My Very First Cookies - Black and White

I am a reader, not a doer. 

Every now and then I might produce something with my own hands, even something as extravagant as a ladybug-larva-shaped-cake (my daughter's first birthday, no good photos, but I assure you it was wonderful), but those are just exeptions. I never decorated cookies, but I read a lot about it. 

And then I saw LilaLoa's January Challenge. For a week I thought "yeah, it would be fun to make some cookies, but I don't know what shape or pattern". Then two weeks of "I know! I know! I have a good beginner-friendly idea!". And it could be left at that if not for one more thought. 

The challenge is not just about black-and-white cookies. It's more about leaving your comfort zone. And that for me means actually making the cookies. 

I never prepared or used Royal Icing. And I don't have meringue powder, so I had to improvise with regular egg-whites. My kids (14mo and 3,5y) tried to help me each step of the way, so the results are far from what I imagined. And, of course, I have a long way before my cookies are any good, but here they are. My Very First Cookies. 

See the triangle, where the checkerboard is oblique? Actually, there are three of them and I love them.

 

Pantagon cookies were most shapely, but when finished, none deserved a spot on the top layer... Maybe next time. And a new year resolution: complete every 2013 challenge. And of course, about an hour after I finished Icing I found out how to remove those peaks. Really, a long way ahead of me...