First of all, let me dedicate this post to a special “teacher” of mine: Pierre Auguste Renoir. Believe it or not, he is the guy who taught me to love classical art even though we obviously have never met. Care to hear the story?

Up until we were introduced I had only been exposed to shadowy religious paintings (think Rembrandt) or teetering geometrical portraits (like Picasso) and I absolutely did not get art. Then one day at the library I randomly picked up a book featuring Renoir’s paintings. I opened a page and felt like I was holding a book of visual songs. All that color, light, and emotion…I was a goner!

This happened years ago but thanks to Renoir not only was I introduced to a wonderful new side of art but I also went on to discover other incredible artists like Van Gogh, Monet, and Degas.

For all of that and your beautiful art, Mr. Renoir, I am so grateful. :)

So the Impressionists…total geniuses in my book and the inspiration behind these cool little cookies. In honor of my french hero artists may I say “Bon appétit!”

P.S. The easels were made with hot glue and lollipop sticks.

You Will Need:
Rectangle sugar cookies
White fondant
Corn starch or powdered sugar
Knife
Vanilla frosting
Vodka
Gel food coloring
Food grade paintbrush

Begin by rolling out your fondant like you would cookie dough. (Thickness depends on how much you like or dislike the taste of fondant.)  Position a cookie on top of the rolled fondant. Use this cookie as a stencil to cut out the right shape.

If it’s a little off you when it comes out you can always smush the sides in a little or whatever you need to do to make it match the cookie.

Spread a very think layer of frosting on top of the cookie and use this as “glue” to attach the fondant cut-out. Repeat this process to create the rest of your “canvases”.

Once you’re finished with the cookies squeeze a tiny amount of the food coloring gel on to a plate. Fill a shot glass or sauce cup with a tablespoon or two of vodka.

Dip your brush in the vodka then smear it around in the gel. Add vodka drop by drop until you get a hue you like. Now you’re ready for the scary part…painting! Don’t worry, you can do this. Below you’ll find step-by-step pictures to end up with my cookie version of 3 famous Impressionist paintings but here are a few tips to keep in mind as you go:

1. Makes dabs not brush strokes.
2. Be sure to let some white fondant show through in between dabs to keep the picture looking bright.
3. Not every “painting” will look identical and that’s perfectly okay!

Tres parfait!

Of course, you can always come up with your own original art work too.

What ever  you choose to paint be careful…

These masterpieces get snapped up quickly!