I took a class on how to experiment with typography during my MFA degree and when we came across this prompt, I was stumped for awhile. After brainstorming, I thought about how my beloved Great Grandmother used to make cream puffs for Christmas every year and how that tradition carried on to her daughters (my grandma and great aunt). Even after my Great Grandmother passed away, there was an element of her at our yearly gathering because of something seemingly small and insignificant: cream puffs with vanilla pudding and chocolate icing on top. 

In a way, family recipes are a way of bringing history truly to life. Our great grandparents and grandparents didn't have the luxury of Pinterest or random internet searches to find new recipes. They had recipe books and they sometimes played around with those recipes.

I love this photo I found on Pinterest. I have no idea where it's from, but the simplicity of the icing lettering and the monochromatic palette spoke to me for this project. I had never done lettering with food, so of course I try the most difficult thing off the bat: food lettering from cream puff dough. 

I am no photographer by any means, so there were a lot of firsts for this project. The dough was a bit sticky, so it wasn't very forgiving to work with. Below you can see my glamorous set up: my kitchen floor, parchment paper, and my husband's efforts to make a messy but contained flat lay (he was a great help). We tried photographing the dough before and after it was baked, however, the baked version was quite humorous looking so it did not make the cut. 

After quite a bit of touch up on Photoshop, here is the final product! It includes my Great Grandmother's recipe too, which is a special touch. While it is indeed imperfect in many areas, I am so happy with the outcome. This project pushed me to experiment with materials I typically shy away from, like cream puff dough.