Today is Ron’s Aunt Marjorie’s birthday.
She is 91 years old and we are going to join Ron’s brother and three sisters at Aunt Marjorie’s nursing home in Cornwall to have a little birthday tea celebration with her. We last saw Marjorie just before Christmas and she was in very good spirits. I had brought down several dozen Christmas decorated cookies as a thank-you gift for the staff at the nursing home who take such good care of her. Marjorie loves my sugar cookies and today I’m bringing some special birthday cookies solely for this lovely lady.
One of my Christmas gifts was the book The Art of Royal Icing by Eddie Spence. Have you heard of him? If you decorate with royal icing I’m sure you will really enjoy his book. Eddie Spence has been baking and decorating for over 60 years and has taught royal icing for fifty of those years. He has designed and created wedding cakes for the Royal Family and in 2000 Eddie Spence became a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth for his services to the Sugarcraft Guild and industry.
Once all of the business of Christmas was completed and everything packed away, I couldn’t wait to curl up and go through this one-of-a-kind book. The photographs of the beautiful works of art that Eddie Spence so masterfully creates are nothing short of stunning and for me, this book is a real page turner, over and over again. The instructions for decorating the samples shown within its pages explain the method thoroughly, complete with listing all of the material you will need with of course, the types of royal icing you will be using as well as instructions on how to make the various forms of royal icing.
The first big project I chose to do from The Art of Royal Icing will be shown in a later post and I’m pretty excited to share it with you. I will give you the tutorial on how to make Eddie Spence’s Royal Icing Gazebo. Mine is finished but with three days of freezing rain and heavy snow, I’m waiting for some sunlight in order to take better pictures of the finished product. Today I’m sharing some of the cookies I made for Marjorie using piping techniques and patterns from the book. Her cookies were my *practice piping rounds* but I think Marjorie will like them.
Marjorie shares her birthday with another very special person in my life, my husband Ron! He’s 57 today but unlike Marjorie…I never made him any cookies!!
ohh…. so beautiful! swoon. i love love love the rose brush embroidery with the navy blue background cookie. i wish i had the talent (and patience!) like you!
Gosh Paula these cookies are so completely amazing! I’m sure Aunt Marjorie was in awe of them! You do such beautiful, intricate work Paula and never cease to amaze me!
Amazing, P! Happy birthday to Ron and Auntie M! I LOVE this book! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
I would find it so difficult to eat these. I’d want to frame them!
Paula, these cookies are truly pieces of art! WOW! They’re all gorgeous, but my favourite is the rose. I also love the design on the third cookie down.
Hope both Aunt Marjorie and Ron had wonderful birthdays
Your icing is exquisite!!! You never cease to amaze me, Paula…these are more works of art! Happy birthday to both Marjorie and Ron~
The swan cookie is my favorite! Gorgeous!
OMG – I always decorate with royal icing and need to run out and buy that book!
Wow. Your cookies – if it is even possible – get better and better. You need to teach classes!
How lovely that Ron shares his birthday with his Aunt. She sounds like a very cool lady….
Paula — These are GORGEOUS!!! I am in awe of that swan– SO PRETTY!
What elegant and gorgeous cookies! Bless her 91 years. These will make her so happy I am sure….and I am also drooling over that book. Can’t wait to see the gazebo.
I have never head of that book before. That is such a nice work you have done. I wish I could do the same. Beautiful!
Wow! These are truly elegant cookies! I am sure your Aunt Marjorie loved them for her birthday celebration. Happy Birthday to your husband! Have you really never made him cookies?
WOW Paula!!!! they are going to be blown away when they see these cookies – well done!!! You might be writing your very own piping book shortly!!!
What a special birthday, 91 is quite an achievement, Happy Birthday to Marjorie, and to poor cookie-less Ron. Paula these cookies are so beautiful. I love the antique look they have. What a birthday treat. We finally took our decorations down and while I wish I was curled up with a beautiful book like this, I’m afraid all of my boys have begun to follow football. I am desperately trying to curl up in the middle of 3 noisy boys, ‘watching the game’ !
Just gorgeous! and Happy Birthday Marjorie and Ron
These cookies are beautiful. I know your aunt will love them!
Just had a better look on a larger screen and if Eddie is the Master of Royal Icing, you, Paula, are Mistress! I’ll have to craft you a royal icing crown befitting your new title 😏. I can’t get over the details in each. STUNNING!
Happy bday to aunt Marjorie and Ron. Wishing them both all the very best and many more birthdays🎉🎈🎉🎈🎉🎈🎁
Exquisite! They are so beautiful. I am sure she will ove them. Can’t wait to see the next cookies!
These are fabulous!!! Thank you for sharing the photos and thank you, too, for sharing the details of this book. (I never even knew there could be various forms of Royal Icing!!) Glad the weather cleared in time for your drive to Cornwall.
my gosh Paula, these are completely works of art! You dove in and OWNED that book! Happy Birthday to Ron, these cookies are stunning – pat pat on your back!! HUGS
Stunning cookies Paula. And that book looks like a must for someone like you. I am pretty sure Eddie would be proud of these too!
Happy 91st Birthday to Aunt Marjorie!! We just celebrated my grandmothers 90th birthday and she had so much fun. I hope Aunt Marjorie has a great day!!
These cookies are stunning!! I can’t stop looking at that beautiful rose:)
First off, Happy birthday to Ron and to his aunt Marjorie!!!
Secondly, these cookies are so pretty. Some of them remind me of cameos (which I’ve always loved). You did an amazing job! I’ve never heard of Eddie Spence but I can imagine his beautiful book being chock full of inspiration. I think you did Eddie proud with your cookies Paula and I’m sure aunt Marjorie will be tickled pink to receive such beauties!