Linsane Cookies & A Life Lesson

I've gone Linsane.  Who hasn't??  The funny thing is I've known about Jeremy for a while.  But I had no idea he was this good or would play such a pivotal role in sports or American history.  Never.  I think it's hard for most of us to completely understand the significance of what he's doing and what molds he's breaking.  It is nothing less than God making a statement and breaking barriers through this young man.  But personally, what's more impressive to me than his phenomenal b-ball skills is Jeremy's humble reliance on God and his passionate faith.  I am deeply encouraged by it.

So I was lin-spired to make these cookies for friends staying with us over Presidents' Day weekend.  They're also huge fans of Jeremy's (and rightfully so).  :)  I've never tried anything like this before.  I mean the closest thing was this:

But these were cookies spread with pre-packaged icing and decorated with sprinkles.  I've never tried drawing on cookies!  And let me tell you, it's NOT easy.  Which is why they didn't turn out as well as I would've liked.  So when the ladies from Sweetopia, Sugarbelle, and Cake Journal make it look like you could do it in your sleep, that's probably because they've been blessed with cookie-decorating genes and have been doing it for years!  Nevertheless, I figured I'd give it a try and pray for a miracle that it would work out.

I started off by printing out a picture of Jeremy's jersey as my guide.

Then I made a sketch of the cookie.  When it comes to cookie decorating, a plan is helpful.  You have to figure out which colors to use and in what order. 

Four colors were used:  orange, blue, white, and black.  I used Wilton gel icing colors for the icing, and Wilton #1 and #2 tips for the piping.

It was a lot of work.  And was it worth it?  Well, despite the Knicks losing to the Hornets that night, it was a fun project.  They didn't turn out quite the way I hoped.  There were so many mistakes, and the end product looked very amateurish (I guess I shouldn't expect perfection on my first try).  During the process when I became frustrated that it wasn't coming together, I thought maybe I should just stop.  But if I've learned anything from Jeremy Lin's story, it's to not give up.  I figure with a little more practice, these could eventually turn out lin-tastic!

And here are the lessons I've learned about cookie decorating from this project:

1.  Give yourself plenty of time to make the cookies.  I'd say at least 3 days prior to whatever event/occasion you're making these for.  If you're rushed, they could turn out disastrous.  You'll need to bake the cookies first.  I love this shortbread recipe from Joy of Baking.  And then you'll want a day or two for the decorating.  When you are ready to decorate, here's the royal icing recipe I used (also from Joy of Baking).

2.  Have a plan.  Sketch what you want your cookie to look like, what colors you'll use, and in what order. 

3.  Practice.  Practice.  Practice.  Decorate on parchment paper first.  It's important to have a steady hand and get a feel for how the icing flows.

4.  Be patient.  It's important to let the layers of icing dry completely before decorating on top of it!  Because I was pressed for time, I didn't allow the different layers to dry and the colors started to bleed the next day.  They didn't make for very pretty cookies.

Well, with all this said and done, I hope Linsanity continues and pray the Knicks beat Miami Heat tonight!  GO KNICKS!