I fell in love with these delightful little cookies at first bite.  They are perfect for any occasion, and simply easy to make!  This is my go-to recipe for parties, gifts, and whenever I need a cookie fix.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!  Happy Baking!


Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar (1/2 cup for recipe and rest for coating cookies)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely ground
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

This birthday cake was made for my friend's girlfriend who loves Hello Kitty. And I can't lie and say that I wasn't obsessed over Sanrio when I was younger.  Hello Kitty has evolved over the years, but she is recognizable for her silhouette and bow.  For this cake, I wanted to capture those elements in the simple graphic style I remembered from my childhood.

The cake started as 2 layers of 10" vanilla cake, and filled with vanilla buttercream.  After stacking the layers, I crumb coated the entire cake and prepped it to receive a blanket of white fondant.  I then smoothed out all bubbles for nice finished look.  I created a template of Hello Kitty and used that to cut out her black outline from fondant.  Lifting it gently with the help of a flexible cutting mat, the outline was then slid onto the top of the cake and positioned.  I lifted the edges just enough to brush on a touch of water to attach it.  I then proceeded to cut out the pink elements on the cake.  The layering of the bow is a simple way to create a dimensional effect.  Floral shapes with a sugar pearl center add the girlish touch that we love about this Sanrio character.  She's just simple and sweet!