Sidewalk Crack Cookies

Here are some photos of the cookies I made for the wonderful Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators yearly cookie competition.

Why "Sidewalk Crack Cookies?". When I was a kid, while playing on our street, I discovered cracks in the concrete... so I hid little precious things like beads, tiny notes, bits of string -  inside the cracks. Later, when I was at school or going to sleep, I loved to think about how, on my unassuming street, there were hidden places filled with beauty.

So that's what I wanted to do with cookies! Plain on the outside, a celebration of exuberant love, wild happiness and beauty just waiting to be discovered on the inside.

The discussion at last night's meeting was about inspiration - and that's what making art it is for me. Witnessing, then presenting the magic happening in the periphery of the commonplace.

For anyone who would like to create their own "Sidewalk Crack Cookies", you can use the recipe that I posted for my "Crazy Face Cookies" from two years ago.

The thing to do differently is to buy yourself some little Pyrex bowls, turn them upside down on a cookie sheet, cut the dough into a circle and lay it over the top of the bowl, gently forming it to the bowl.

When it bakes, the dough will relax and form a bowl shape. (If the dough falls apart on the bowl, knead it some more and work more flour into it). Then, of course, you will need to make "lids" too.

Here is a photo of how the cookies looked before opening them.
Then, surprise surprise!

I hope that you enjoy this post. I really loved painting these cookies. Here is my appropriately named dog, Cookie, in her modeling debut, sporting the awesome felt covered medal I won for entering the "Most Creative" cookie! THANK YOU, SCBWI!