Friday, December 4, 2009

Science Cookies: Atom


More science cookie fun! Atom cookies!


Ok, before the physics/chemistry folks remind me that atoms don't actually look like that, let me remind everyone that modeling the three dimensional probability cloud of an electron with frosting just isn't going to happen in my kitchen. Sorry! Ms. Humble is taking some artistic license here.
Obviously I didn't even including a nucleus with these. Well, I did for some but the cookies just looked far more interesting uncluttered by a nucleus.

Besides, I wanted to use silver dragees for electrons, so I had to define an absolute location for them. I just tossed out all that electron 'wave' nonsense. That's right, I can do that. No probability distribution for me, I know where those electrons are. They're right there on my cookies.



So we're using Martha Stewart's Chocolate Cut Out Cookie recipe for this (link), even though I admit I am not a huge fan of this cookie's somewhat boring flavor. Maybe I just expect too much from a chocolate cookie. Perhaps a kind, fellow baker will point me in the direction of a really tasty chocolate cookie cutout recipe sometime...maybe? I would really appreciate it.

So for these cookies I used a simple flower cookie cutter to cut the shape, one that would allow for several electron orbitals on it. This one fits three, what does that make it... lithium? Anyway, then I just piped overlapping ellipses on the cookie with royal icing and placed a silver dragee on each orbit.

Very simple science themed cookies.

This one is kind of scary, it has 2 bonded electrons on the same orbital... is that dangerous?


Last but not least, a cookie with a nucleus for the purists:



I even used gold and rose colored dragees to differentiate between the protons and neutrons. I hope that pleases everyone.

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32 comments:

  1. KerstinDecember 5, 2009 at 10:23 AM

    So cute! I saw these on Tastespotting and had to check out your blog because I'm a scientist too! Love it! Especially, those sushi cupcakes, I'm somewhat obsessed with dessert sushi :)

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  2. JamesDecember 5, 2009 at 10:27 AM

    I think I would call the nitrogen instead of lithium, since all the electrons appear to be in similar orbits (i.e. 2p electrons (the orbits even kind of look like perpendicular p orbitals)). Since you've left out the neuclius, may as well leave out the core electron shells as well. Your bonded electron sample would then be an oxygen atom. According to the electron cloud model, there's no problem with electrons (of opposite spin) occupying the same location.

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  3. Ms. HumbleDecember 5, 2009 at 10:49 AM

    Thank you, James! In continuing the science cookie trend, I admit I am stepping a little onside of my field, so it is good to know that my blog is being peer reviewed!

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  4. AnonymousDecember 5, 2009 at 3:17 PM

    Where oh where are the nuclei? Maybe cinnamon red-hots would do the trick?

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  5. Ms. HumbleDecember 5, 2009 at 3:39 PM

    Okay, okay! I'll post a photo of the cookies, complete with nuclei for all you atomic purists too :)

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  6. AnonymousDecember 5, 2009 at 5:04 PM

    brilliant!

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  7. Mr. PDecember 6, 2009 at 11:32 AM

    I ♥ your cookies Ms. Humble. They entertain me so much. I would NEVER eat one if I was lucky enough to be given it - they are works of art!

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  8. SujiDecember 6, 2009 at 4:26 PM

    Amazing! My elements-crazy 7yo son is going to love these! May I please link to you on my blog roll? Need all the kitchen science project ideas I can get (grin).

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  9. Ms. HumbleDecember 6, 2009 at 4:32 PM

    Thank you Mr. P and Suji.

    Of course you can add me to your blogroll, Suji. I'd love that.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousDecember 6, 2009 at 10:27 PM

    These are the best comments.

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  11. Becks BakesDecember 7, 2009 at 5:21 AM

    Just when I think your science cookies can't get any better! These are my favourites by far!
    So beautiful in there simplicity, I *love* them!

    I can't wait for more in the series. What will you come up with next? :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tiffiny FelixDecember 8, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    I saw these on Photograzing...they are silly and cute and wonderful! I'm going to have to add you to my list so I can tour your site...what else do you have hidden around here? ;) Thanks!

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  13. AnonymousDecember 9, 2009 at 12:44 PM

    These look awesome. If you're looking for a tasty chocolate cookie recipe, try a chocolate-pistachio heart base (the extra layer of chocolate before the white icing might be a bit more work, but they're fantastic):

    http://www.cooksrecipes.com/cookie/chocolate_pistachio_heart_cookies_recipe.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousDecember 9, 2009 at 4:53 PM

    May I just say that discovering your blog has just made my life immesurably better? I'm a science geek working on my master's (former life in biochem, current in genetics) and this makes looming finals so much sweeter (probably literally).

    Thank you for sharing your cookies to the joy of the science geeky world.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousDecember 9, 2009 at 11:41 PM

    What a great blog you've got here. Nice lay out, amazing recepices and these cookies! Wow! I'm one of the scienceblogfollowers and i'm glad i followed them here! Good luck with your baking,
    Kitty

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  16. AnonymousDecember 10, 2009 at 2:11 PM

    These cookies are all fabulous!

    You use royal icing a lot, and I was wondering if you used old fashioned royal icing with egg whites or newfangled royal icing with meringue powder?

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  17. Ms. HumbleDecember 10, 2009 at 2:16 PM

    I'm a meringue powder fan.

    ReplyDelete
  18. kristophineDecember 10, 2009 at 3:46 PM

    I love this. I love this so much. I think it would be difficult to overstate how much I love this.

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  19. WendyDecember 11, 2009 at 11:06 AM

    I love all your science cookies so much! And since you asked, my favorite recipe for chocolate sugar cookies is in the book Cookie Craft. She also has recipes for 3 different versions of royal icing... using powdered egg whites, pasteurized egg whites and meringue powder. (Personally, I have never really liked any of Martha's recipes... definitely lacking in the flavor department. They look nice, though.)

    I made a chocolate Halloween house complete with stained glass windows using the Cookie Craft recipe. (And I've got a link to the book too).

    ReplyDelete
  20. WendyDecember 11, 2009 at 6:12 PM

    Oops, forgot to leave a link to the chocolate house in case you're interested... http://wisdomofthemoon.blogspot.com/2008/09/halloween-cookie-shack.html

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ms. HumbleDecember 11, 2009 at 6:14 PM

    Thanks Wendy! I'll definitely check that out.

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousDecember 12, 2009 at 10:11 AM

    I think I might be in love with you. Not in a creepy-stalker way, more an internet-fandom way. But love, nevertheless.

    ReplyDelete
  23. JennywennyDecember 12, 2009 at 5:50 PM

    How ridiculously cute! Love it! I think that would be a perfect holiday gift for my coworkers in the lab! I'd better get baking!

    ReplyDelete
  24. DeepaDecember 19, 2009 at 8:14 PM

    I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

    seriously.

    ReplyDelete
  25. CoryDecember 26, 2009 at 10:43 PM

    Hah! I love these! And I definitely vote for three-dimensional diagrams of hybrid orbitals.

    After some googling of electrons and theobromine, I stumbled upon an awesome blog post showing a sadly, seemingly discontinued confection

    http://blog.khymos.org/2007/03/01/tgif-molecular-chocolate/#comments

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  26. AnonymousDecember 28, 2009 at 7:03 AM

    i lov the snowflake cookies

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  27. Shirley @ Kokken69January 1, 2010 at 6:30 AM

    This is so cute! I am glad that I found your blog through Tiffany's The National Cookie Network. Everything you have here looks really pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  28. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2010 at 3:41 PM

    While I am neither as creative nor as good with royal icing as you, I am good at concocting cookie recipes, and I have a new chocolate cut out recipe, if you'd like to try it.

    http://geeklady.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/cookies-for-science/

    ...I really don't know what they were thinking in that recipe. Cinnamon and chocolate? Blech.

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2010 at 12:35 PM

    Why is there a six-pointed star on every cookie? Proof that the Rutherford atomic model and your cookies are just another part of the Greater Zionist Conspiracy.

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2010 at 8:36 AM

    I was looking for some tips on price and recommendations of Cialis Online, but as I love cookies I could not let pass your post, they are beautiful and I bet they are tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  31. jimgfDecember 23, 2010 at 6:41 AM

    I love the variety of science and tech cookies that you make - especially these and the game controller ones. I also think you're really funny when you write:

    "let me remind everyone that modeling the three dimensional probability cloud of an electron with frosting just isn't going to happen in my kitchen" and

    "I just tossed out all that electron 'wave' nonsense. That's right, I can do that."

    Genius!

    ReplyDelete
  32. TMApril 5, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    I have an urge to send this to every nerd friend I know who also loves to bake. Did you ever find another chocolate cut out recipe? I like the brownie roll out cookies from smitten kitchen, and I bet they would work well for these: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/brownie-roll-out-cookies/

    ReplyDelete

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