Copy... How to make rabbit

Cutter Craze for CNY 2011

By Nurainie on 27.1.11 |

The coming Chinese New Year (CNY), the year of the rabbit, known to possess characteristics such as timid, reserved, cautions, peaceful, diplomatic...etc. However, sandwiched between the tiger and dragon, that would make the rabbit a tough cookie...haha. I wish this blog has emoticons...but then that would take the seriousness away.

Continuing my cookie cutter craze from Christmas 2010, below is a tutorial on rabbits. Still using cutters, any cutters in the collection, not necessary cookie ones.

Some tools, cutters, and fondant needed.

We will be doing both male and female rabbits simultaneously. First, these 2 flower cutters are just to give a standard size for the head and paws.

Roll them up.

Shape them and attach them to the cupcake covers (that's what I like to call them).

These are cutters for gumpaste orchids, the spider and vanda. I had a rough idea of what the rabbit looked like before I search my box of cutters.

Attach the ears and use a black edible marker to draw the eyes and mouth. If you are heavy handed like me, its best to wait for the fondant to dry and harden before you draw. The "error" is a dent to the fondant while drawing. You could use pink fondant for nose or use a pink edible marker...like those on top of this page. Dust pink lustre dust on cheeks.

Accessorize them with CNY goodies, orange for luck and ang pow for prosperity.

Someone with an even crazier cutter idea is The Sweet Adventures of Sugar Belle, among my favourite cookie blogs. Following cookie blogs have led me to introducing decorated cookies to go with CNY cupcakes. To coordinate these two products together stressed me out. Cookies goes through the process of baking to decorating. Cupcakes are the opposite, decorating first, then baking. Both using different mediums, royal icing for the former and fondant of the later. Cookies has long shelf life, cupcakes short.

These two products are for retail at Yummy Kitchen Bake & Dine, at Ipoh Garden South, my business partner for the festive season of Chistmas and CNY since 2009. So opposite are they that at one stage, cookies sale nearly killed the cupcakes. They are fighting on the shelves...funny! But its ok...situation has been controlled. "Control" one of the management function, never clearly explained in books. And "Planning" has been over emphasized. Anyway, if you are at a restaurant, and the Hostess says you have to wait as the restaurant is full, but you see empty tables and she says its "reserved", then you have been "controlled". "Control the Floor" a term used to describe controlling the seating of guests to ensure the quality for food and service is (can be) maintained throughout the operation hours.

Christmas through to CNY has always been a peak period for me, this year, I am thankful for the help of my ex-student, Nic, also a catering student from Keris College, awaiting his industrial placement in Traders Hotel. Besides technical skills, hope he has also learnt a little on the management part of a home business.

Wishing you all the best, Nic, and may you have every opportunity to get your hands dirty in the early stage of your career. The higher a chef's position, not only does the hat gets higher, but the uniform gets cleaner too. Lucky is the Executive Chef who has time to cook!

Another person I would like to thank is Rokiah of umiedelite for helping out with icing the cookies one Sunday. Two pair of hands make lighter work and two heads are better than one. I shall look forward to more "help" from her especially as wedding cake orders are coming in now...its the year of the rabbit after all. Here's to a Great Rabbit Year to all my blog followers!