For the Little Dudes . . .

Desserts for Dudes month continues with Cute as a Button cookies

...because dudes have to start somewhere!

When our little dude was born, he decided to make an entrance.  An unexpected entrance via emergency c-section, 10 weeks early.  He weighed 2 pounds, 13 ounces. 

{Kiddo is now 11 years old and 5 feet tall....wearing the same size shoe as his mother...}

Looking at birth announcements, I found one that said "cute as a button" and it was perfect because he was about the size of a button.  I only wish I knew how to make cookies back then. :)

The buttons are made from homemade fondant.  Remember that?  They were so fun to make; I could have made hundreds of them.

Supplies for the buttons:

• fondant 
• AmeriColor Sky Blue Soft Gel Paste Food Color
• bench scraper

• tips: Wilton 4B, and #1 or #2 plain tips
• cornstarch
• rolling pin
• toothpicks
• chopstick

To make the buttons, color the fondant with gel paste food coloring, kneading until fully blended.

Dust the surface and rolling pin with cornstarch to prevent sticking, a tip Buddy gave us, and roll the fondant thin, maybe 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. Use a bench scraper to lift the fondant off the counter if necessary.

Using the back of the Wilton 4B tip as a cutter, cut out the button shape.

Mine kept getting stuck, so I used  a chopstick to nudge them out.
{PS...I'm not going to quit blogging to be a hand model anytime soon.}

With the back of the #1 or #2 tip, add the inner circle button detail, being sure not to press all the way through.

With the tip end of the #1 or #2 tip, make button holes.
{Seriously, what are those holes called? A button hole is something you push your button through.  There must be a name of the holes in the middle of a button. Anyone? Anyone?}

Use a toothpick to poke all the way through the button.
{Again...no hand modeling.}

Let dry at room temperature.  Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

For the cookies:

• Outline & flood the cookies with royal icing and let dry overnight.
• Pipe the dots around the border.
• With an AmeriColor Gourmet Writer Food Decorator Pen , add the wording. (AmeriColor pens are much better than the ones as the grocery store!)
• Attach the buttons with a bit of royal icing.
• Let dry several hours.