Wilton Cake Decorating Courses

Cake decorating is an art, craft, and culinary skill. Whether you are an avid baker and maker of treats, somebody looking for a recreational outlet, or an experienced hobbyist planning to start a sideline cupcake business, you may be looking for cake decorating classes. The Wilton cake decorating course is a well-known and established program. Offered in retail stores across North America, this 4-course series provides step-by-step instructions for basic and advanced techniques.

Each course consists of four classes, usually scheduled on weekends. To supplement the live instruction, there is a Wilton course book which you use during the course and for practicing at home. During the course you will be decorating cakes which you can take home and share with family and friends.

Sometimes it is difficult to find a class at a convenient time or location. If you are unable to attend Wilton cake decorating classes, it is possible to purchase the Wilton cake decorating books and study on your own. Of course you won't have the benefit of interacting with a skilled instructor and classmates, but you will have access to detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. Following are the highlights of each of the four Wilton courses:

Wilton Course 1: Discover Cake Decorating

• Learn how to bake a cake
• Prepare icing with the right consistency
• Frosting a cake
• Apply decorative borders
• Make simple flowers such as roses.

Wilton Course II: Flowers and Borders

• Apply buttercream and royal icing frostings with precision
• Create borders with rope designs, reverse shells, and rosettes
• Practice making 8 flowers such as pansies, daffodils, and mums
• Study color design principles
• Create and take home a flower basket cake

Wilton Course III: Fondant and Tiered Cakes

• Cover a cake with rolled fondant
• Make fondant flowers and figures
• Create embroidery, lace, and string work accents
• Create ruffle and garland borders
• Create and take home a fully decorated tiered cake.

Wilton Course IV: Fondant and Gum Paste

• Create fondant and gum paste flowers
• Color and marbleize fondant and gum paste
• Learn how to use a ribbon cutter to make ribbons, drapes and borders
• Create a cake board cover with fondant
• Decorate with punched stripes, inlays, appliqués, ribbon garlands and rope borders
• Create and take home a Grand Finale Cake.

How to Find Wilton Books and Local Classes
If you attend a series of Wilton cake decorating classes your teacher will provide the course instruction book. If you will be studying Wilton cake decorating on your own, you can purchase a course book online. Local classes are hosted by large arts and crafts stores, cake decoration supplies retailers, and some grocery stores.

Learn more about cake decorating courses to take your skills to the next level. Whether you are a beginner at cake decorating or an accomplished cake decorator who wishes to expand your understanding, discover more about the advantages of taking wilton cake decorating courses either locally or in your own home. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_Pollard

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How to Make Old Fashioned Lemon Butter Cookies

My great aunt who is 83 years old has been baking and cooking all of her life. When I was a little girl, I could remember spending countless hours with her in the kitchen and learning just about everything I know today that pertains to baking.

This is a recipe she started making back in the 1960's and to this day, its one of our family's favorite cookie recipes. Back in the 1960's money was tight so women used to whip up recipes using the common ingredients they usually had on hand.

If you love lemon flavored cookies, then give this recipe a try.

Lemon Butter Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
additional sugar

*note* I like a lot of lemon flavor, so when I make Auntie's recipe, I increase the lemon juice to 4 tablespoons and I always use fresh lemon juice that I personally hand squeeze. (I don't use the bottled lemon juice).

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, lemon juice, lemon peel, baking powder and salt. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. (make sure you refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours but no longer than for 4 hours).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough, a small portion at a time on a well floured surface to 1/4" thickness. Keep remaining dough in the refrigerator. Cut dough with 3" round cookie cutter. (you can also use a round biscuit cutter which I find easier to use than a cookie cutter).

Transfer cookies to a ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. I lined my cookie sheet with a Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat and I am so glad that I did! They just slid off the mat when they were done and they were evenly baked.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet before removing them to finish cooling on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Additional Note: The thinner you roll out the dough, the less baking time it will need. So if you like thick cookies, roll out your dough thicker than described above but you will need to increase your baking time by 1-2 minutes.

Shelly Hill Shelly has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at: Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelly_Hill

Find More : cookie recipes , Butter Cookies , Make Cookies , Make Cake , Cakes Cookies