*Pretty Poodle Treats*

Pink & White French Poodle Cookies:

Toll House chocolate chip cookie "bones" covered in pink and white chocolate with dark chocolate details

A former student was celebrating her birthday with a French Poodle theme with very chic pink, black and white plates (see image).  After scouring the internet for ideas, I really liked the idea of making dog bones and somehow decorating them.  Finding dog bone-shaped "mini loaf" pans was difficult and I finally had to order them through a website for dog items. They were just the right size and the cookies turned out great.

And then it was time to decorate...

This was not my first time using my new chocolate melting pot, but since these bone cookies were considerably larger than the Oreo cookies I had dipped earlier this year, I wasn't really sure how to go about it. I finally decided since their shape was fairly smooth, it would be easier to just pour chocolate over each bone. Well, you can imagine the mess! But, in all honesty, they turned out well and I figured for my first try, things could only improve from here. 

After the outer layer was completely cooled and hardened, I went about adding decorative details and French sayings to add a little va-va-voom. I did this by pouring melted dark chocolate into the tiniest squeeze bottle (perhaps a bit too tiny) and set out decorating the tops. This was quite a learning experience...the miniature size of the bottle meant that the chocolate that waited in the top didn't stay warm, i.e. liquid, so it was a constant battle between me and the squeeze bottle. Now I know to keep the bottle insulated and warm between cookies-I do this by keeping a warm, damp kitchen towel wrapped in foil in a clear baking dish with a lid nearby as a home for the squeeze bottle as I go about decorating treats.

They were such a big hit, I got another call from more former students who wanted the same thing for their bug themed birthday (they share the same birthday and always do their school birthday treat together). I may have even scored another one for a birthday in two weeks, so check back! 

Coming Up: Birthday Bugs & A Halloween Spook-tacular Cake!