Lady Tina Deluca Tsourtsoulas ..... Irresistible and unique Vintage cookies!

Vintage... classic and classy! Unique, powerful in design, colorful, tasty but basically adorable cookies! This is what I see in Tina... a mix of different senses in a cookie.

Sugar art in cookies is very demanding, difficult, especially when designs have to be applied under different techniques. But as far as I see Tina definitely performs incredibly well. Who is this mysterious gentle lady?

About Tina:

Born in Madison New Jersey, USA; a graduate of St. Elizabeth’s Academy and Ithaca College.  Worked on Wall Street in New York City as a Financial Investor until a move to Greece in 1984; mother of 3.

Initiator and owner of an infant store for 5 years, bridal- baptismal shop for 18 years, a candy bouquet business for the past 4 years and a 31 year partner in a photo studio responsible for all digital albums; creativity has been the forefront of all work activity.

The past 2 years traveled on a cookie journey with 20 Weekly spotlights on Cookie Connection, a Cookie of the month, two top 40 cookies of the year 2013 and top 10 Cookie of the Year 2013. This is the largest International cookie site on the web with over 3,500 cookiers posting more than 21,000 cookie sets worldwide. Published in two issues of Real Food Magazine in Greece the latest being  the Christmas 2014 issue. 

Teaching small groups and individuals basic cookie making and decorating.

What made you work with royal icing and cookies?

I would like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity and honor in doing this interview. I wish your blog and your baking journey all the success!!!!!

Now for the interview:

I work with both Royal Icing and Sugar paste.

In the beginning of my cookie journey I tried RI and it didn’t seem to fulfil my creative needs.  I did not know how high a skill level was required to do great royal icing projects and simple things like outlining, flooding and wet on wet techniques were unchallenging to me.

So I changed directions and I began “playing” with fondant. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent with my children when they were small playing with Play- dough so fondant seemed easy enough for me.  In a short period of time I learned how to make it and use it quite efficiently. And I was regularly spotlighted on Cookie Connections which gave me encouragement to continue my fondant work.

The biggest problem with fondant is there are so many products in the market to improve the look of your work or make your job easier it can become an expensive hobby. To keep up with the latest looks a rather substantial financial outlay has to be made for impression mats, molds, sugarveil type products, etc and I simply am not in the position to keep buying. I do not sell therefore I have no way to justify purchases when Greece’s finances have left many of us watching our budgets carefully.

And although these various products make a beautiful finished fondant cookie I am using a totally different set of skills then those cookies made with Royal Icing.

When looking at the international cookiers’ posts I would feel jealous that their cookies had a different feel and look to them and I decided I would start teaching myself more about RI.

And that is what I did.

What is your favourite medium to decorate cookies?

I love to decorate so whether it is fondant or RI I can sit for hours on end decorating cookies.

RI has the added factor of needing drying time between phases so a dehydrator or oven must be used to speed up the process if one is in a hurry.  Once I sit down I like to finish what I start and sometimes I can work a fondant cookie for hours at a time. RI forces one to stop and restart and this I find a bit frustrating.

3.Did you have a mentor or tutor? Are you following specific sources for your inspiration and self-training?

I had no training or mentor. Xmas 2012 I wanted to make some cookies and Googled for ideas and that is how it all started.  I use Youtube for much of my learning. I search for cookie tutorials and blogs to find new techniques, to learn about making colors and about making a great tasting cookie. Something that was pivotal to my cookie journey was when I began networking with other cookie artist from all over the world.  Besides developing friendships we seem to teach each other, feed off each other’s ideas and give each other support and encouragement. It has been life changing.

4. What are your influences?  Who do you consider more impressive or remarkable cookies decorators worldwide?

The first person whose work I fell in love with was Carina’s Cupcakes who worked with fondant on cupcakes.  I loved her soft romantic style and tried to bring some of that look to my cookies, in the beginning.  Sweet Ambs style wowed me and she has a lot of free tutorials that really helped me then too. Evelin Decora’s work makes my heart sigh every time I see it. She also is generous in her encouragement and tips. The work of Anko Vergan Orban , made me fall in love with the Eastern cookiers. She is also a very generous cookie artist that likes to share her knowledge.  Julia Usher’s , Haniella’s  Montrael Confections  videos are priceless .There are too many wonderful cookiers making beautiful art on cookies that I aspire to their level someday to list one by one. 

I had the good fortune to visit Aniko in Hungary and study with her for 4 full days this past October. It was a lifetime experience on many levels.  I brought back the knowledge of her gingerbread and techniques into creating beautiful Eastern style gingerbread cookies.

5.What is your opinion about the cookies market abroad, in Europe and in US?

Everyone loves cookies; especially Americans.  Unfortunately there are so many cheap cookies hitting the markets in the States in supermarkets and large chain stores that it is has taken away from the value of the individual cookier, whose work, for the most part, is too beautiful to eat.  I don’t know enough about Europe’s market but from the teachers that are coming from all over to teach throughout Europe, some at high costs, there must be interest in learning everywhere in Europe.

How about the Greek market? Do people appreciate the cookies art in Greece? Do you believe that cookie decoration has future in Greece? Are there according to you interesting designers in Greece?

The art of beautiful cookies in Greece is hand tied because of the lack of Cottage Laws allowing bakers to work out of their home.  Meanwhile the government has made it uninviting to begin business adventure in Greece although I am happy to see some bakers opening new shops. However there are still many sugar artists working in the grey area here.

Maybe people in Greece appreciate beautiful cookies, but there are few willing to pay the price for cookie art here. I often get asked how much do I charge for the kilo. I have to laugh because if I did sell it would be by the piece and not by the kilo. But these same buyers seem to settle for any cookie at a low price and there seems to be enough bakers not giving reasonable value to their work or offering a lower caliber cookie ( in design and or quality ingredients)  at an affordable price. 

There is much sugar art talent here. I am sure that someone that creates elaborate cakes can easily bake and decorate a cookie. I think for the time and effort spent in creating beautiful cookies it is not profitable and decorators and even shop owners shy away from doing them.  There are few of us that post only cookies on the Greek baking sites. We know who we are and we all appreciate each other’s work and skill levels.

I think the future in cookie decorating in Greece is more in the everyday mom wanting to learn simple enough techniques to creating beautiful treats for her parties and guests. People don’t have the pocket or the appreciation to pay the labour intense work in gorgeous cookies. So I see more seminars in the future.

What is in fact the secret for a perfect design in a cookie? Does a cookie recipe play its role?

Like everything we build, if the foundation is not perfect the rest of the structure is not good. A great tasting cookie is paramount. What good is a beautiful cookie that tastes terrible?

The ingredients need to be excellent using butter not oil or margarines. The shape of the cookie should not be compromised during baking either.

Do you think that a decorator with royal icing is a hidden talent or results from a perfect training?

I think decorating is a talent that not everyone has regardless of whether it is fondant or Royal Icing. RI needs a steady hand and practice. What is always the most important is the willingness and energy that the baker puts into learning. It is like anything else, if the underlying talent is not there then decorating becomes mechanical instead of something that is done with love and excitement. But with RI practice is imperative.

What are your tips for beginners?

Be patient, be kind to yourself and give it time. You will know from the very beginning if it is something you are passionate about.

Don’t jump ahead of yourself.  Learn the basics first. Learn to make perfect dots, lines, curves and shapes. Practice and practice some more. Learn which RI consistency to use for each design process. Learn how to mix colors. It will save you a lot of money.

Learn to simply sketch your ideas out and transfer those ideas to the cookie. Break down the steps in the process of building your design to make them easier to manage.

Do not run out and buy every gadget in the store; if you don’t love it that will be a waste of money. Beautiful things can be created with less.  I have seen jaw dropping cookies created with RI and a plastic sandwich bag and nothing else. THERE is the talent.

I have also seen fondant cookies beautifully done with little equipment. I have made many that way. Follow people that inspire you and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There is so much free advice out there for the learning. Look at youtube and checkout tutorials online.

Seminars are not necessary but are shortcuts to help one on their learning journey. And make cookie friends so you have a safe place to share this excitement!  Our family and friends probably get very tired of listening to us talking about cookies all the time.

What was the most difficult cookie that you ever made? 

Technique wise the most difficult cookie would be the pressure piping cookies I did in Hungary. Both the patterns and technique were new to me.

But the most difficult cookie I ever made was when I was asked to make Angry bird cookies for a friend’s 5 year old son and I hadn’t even heard of angry birds. It was going to be the 1st time anyone outside my friends and family were going to eat my cookies and I wanted them to be perfect.  I was nervous and didn’t want to disappoint anyone and put a lot of unnecessary time researching the cookie. 

What are the future plans of Tina? How she sees herself in business within the coming years?

The best thing I can do is to continue to learn and practice and become the best cookier I can out of pride and love of the art. And the thing that will make me the happiest is by passing on my knowledge to others. I have had a very successful class in Korce Albania in a shelter for woman. I have had private and semi private lessons and it is something I really love. So there is the direction I will go. It takes allot of planning and structure for a successful class but I think I am well on my way.

I hope that I successfully answered all of your questions and made this interview interesting for all! I wish everyone a wonderful journey with their baking and am always available for questions. Thank you!  Tina

I left the above comment from Tina because I simply state that every work bears her signature. Original design, stylish and precise. But at the same time I see something else in Tina's art that touches me: all her cookie designs bring me to a home. To a warm family atmosphere, where she keeps calm, inspired by images and nature all over her. I love that she brings a lot of color and I find very powerful that her cookie doesn't only bear her signature but a lot of pictures from her country. Deeply hidden in her heart but well displayed in her art. Beautiful memories possibly from her younger age and, for a reason, I personally notice it in each and every design she makes. And this is basically what makes of a cookie an absolute success. The idea of telling you a story, sweet and memorable! Pleasure was all mine Tina! Analytical aspect is very much welcome in my blog, especially from people who know very well what they do.

Her incredible page is waiting for your likes.... Sugar Wishes
And her site... Sugar Wishes

Craqueles / Μπισκοτα κρακελε

Μια καταπληκτική και λίγο διαφορετική απο τα συνηθισμένα μας μπισκοτα συνταγή. Σας προτείνω να τη δοκιμάσατε άμεσα είτε για να τα μοιραστείτε με την οικογένειά σας, ακόμα και για να τα χαρίσετε σε μία ωραία συσκευασία σαν δώρο. Εμφανίσιμα, νόστιμα, πλούσια και λατρεμένα! Ξεκινάμε λοιπόν?

An amazing and little bit different than usual cookies recipe. I suggest you try it right away and share them with your family or even offer them as gift in a beautiful box. They look gorgeous, taste, rich and adorable. Should we start?

Μπισκότα Κρακελε/ Craqueles
Δοση για τουλάχιστον 50 μπισκότα μεσαίου μεγέθους

Ψησιμο/Baking 10' (13' για πιο τραγανιστά/13' for more crunchy)
Προετοιμασία / Preparation: 15'
Αναμονή / Waiting: 2h

Υλικά / Ingredients
400 gr σκούρα σοκολάτα 55% / chocolate 55%
120 gr βούτυρο / butter
4 αβγα / eggs
120 gr  κρυσταλλική ζάχαρη / caster sugar
400 gr  ζαχαρούχο γάλαconcentrated sugar milk
400 gr  αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις / plain flour (for all uses)
Λίγο αλάτι / little salt
2 κ.γ. baking powder / tea spoons of baking powder
ζαχαρη άχνη / Powder sugar
(Προαιρετικά μισό κουταλάκι καρδάμωμο/ optional half tea spoon of cardamome)


Ξεκινάμε στο μπεν μαρί να λιώσουμε τη σοκολάτα μαζί με το βούτυρο. Το βουτυρο το εχω κομμένο σε κυβάκια για πιο γρήγορη ενσωμάτωση. Το μπαιν μαρι πάντα σε μέτρια φωτιά. Ανακατευουμε μέχρι να ομογενοποιηθεί καλά. Melt chocolate and butter cut in small cubes in bain marie. When butter is cut in small cubes it enables our mixture to be better incorporated. We mix with a spatula until fully incorporated.

Χτυπάμε τα αβγά με τη ζάχαρη να ασπρίσουν σε μέτρια ταχυτητα. Στη συνέχεια προσθέτουμε το μειγμα της σοκολάτας στα αβγά και ανακατεύουμε σε μέτρια ταχύτητα πάλι. Beat the eggs in the mixer with the sugar in medium speed. Then add the chocolate mixture to eggs and continue beating in same speed.

Προσθέτουμε το ζαχαρούχο γάλα και συνεχίζουμε το ανακάτωμα μέχρι να ομογενοποιηθεί καλά. Add the concentrated milk and continue beating until well incorporated.

Σε ενα μπωλ ανακατεύουμε το αλευρι με το μπεικιν παουντερ και το αλάτι. Τα προσθέτουμε κοσκινισμένα στο μείγμα μας, σταδιακά, ανακατεύοντας παράλληλα με μία σπατουλα. Το μείγμα στο τέλος θα μοιάζει περίπου με τη ζύμη του μπράουνι... Παχυ αρκετά. Το τοποθετούμε στο ψυγείο για τουλάχιστον 2 ώρες. Mix in a bowl the flour, the baking powder and the salt. Add gradually sifted the flour mix to the chocolate mixture, by mixing with a spatula until fully and well incorporated. The mixture at the end will look similar to a brownie's mixture. Very thick. Place it on the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Μολις το βγάλουμε από το ψυγείο το μείγμα θα εχει την υφή όπως φαίνεται στην παρακάτω φωτογραφία. After 2 hours, take it off the fridge. It will look like in the below picture. 

Προθερμαινουμε το φούρνο στους 165 βαθμούς (Κελσίου). Σε ενα βαθύ πιάτο βαλτε αρκετή αχνη και με ενα κουτάλι παρτε μικρές δοσεις από το μειγμα στα χέρια σας και καντε μπαλάκια. Ρολάρετε τα μπαλάκι στην αχνη και μετά τοποθετείστε τα σε ενα ταψι επάνω σε αντικολλητικό χαρτί με λίγη απόσταση μετακύ τους. Με τα δακτυλά σας πατείστε ελαφρώς την κορυφή τους να πλατύνει. Preheat the over to 165 degrees (Celsius). Put in a deep bowl powder sugar. With a table spoon take some of the mixture and with your hands make little balls. Roll them in the sugar and then place them in an oven dish covered with baking paper. With your fingers press a little the top of every cookie in order to broaden on top.

Ψηνουμε για περίπου 10 λεπτά. Αν τα θέλουμε τραγανιστά ψήνουμε για 13-14 λεπτά. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. If you wish them crunchy bake for 13-14 minutes.

Τα μπισκότα αυτά ειναι καταπληκτικά και ευχάριστο σνακ για τα παιδιά, για τον καφέ σας αλλά και για το απογευματινό σας τραπέζι με φίλους. Δοκιμάστε τα και θα εντυπωσιαστείτε. Δεν ειναι αρκετά γλυκά αλλά πολυ ισορροπημένα. These cookies are amazing, a lovely snack for kids, for your coffee and for a tea break in the afternoon with friends. Try them, you will be impressed. Not too sweet and balanced.

Enjoy,

Love

Les Delices d' Eleni