Jedi in Training

I think it is safe to say that when it comes to anything Star Wars I'm a Jedi that needs a little bit of training.

Star Wars is certainly not a new party theme, neither are Star Wars cookies. I saw my first set of Star Wars cookies on www.bakeat350.com. Bridget made a cute set for her son. Then, on a later post I saw the Darth Vader cookies she made using the cutters from Williams Sonoma. 

But Star Wars is definitely an unchartered territory for me...both the movies and the cookies. So when I got an order for a birthday party, I was a little nervous. I knew I would have to do a little research to figure out what I was making. Oddly enough, I received two Star Wars orders in the same week. One for Yodas and Lightsabers, and the other for Boba Fetts and Storm Troopers. I am always a little intimidated by 'character' cookies because client rightfully expects them to be just like the image, but unfamiliar characters add a little extra pressure.

The first order that needed to be shipped was Boba Fett and Storm Troopers. 

I made a set of tester cookies and then I tweaked the designs to the ones you see above. I was happy with the final design, so I continued to finish the fleet.

The cookie cutters I ordered from Williams Sonoma came with a few decorating examples. Plus the cookie cutter has an attached 'embossed' feature. I decided against using that, as I like to create a flat base of icing first. What was the point of adding that detail to the cookie dough when I would just be icing over it anyway? I really wanted to do my own design - with a little more detail than they offered. 

So I was off to figure out exactly how I wanted to replicate such a well-known image.

I started with Boba Fett (who I never figured out if he was a good or a bad guy. Shame on me. I do know I can order an adult-sized costume of him, though.)

This particular cookies size is on the smaller side, but the head had so much detail. I used a few different tips (#1, #2, and #3) and icing consistencies to create this cleaner design. I was super pleased with the final result. Flooding tiny areas like the maroon area, stresses me out! Thankfully everything dried just right!

Next up were the Storm Troopers. Piping a very dark color on a very light color (like black on white) requires a steady hand. I think the color contrast really shows any imperfections more than normal. I really tried to stay as focused as possible. Good think I wasn't listening to Jon Stewart at this point. Any slight smile or giggle could have created Storm Trooper mayhem.

While working on these cookies, Topher said to me, "You better make sure those designs are accurate. Kids will know if there are inconsistencies." Oh the pressure that rests on a cookie girl's shoulders.

I was so relieved when the client emailed me after the party to tell me that the cookies were a HUGE hit with all the kids! Phew. 

Next up, Yoda and lightsabers. Thankfully, I knew who Yoda was, I mean I don't live in a complete Star Wars bubble, and of course was familiar with a lightsaber as well. 

I was feeling pretty confident about this order until I realized how wrinkly Yoda's face is. Dude needs some botox or something. 

I made my sketch and crossed my fingers. I didn't add the hair. Hairy cookies aren't all that popular, at least with my customers!!

I was pleased with the test cookie, so I embarked on making the rest of the Yoda cookies. 

The theme of this Star Wars party was Jedi Training. The mom told me she made lightsabers out of foam pool noodles. How cool is that? My customers always impress me with their amazing party planning ideas!

Here is my version of a cookie lightsaber. All the photos of the real thing I looked at had a BRIGHT center and then color on the edges of the sword. In this case, the customer asked for blue lightsaber cookies.

I added blue sugar crystals to the edges to add to the glowing effect. I also added an 'on' button too. A little creative license, since I didn't know if there was actually an 'on' button.

In the end, the kids were happy with the cookies and I was happy they were happy. Thankfully, the force was with me during this order. Maybe I have learned enough about Star Wars to put off seeing the movies for at least a few more years. 

Have a sweet day,

Anne