Recipe for Strawberry Sangria and Cheddar Star Savory Cookies

... And so it begins, "high season" at the Jersey Shore. Today is our first Friday open for the season and of course I will be scrambling to straighten up and get the shop in shape for being open today after a super busy week! These sunshine cookies are my new favorite. Due to the "shortage" of purchase-able royal icing googly eyes (all you cookiers know what I am talking about!), we started making our own using white fondant. At the beginning of every week we roll them out i

We had our ribbon cutting yesterday at our new cookie shop in Asbury Park! It was an awesome day! I had hoped to make a speech but the morning was crazy and busy and once I was standing there holding the giant Asbury Park scissors, I decided to keep it short and just go for it… Here are are words I had prepared and want to share. Please note that this thank you also extends to everyone who was with us in spirit…. I want to thank everyone so so much for being here today. If yo

The Spring issue of Martha Stewart Living features Martha’s grandkid’s “Interstellar” birthday party. I have been lucky enough to be asked to contribute to Jude & Truman’s birthday parties for a few years now (Our animal menagerie cookies from Jude’s 1st birthday are still one of our most popular cookie order requests). The Galaxy theme of this year’s party could not have been more inspiring to me. I have been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a “little Leia” and I grew up wat

This year, Pizza is my Valentine! I have finally figured out how to merge my 2 very favorite food items… pizza + cookies. I could not be more excited about this sweet pizza slice cookie! (pun intended) While we are kicking these off for Valentine’s Day this year, this is a truly great all year ’round cookie. Inspired by Cece’s Shop Rite Birthday party, I decided to delve deeper into what I’m calling “Foodie Cookie Fun” this year. (What was I waiting for?) To get started, her

I always say ‘my cookies get to go to the coolest parties’ and last night I totally party crashed the fun! I was super excited to be asked to do a wedding cake cookie favor for the Macy’s Herald Square book signing party for Martha Stewart’s latest (and totally amazing) book, Martha Stewart Weddings Ideas & Inspiration. My friend Kait, who was a stylist with me on the Martha Show, is engaged so we knew it would be the perfect ladies night out. Wedding Cake Cookie favors for M

The ‘apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ is a phrase that could not be more appropriate for the theme of my niece Cecelia’s 3rd Birthday party. My brother and I grew up in an Italian family who’s main event life adventures were (and still are) centered around food and meals. It is not uncommon for us to sit down to a meal and spend the entirety of that meal talking about our next or a future meal. Not only did his wife Nicole, grow up similarly, but she also has the unique

My love for Santa runs deep. My first Santa cookie made its debut a few years ago on the Martha Stewart Show with the Santa and toy bag version to follow. When we were talking about watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade this year I proclaimed that Santa is the best part- he is of course the big finale and I love that he kicks off the Christmas Season every year at the end of the parade. This cookie might look intimidating but we have broken the icing down to 3 layers of drying

Some party themes come together easier than others and in the case of Bette Kane’s 3rd Birthday, “Rainbow Dance Party” just kind of developed and kept rolling! We could have went on and on with this theme… Inspired by one of her favorite stuffed animals (a unicorn) and her love for singing and dancing (Fresh Beat Band!) this theme had all the best elements for a great party. Happy 3rd Birthday Bette! I loved working on your party and had even more fun attending! Wishing you r

I have been in love with mermaids for as long as I could remember. Being a Jersey Shore summer beach baby, combined with the elegant and beautiful imagery of mermaids… by the time I saw Splash and The Little Mermaid, I was already a huge fan! Once I began icing cookies and getting into more elaborate designs, the mermaid cookie cutter was one of my first purchases. I love both versions (Mermaid and Mermaid Open Arms) offered by CopperGifts, but feel that the open arm version