We have an exciting new product to introduce to you! As many of you know, Mike and I put on a big cookie convention in Salt Lake City called CookieCon, and I baked a lot (and I mean a LOT) of cookies for it so that the attendees can practice decorating. After the first CookieCon (fall of 2012), Mike and I were talking about how it’s a shame that there isn’t a dummy cookie for practicing, so that so much delicious butter and sugar wouldn’t get wasted practicing on cookies that would never get eaten. We even joked about a name for it… Notta Cookie. You know, in case someone tries to eat it, you say “Don’t eat it! It’s Notta Cookie!” Haha! And so the concept was born.
I kind of thought it was mostly a joke and a fun idea, but Mike was serious and determined. He started researching plastics and manufacturing. We found a local company to make the mold and another one to do the manufacturing. The mold was made with an actual cookie that I baked. We wanted it to be shaped and textured like a real cookie.
That way you’re practicing on a surface that is more realistic, and close to what you’ll experience using a real cookie. You can do anything on them that you would do on a real cookie– Piping, flooding, marbling, lettering, stenciling, painting, airbrushing… the list goes on as far as your imagination will take you.
You can either scrape the icing off while it’s still soft, or let it harden and pop it off with a metal spatula. They clean off so nice, and are dishwasher safe. They don’t stain either! When we got the initial sample of plastic, we poured straight food coloring (Americolor Gel Paste in Super Black, Super Red, Royal Blue, etc) all over it and let it sit for several days. It washed off very nicely, so we knew we had a winner.
We weren’t sure if they would be done in time for this year’s CookieCon, so I baked cookies again. As luck would have it, as soon as I was about done baking the CookieCon cookies, we got the call that the Notta Cookies were done! Darn. But we brought some with us anyway for people to try. Here are a couple of our awesome attendees practicing stenciling on the Notta Cookie.
(Kim and Beverly, you are both adorable! 🙂 And great job on your stenciling!)
The Notta Cookies were a hit! They are perfect for practicing all kinds of decorating techniques, and next CookieCon, I’m not baking as many cookies! Yay!!!
The Notta Cookie took almost exactly 18 months from concept to finished product, but it’s finally done, and you can start using them for your cookie decorating practice! You can find them here.
We also brought a few new cutter shapes to debut at CookieCon. We got them up on the site, and they are now available to everyone.
Check out the new KC exclusives. They are the Large and Small Fancy Sign and the Large and Small Thought Bubble. Incidentally, the thought bubble was this year’s Mystery Shape at CookieCon. Check out this link to see some of the crazy-creative things people did with it (scroll about 3/4 of the way down, past the regular sugar show entries to all the ones on the black background).
I’ve decided I’m not going to apologize for long (LONG) spells between blog posts. Because I’m busy, you know. I have a lot going on. So I’m not going to apologize for leaving you hanging. I’m not going to apologize for silence at the Karen’s Cookies Blog. Nope. Not going to do it. Because I don’t do that anymore. (So sorry!! I’m going to do better, I promise!!!)
No, instead of apologizing, I’ll just keep bribing you to stay tuned by doing giveaways. Comment on this post, and 5 lucky winners will be randomly selected (using Random.org) to receive one each of the new cutters and a Notta Cookie. Tell us what you think of the Notta Cookie and you’ll be entered! You have through Friday, Apr 4th to enter. Good Luck!
Great idea! I’d love to haev one of these.
What a great idea! Can’t wait to get some!
The Notta Cookie is an amazing idea! I can see how handy having a few of these could be. I am just beginning to learn how to decorate cookies, and these will help immensely. Now I don’t have to eat all the cookies;)!
I love the notta cookie. I got one in my swag bag and bought another one at your table. I used it during open decorating.
What a great idea the Notta Cookie is! Your new cutters are nice too!
Super Idea!!!! I have wasted so many cookies!! Never again!
I was ecstatic when one of your customers posted your product on facebook. THANK YOU!!! I’m so glad you thought of it. Since I’m new at this, your notta cookie is going to save me lots of time. Can’t wait to place my order. Again, thank you.
What a fantastic idea! There are so many things I’d like to try before putting them on a cookie. Although my kids and husband would miss the mess-up cookies!
I am SO JAZZED for you two, inventing the NOTTA COOKIE! Genius! I ordered six for sometime i teach a class again. Thank you!!! You have helped so many people with this invention!
I think it’s notta bad idea!
Your writing is always so creative!
I think that you and Mike are amazing – going from idea to manufacturing! (You’re amazing for other reasons too, but this one’s relevant to the post.) 🙂
Thanks!
What a great idea. Can’t wait to try it!
What a fantastic idea! You will save lots of time preparing for the next convention and cookiers will save lots of money on all the supplies that are purchased for practice cookies. Congratulations on another fantastic convention.
What an awesome idea! Hubby won’t be too happy since he got the practice cookies, lol
What a great idea. I would be able to sit there and practice all day long and not have to worry about mistakes. Plus, if it looked good I could use it as a transfer!!! Great idea. Love those new cutters too.
i loved your comment on no apologizing… and you are right, there is no need… in the contrary. we should thank you that you take moments from your busy time to keep us updated.
this notta cookie, what a great idea, this is what makes you different and special.. innovation.
congratulations
Thank you Karen! I love the Notta Cookie and the cutter shapes. Now if only I could find a cookie-decorating class in Chicago (not the suburbs). Please try to market to Bittersweet Bakery.. maybe it will prompt them to offer a long-promised class.
What a FANTASIC idea… I can’t wait to get a “notta cookie” to try it out!!! Love the new cookie cutter shapes too!!!
I am new to cookie-ing, so I need all the practice I can get!
I LOVE the Notta Cookie. I’ve made a few of my own over the years, but they were for short term use. Thanks for making them.
I just bought a Notta Cookie! I can’t wait to try it out. It’s a genius idea!
The notta cookie seems like a great idea for us rookie cookie decorators…gotta get it! The other cookie shapes look nice too! The ideas created at the cookie con are amazing! What creativity! Thanks for sharing!
What a great Idea. My waistline will appreciate it too!
Notta Cookie looks lie an awesome tool to plot out a cookie design.
Thanks Karen & Mike for designing the Notta Cookie! These will be perfect not just for a practice cookie but to use for your favorite cookie design to always have on display. The new cutters are now on my wish list! 🙂
What a GREAT idea!! I would LOVE to have one!
I love this idea! Maybe I would make more time for practicing if I had a Notta Cookie 😉
Awesome idea now I can quit throwing cookies in trash!
Genius! Complete genius! This Notta Cookie is the greatest idea ever! Would love to have one! And what cute cutters!
Great idea! I waste plenty decorating but my family sure enjoys eating the mess-ups! 🙂
Count me in! I love the Notta Cookie!
Wow! What an ingenious idea! I hate wasting cookies when I’m working on a pattern to put on the cookie The Notta Cookie would be so wonderful! Of course I’d have to have several of them to try different designs at one time. And those new shapes are great, too. Would love to win them!
I’m in LOVE with the Notta Cookie. I think it’s terrific. I decorate almost solely with buttercream, so easy-peasy – scrape and start over (and no icing wasted, either!). With seven children, some of whom are interested in decorating, this’ll be great.
Loved it – could use another!! Thanks for the great invention!
Notta cookie – fabulous idea !
Notta cookie looks like a GREAT idea!!!
I think the notta cookie is great! I have at least 10-15 techniques that I want to try but between selling cookies, working full time and taking care of my two little kids, I never seem to have any extra or time to make extras to practice on. This is awesome!
Oh my gosh, the Notta Cookie is a FABULOUS idea!! I’ve often baked lots of extras just to practice. My husband will no longer have to eat those practice cookies – although he doesn’t usually complain too much!
Love the Notta cookie concept!! Very fun!
I’m excited! I’m all the way from New Zealand and we are a bit strapped for innovative ideas here for things like cookies. I’d already put in an order for some Notta Cookies (and cutters) but I wont turn down more. Thanks for a fab product, and the patience it must have taken. I’m disappointed I live so far away. CookieCon sounds like a blast. Cheers.
What a GREAT idea! And love, love, love the new shapes!
What a great idea!
Notta cookie….pure genius!! Would love to have the cutters too!! Thanks for all both of you do for the cookie community!!
Such a smart invention! Great way to practice without any waste.
Absolutely love the Notta Cookie and the new designs! Please pick me!
Wow! You and Mike have been busy. Love the new cutters and the Notta Cookie is genius. Didn’t get to attend the Cookie Con but have enjoyed all the posts on FB and blogs. Thanks for you never ending generosity.
No need to apologize … You’ve been “kinda” busy after all!! Love the new cutters abnd the Notta Cookie! Thanks fir all you do!
I love the Notta Cookie idea!! I can’t wait to get a few to practice with!! Thank you! I always enjoy (and learn from) your blogs no matter when they arrive!!
Oh….I LOVE the Notta Cookie! What a great idea. I have baked “salt dough” cookies to practice with in the past….I love this idea…no more baking “fake” cookies!
I cannot wait to get my hands on a notta cookie and practice!!!!!!
That is awesome! Great idea!
An awesome idea! And those thought bubbles are fantastic!
Awesome that you came up with such a clever idea! Love the new cutter designs!
What an amazing idea! I’m sure there will be a few “testers” that will be saddened with this new product
The Notta Cookie looks awesome! Being able to make a test run without wasting a cookie is a brilliant idea. I also love the new cutters. Thanks for the chance to win!!
That’s an awesome idea! My hips will be greatfull too so no more eating my practice cookies. Mike glad that you were determined and saw this project through.
Fantastic Idea – My hat’s off to you!
Wow! Notta Cookie is such a great idea. I would love to have one 🙂
What’s the saying? ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. Very true!! This a great tool for cookie decorating practice.
I would love to make gorgeous cookies, but I always say, I would not let anyone (including me) eat them. Sooo, that’s when you come in, thank you so much for the brilliant idea. Now I can decorate gorgeous cookies and use them as display. So I will need to order a few dozen.
Love the word bubble cutter!!
Great idea and love the cutters!
Omg what a neat, creative idea!!! LOVE it!!
I love the idea. I always have to make extra cookies to account for all the ones I’m less than pleased with. Found you after seeing cookie con posts, hope you have it next year and that I could go.
Love the notta cookie idea, and the name too!
How exciting!!! I will be placing an order soon!
I would love to have Notta Cookie to help me improve my skills without having to bake or waste real cookies. What a clever idea!
What a terrific idea! I would use it to teach my kids how to pipe and decorate.
Love this idea!!And I’ve your blog!
The Notta Cookies are an awesome idea! And the new cutters are gorgeous 🙂
What a genius idea! I shouldn’t be surprised though, coming from you two. 🙂
This is perfect for me. I have an airbrush that I haven’t had the courage to use yet! Thank you for the incredible concept!!
Awesome idea! I have been baking for years and started up a business of my own (cherry blossom confections) and have added cookies into the mix over he last six months or so! These would be great to have as I am definitely still growing, learning new techniques, and of course always practicing 🙂 I love the conversation cutters….I looked everywhere last year and ended up using two separate cutters to piece together my own…now I won’t have to do that 🙂
Great idea! I’d love to have one of these.
As a newbie to cookies…the ability to practice would be great…I’ve done a lot of ugly cookies…it would be nice to practice!
Its a wonderful idea. I just started doing cookies like these one. I’ve been practicing piping and flooding over parchment paper so I didn’t have to bake cookies all the time. So this came just in time. I already got a few. Excellent ideas….are they going to come in different shapes?
“notta cookie” … what a brilliant idea!! I would love to win the new cutters as well as the notta cookie. By the way, it’s great to see a new post, but no apology needed. You have to be one of the busiest people around!
I can’t wait to try the notta cookie!
love this..can’t believe you guys came up with it..Great for trying out new techniques and I will give my daughters 1 each to practice with so I can work in peace 🙂
Wow – what a great idea! I love the concept of the Notta Cookie 🙂
That is the most brilliant idea!!!!!! And the new cutters are awesome:) Great giveaway!
notta cookie!! jaja what a great idea!!!! 18 month.. but very good job!!!
What a great idea! Thanks for another great product!
OH MY!!! What a great idea!!! Considering I’m just getting into baking and decorating cookies this will truly be a great help. And the name…LOVE IT!! Great job. Now I need…NOTTA COOKIE!!! 🙂
The Notta Cookie is brilliant! And I love the thought bubble cutters as well. They are so cute.
It sound like a great idea! No need to bake to pratice! An it’s a great way to try a design before actually pipied it onto a real cookie.
Notta cookie…what a cool idea. Love your new cutters, too, esp that Sugarbelle cookie jar. Sweet!
I love the idea of Notta cookie, can’t wait to get my hands in one. The new cutters are great too. Thanks for the giveaway.
love!
With cake & cupcake “dummies”, don’t know why none of us thought of this sooner!!!!
It’s an amazing idea. No more baking needed to practice new techniques. 🙂
What a great idea! Thanks por the giveaway. Cute cutters too!
I love the new cutters and the Notta Cookie is a stroke of genius. There are so many techniques I would like to practice before I do it on the real thing and I wouldn’t have a lot of “mistakes” to eat.
What a fantastic invention, but please don’t stop with just the round cookie. I have a container filled with blank cookies that I use for practice and I am always afraid they are going to mold and will have to be thrown away before I can practice decorating them, The Notta Cookie can be kept forever.
Noreen Ahern, The Villages, FL
This Notta Cookie is such a time, energy and money saver. A must have for cookie decorators, would love to see more shapes.
I love notta cookie – already used it and want another!!!!
Notta Cookie worked great when I didn’t have extra cookies to spare with a mistake. Thanks!
Sounds like a great idea! There have been countless times when I bake cookies just so I can ‘try’ something out!
Can’t wait to use a Notta Cookie!
Awesome! Thanks for your thought.
It’s a really usufull idea !!
Notta Cookie idea is brilliant! Love the new conversation bubbles too!
So cool that you came up with this idea. I would live to practice on notta cookie instead of reala cookies!
What a great idea. I have thrown away so many cookies cause they were practice cookies. But thanks to you I will no longer have to do that. I already ordered one, I am sure I will be purchasing
more cause one will probably not be enough.
that is such a great idea there are cake dummies this is just so neat!
I love the new cutters and the notta cookie is an incredible idea.
Hurray for Notta Cookie!!! Now I don’t have to buy cheap store bought cookies & graham crackers for crash test dummies. My order arrived crazy fast and I’m thrilled with my Nottas! They are just the right size and texture. Brilliant!
What an incredible idea! I think that I may need a few of these…. 😉
I think Notacookie is a fantastic idea! I may have to order me a few of these and see how they might work for teaching classes …. Any thoughts to doing them in shapes? Dang! Now I can hardly wait for wedding season to finish so I can get into cookie season ….
Love this idea! So creative! 🙂
Notta Cookie is the greatest ever !!!
I love the Notta Cookie! What a great idea! Maybe next year I can finally make it to CookieCon.
Wow! I wish I can win one!!!
I LOVE THIS!!! This is perfect and ironic because I told my boyfriend I wish there was a fake cookie to practice on so I don’t have to bake so many cookies that sometimes get thrown away =( This is perfect for newbies like me who need a lot of practice, but do not want to throw away dozens of cookies that do not get eaten. My mom more than anyone will be so happy about this. She thinks I bake too many cookies just to take photos, and end up not eating them all lol. I can’t wait to buy a few!!
Whatta great idea! Just think of all the pounds I’ll lose because I’ll be using a Notta Cookie for practice!
What a great idea! I’m just learning, this would sure come in handy. BB
I think that’s a wonderful concept! If the Notta Cookie does well, you should consider doing some different shapes like a square or oval.
I got enough Notta Cookies at CookieCon to share with my sisters and encourage them to learn to decorate cookies. They’re great when I want to practice decorating without having to bake up a bunch of cookies and messing those up. Plus, the cookie cutters are really cute, too!
I got my at CookieCon and I love it! I need to get more so I can practice on more then one at the time!
What a great idea!
Wow! Notta Cookies sound fantastic!
So clever! I would love one!
What an incredible idea! I will a few of these.
The Notta Cookie is ingenious! Would love to see more shapes come out!
What a great idea! Could take to classes or anywhere and it won’t crumble either!
What a great idea! A few of these would save time and money for practicing.
Aw WOW, love them all. will the Notta cookie be on sale in the UK? I really want one. What a fantastic idea.
The notta cookie is such a great concept. Would love to share it on my blog.
I am looking to order one soon because I’ve been eyeing it for months. Finally getting one to practice a few new techniques, and really hate having to always bake a huge set to practice a couple things. Great, great concept!
This is such a simple and useful invention! I just got on for $3 on The Cookie Countess’ site, and enjoy using it. I use it to practice decorating cupcakes before I actually pipe on top of a real cupcake. Thanks for inventing it and making this product a reality! 🙂
I am new to cookie decorating and think your idea is Fantastic! Can’t wait to buy some!!