby napkins.

39 cents for a bottle of pop!

This is the cake my mom made for my brother's 13th birthday.  You might have guessed he played the trumpet.  You never know where the inspiration will come from!  Lol! 

This my mom's 50th birthday cake.  I think my sister-in-law made it with my "help".  I think I helped with placing the jujubes.

 

In 1981 I wanted to make my mom's birthday cake.  I had visions of this work of art I was going to carry out - a dark chocolate cake with white frosting.  I turned to my sister-in-law for help, she bought the cake mix and the frosting and let me do all the work in her kitchen.  Except, I forgot to grease the pan, and the cake just fell apart when I tried to remove it from the pan.  I perservered and frosted a crumbly mess.  My SIL had a vanilla cake mix and chocolate frosting in the cupboard and so we made that one too and this time we did grease the pan.



 

Here I am trying to frost the "crumble" cake.



Here are the two finished cakes.

I brought the ugly cake out first and thought my mom would be disappointed.  Nope, she didn't even notice anything was wrong and she loved it because I had made it! 

 

Blowing out the candles on the ugly cake.

Enjoying the beauty of the good cake!

Moving right along, it is now 19 years later and my oldest daughter was turning 4.  For her party, we went with a games theme, inspired by the fabulous Martha Stewart.  Here is the cake Martha made...

 



And here is my version!  Unbelievably horrible!!  I am having a hard time admitting I made this.  But it tasted great, with my first ever lemon curd and Swiss meringue buttercream!  Some of the features I now cringe at are the foil covered cookie sheet, the sloppy edges, the muted colours... wow!

And the photography!  Obviously not my husband's work!

Three years later I made this cake for my youngest.  I use this picture in my desktop slideshow and everytime it comes up and laugh at the lopsided edges and the writing and the colours and bulge between the layers.  The kids are cute, though!

When the sprinkles started to go into the edge of this Tupperware container, I decided to make it part of the decorating design.  Ingenious, I know!

I am pretty sure my skill level has improved.  I certainly have more recipes and tools and knowledge that I can bring to the table!  I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane!