Black and White Cookies

What cookies go with your style? I decided that black and white cookies go with my style. Mr. Hughes was very happy to be the official tester as I made these cookies for the first time. They were simple to make and they tasted delicious. I want to play around with the icing recipe the next time I make them, it seemed to be missing something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Here is the recipe if you want to try them:

Ingredients:
For cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

For icings
1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

Preparation
Make cookies:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add egg, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

Make icings while cookies chill:
Stir together confectioners sugar, corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer half of icing to another bowl and stir in cocoa, adding more water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to thin to same consistency as white icing.

Ice cookies:
Turn cookies flat sides up, then spread white icing over half of each and chocolate over other half.

Out and About

We have been out looking and planning for our backyard. Don't you just love the garden chandelier? It's mine... I actually had the saleslady tell me that she was jealous it was going home with me. I looked and looked, but all the other garden chandeliers were really curly and wimpy. This is the perfect scale above our chunky table. The deck is up, minus the rails. The pergola is up, minus the brackets. And the table is built, but not painted. Sounds like our projects, huh? This weekend we are planting trees and landscaping the backyard. I can't wait to put all of the things that we have found We have lots of urns and pots that are weathered already. We have a European wall sink that we are going to put an vintage French faucet on and a zinc shield that we found a couple of weeks ago at Scarlett Scales' Brimfield sale. And, speaking of Scarlett, how about these great vintage corbels that she brought back. Aren't they wonderful? I couldn't find a home for them, but Mr. Hughes couldn't leave without taking a photo.

Very Small Project Completed

This is a very small project that I completed. On our last trip to the flea market, we found a box of mismatched vintage silverware. I dug and found a small shrimp fork and a small teaspoon. I have had the frame for ages... and yes, it looked like this when I found it. I just added some black and white ticking behind and hung it between two windows in the kitchen. One day soon, I will post photos of the completed kitchen... it is still only 90% finished.

What I love today

I love this little pot that I found in mysweetsavannah's etsy shop. It is the perfect look with the black on cream. Just think of all the words that you could spell. You could spell out "HERBS" and put them in a sunny kitchen window. I think I will buy "NEST." And, they are only $6 each... very reasonable. Here's the link if you have to have them: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25178324

I also must have these tuxedo napkins from Shoestring Home. They remind me of these great shams I once had that were samples from a bedding designer. They are long gone after they were ripped beyond repair by my beloved doggie. They were a really soft white linen with the same small pleat. I may get Mr. Hughes to make me some vintage spoon napkin rings for them. You can find these at www.shoestringhome.com
Well, I am off to hopefully complete some projects.

Mini project

Aren't peonies beautiful? They are my 2nd favorite flower. I finally had one come up this year... not these. I bought these from Whole Foods. And I decided that they looked great with my mercury glass.

I have been extremely busy... moving Baby Hughes away from everything he isn't supposed to touch: the fireplace, shoes, DVD player, you name it, he wants it. He is cruising now and pulling up on everything. And, he is sleeping much, much less. All of this added together is the reason why I haven't completed any projects. I have thought of more things to do though. I just need to stay home the entire weekend, that way I won't get anymore ideas. I was in Michael's last weekend and I thought of this idea. Mr. Hughes has always disliked the sidelights by the front door. During the holidays, they are covered in paper snowflakes. But, during the rest of the year, he thinks that they don't offer much privacy. I like the light they let in, so I really didn't want to cover them with fabric. One night, on the verge of sleep, I decided I would order a decal with our address number down each side. The next morning, I told him and I think his exact words were, "Okay, but I'm not really proud of our address." So I took that as a "no." Then while in the scrapbook section, I found this really neat paper that was a cut out like a stencil. I then decided to use frosted spray paint to stencil the windows. Mr. Hughes actually completed the project one day while I was at work. We are both pleased with the results.


Over the next couple of weeks, we will be constructing a deck. And by "we" I mean not me. I will be on Baby Hughes duty. So I hope to get a few mini projects completed.