Five Days of Holiday Baking Recipes: First Up, My Top Secret Cookies..."Hey, Martha, Check These Out!"

I've decided to take a few days off from writing about soap making classes and instead share with you some of my favorite holiday recipes. Family and close friends know that I'm an avid baker, but I rarely have time to indulge in whipping up culinary delights - now it's whipping up cosmetic formulations. But in the early 1990s I dreamed of continuing my education at Johnson & Wales culinary school in Rhode Island. My dream was to start a biscotti baking company. I was obsessed with biscotti back then. But thankfully a few years later I made a solitary batch of soap that would forever change my life....in a remarkable way. I digress.

My gift to you this holiday season are five days of recipes - not just any recipes but ones that have become an annual tradition for my daughter (now 16) and me. I first started making these in 1990, just four years before she was born. Each year I take photos of us baking together. And I cherish these recipes I'm about to share.

Why this Top Secret Holiday Cookies Recipe? First, I've never received so many compliments and rave reviews on a cookie recipe in my life. Honestly. You'll see. Second, they store in an airtight container for up to a month (which is important if you are shipping them to friends and family overseas). They also freeze well. Lastly, a recipe doesn't get much easier than this.

My hope is that these recipes will be near and dear to your heart. Special thanks to Grandma June and Grandma Zinetta Smith, who both passed along their love for baking to me. Thank you for the childhood memories of watching in awe as you baked with joy and love. I will never forget those majical moments. And to you, dear readers, remember to add an extra pinch of joy and love to all your recipes.

Enjoy! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Sweetest Holiday Wishes,
Marla Bosworth

Top Secret Holiday Cookies Recipe
by Marla Bosworth

Dough Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
Dash of love
Dash of joy

Frosting Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 lb. confectionery sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. milk
Sprinkling of peace and kindness

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Alternately add half the dry ingredients, then half the sour cream. Repeat until dry ingredients and sour cream are incorporated into the mix. Place dough in plastic wrap or plastic bag and refrigerate for at least two hours or preferably overnight.

Roll dough onto floured board until 1/4 inch thick. Roll it thinner than most cookies, as it will rise slightly during baking. Using your favorite cookie cutters, work your magic by using up all the dough!

Bake on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (I like the way they turn out this way). Bake 4-6 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, as they get dark around the edges easily. Cool and frost.

Frosting Instructions: Place softened (not melted) butter in bowl. Add confectionery sugar, vanilla and milk. Beat until smooth. Store unused frosting in airtight container. Although it decorates smoothly, it will harden within a few hours.

Decorating Tips: My daughter likes to divide the frosting into at least five bowls and color each one with food coloring. We use a variety of sprinkles (jimmies for you New Englanders), colored sugar, and candies.

(Want to reprint? Please email marla@backporchsoap.com.)

The Chemistry of Soap Making Class at Wellesley College

I recently taught a soap making class at Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA) on "The Chemistry of Soap Making" for Professor Didem Vardar-Ulu, Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Her class is made up mostly of juniors and seniors.


The Science Center (pictured above) at Wellesley is quite impressive. It stands out on campus as a massive structure. For a unique look at inside it, visit Wellesley's website.

We began Professor Vardar-Ulu's class with an overview of organic chemistry and how it pertains to soap making and how to choose plant oils for various skin types before students made their own batch of soap from start to finish. We also discussed how to choose fatty acids for soapmaking. See our previous blog post on the properties of fatty acids (lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, ricinoleic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic).

Above, students lower their lye water temperatures. Once in the desired temperature range, they combine the lye water with the melted oils.

Success! Students transfer their soap into molds for easy transport home. Once soaps cure, students will test their moisturizing effects on the skin.

Want to try the Totally Groovy Hemp and Almond Soap we made in class?

Yields: 2 lbs.
Superfat: 5%
Lye Concentration: 27%

Water Discount: 38%
Saturated: Unsaturated Ratio: 49:51

2.875 oz. (81.497 grams) Lye

7.6 oz. Water

6 oz. Coconut oil

6 oz. Palm oil

3 oz. Sweet almond oil

2 oz. Hempseed oil
0.625-1.2 oz. fragrance (students used a rosemary/peppermint essential oil blend)

Please use necessary safety procedures when making cold process soap. Wear protective eyewear (goggles), mask and gloves. No children, pregnant women, nor animals around. Remember to add the lye to water. Then the lye water to oils.

Want to learn how to make soap? Check out our soap making DVDs or come join us for a cold process soapmaking class in Boston or New York City.

(Marla is contributing writer for The Saponifier Magazine, a moderator on Indie Beauty Network, and a speaker at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference in 2009, 2010 and is scheduled to speak again in 2011 in Miami. She teaches natural skincare and business classes throughout the U.S. and overseas. She is available to teach intensive workshops and can be reached at marla@backporchsoap.com.)
Ideal for those looking for Maine Soap Making Classes, New Hampshire Soap Making Classes, Vermont Soap Making Classes, Rhode Island Soap Making Classes, Connecticut Soap Making Classes, New York Soap Making Classes, New York City Soap Making Classes

Cold Process Soap Making Class Yields 24 Litsea and Rosemary Mint Loaves!

This weekend's cold process soap class marked the 29th class I've taught in less than three months. It's been a whirlwind last few months - from teaching a Beauty Business Bootcamp in San Francisco, to New York City Bath & Body University and then back in the Boston area for more classes.

Typical of our classes, students this weekend came from all over the U.S., as well as from different walks of life and professions. But over and over they all have at least one thing in common: the desire to learn to make natural skincare products.

Above are the 24 loaves, getting packed up and heading home with students to be given as gifts to family and friends around the world (or kept for themselves!). We scented the 20 lb. batch of Groovy Hemp Soap with Litsea (May Chang) and Patchouli essential oils. The Moisturizing Cocoa Butter Soap recipe was scented with Rosemary and Peppermint essential oils.

Check out our calendar for upcoming Boston Soap Making Classes and New York City Soap Making Classes, as well as Natural Skincare Business Consultations. If you would rather learn from home, you can always purchase our DVDs and class handouts.

October Cold Process Soap Making Graduates at Back Porch Soap Company!

This month 11 energetic students graduated from our cold process soap making class in our Boston area studio. They learned to whip up two, 20 lb. batches of soaps using organic oils and butters.


Here, one of the students is blending in the essential oils we chose for class: lavender, rosemary and patchouli.



Talk about teamwork! It's no easy feat transferring 40 lbs. of soap into 2 lb. loaf molds, but they made it look easy.

Want to learn to make cold process soap? Join us for our monthly soap making and natural skincare classes in the Boston area (Duxbury, MA) or quarterly classes in New York City. Want to host our natural skincare classes in your city? Email us for more information.

Our studio is located 30 minutes from Boston, and only 45 minutes from Providence, Rhode Island. With beautiful Duxbury Beach, Cape Cod and Plymouth (Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Plantation) only minutes away, this is a perfect family destination! Your family will have plenty to enjoy in the area while you take soap making class or two.

About Your Instructor
My name is Marla Bosworth, and I'm the founder and owner of Back Porch Soap Company. I've been making soaps and teaching soapmaking for 12 years. My wholesale clients include Whole Foods and upscale boutiques around the world. I teach classes because I love sharing my passion for soap making, natural skincare products, and entrepreneurship.

My credentials include a B.A. in English/Journalism from the University of New Hampshire in 1987. I have an extensive background in marketing, market research and manufacturer consulting as a Market Research Analyst for the company now known as Forrester Research. Clients included Hewlett-Packard, Canon, Xerox and IBM to name a few.

My true calling is creating beautiful soap luxuries and inspiring other entrepreneurs how to do the same.

(Marla is a contributing author for The Saponifier Magazine, a moderator on Indie Beauty Network, and a speaker at the Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild Conference in 2009, 2010 and is scheduled to speak at the 2011 conference in Miami, FL. She teaches natural skincare and business classes throughout the U.S. and Europe.)

Ideal for those looking for Maine Soap Making Classes, New Hampshire Soap Making Classes, Vermont Soap Making Classes, Rhode Island Soap Making Classes, Connecticut Soap Making Classes, New York Soap Making Classes, New York City Soap Making Classes

How to Choose Oils & Butters for Soap Making

"How do I choose oils and butters for soap making?" is one of the most frequent questions I hear from want-to-be soapmakers. Whether you are making natural skincare products, cosmetics, or cold process soap, you'll want to choose liquid oils as well as solid oils and butters based on their respective properties. What will the oils you choose bring to your recipe and to your customer's skin? What I emphasize in my soap making classes and private natural skincare consulting is that the more you know about the oils you are using, the more results your products will offer.

Most plant oils are available in organic and non-organic. In addition, there are refined, bleach and deodorized (RBD) solid oils and butters. I personally am not a fan of RBD oils and butters as the processes (high heat, bleaching, etc.) often strip the natural ingredients of their valuable properties. In addition, some of the oil processors use chemical solvents to extract all the oils for higher yield for their company.

Fatty acids play an important part in cold process soap making. Let's take a look at some of the fatty acids and the properties they lend:

Lauric Acid: Creates a hard bar, is cleansing, and has a light and fluffy lather
Linoleic Acid: Moisturizing/Conditioning
Myristic Acid: Creates a hard bar, is cleansing, and has a light and fluffy lather
Oleic Acid: Moisturizing/Conditioning
Palmitic Acid: Creates a hard bar and a stable lather
Ricinoleic Acid: Conditioning/Moisturizing, and has a fluffy, stable lather
Stearic Acid: Creates a hard bar and has a stable lather

One of the reasons I like the lye calculator over at Soap Calc is the valuable information it gives on the fatty acids in the oils/butters you choose for your recipes.

If you're looking for the quick low-down on which oils I recommend for soapmaking, then here is my list. It's hard to narrow down to these, but here are my top five tried-and-true choices for soapmaking oils and butters:

Coconut Oil: Creates a hard soap with a fluffy lather. It boasts vitamin E, K and minerals such as iron. Use up to 30% in recipes.

Palm Oil: Creates a hard bar with a creamy lather and contains antioxidants and vitamin E. Use up to 30% in recipes. If you are looking to create a sustainable product, you may wish to eliminate palm or find a sustainable palm resource. (There is valid concern about the palm oil farming in Malaysia and the affect it has on the environment and living beings.) I have been working on a palm-free soap recipe for several months.

Olive Oil (Grade A or Extra Virgin): Besides being moisturizing, olive oil contains vitamin E, A, betacarotene and vitamin K, cholorophyll, phenols, oleocanthal and squalane. Use as much as you'd like in soap recipes, just know that if you use more than 30 percent your soap will be softer and take longer to cure. Too much olive oil (40 percent or more) creates a bit of a slimy lather, in my opinion.

Soybean Oil: Mild, moisturizing and creates a low, creamy lather. Use at 20 percent or less. I suggest that you purchase only non-genetically modified (GMO) soybean oil. (It is a sustainable oil produced in the U.S. and by purchasing it you are supporting American farmers.)

Shea Butter: Creates a moisturizing, soothing, nourishing soap that softens skin. Wonderful for damaged skin and full of Vitamin E. Use at 15 percent or less.

There are many other wonderful oils and butters from which to choose. In a recent poll on our Back Porch Soap Co. Facebook Fan Page, many soapmakers chimed in their favorites ranging from sweet almond oil to mango butter.

If you're looking for a reliable supplier for soap making oils and butters, Jedwards (Quincy, MA) is a family-owned business located just outside of Boston. For a minimum $100 order, you can pick up your order and save on shipping. Just call a day or two ahead and prepay, as they do not have a showroom at this time. One of the reasons I purchase all my oils and butters from them (besides offering high-quality ingredients and being able to pick up my order), is that their products are extremely consistent from order to order.

Which butters and oils do you use for soap making?

Newbury Street Soap Tour in Boston

If you're a New England soapmaker and/or bath and body company owner, you're invited to join the New England Soapmaker's Meetup Group on Friday, September 17 starting at 4 p.m. for a Soap Tour of Boston's Newbury Street.

I'll take you to some of my favorite places on Newbury Street: Lush, Sabon, and Fresh, just to name a few. We'll take a look at bath and body products up and down one of the trendiest streets in Boston. While there, besides smelling soaps and trying creams and lotions galore, we'll check out packaging ideas, trends, displays, etc. We are planning to grab dinner and drinks afterward.

We'll start at 4 p.m. outside of Sabon, located at 129 Newbury Street (the east end of Newbury Street closest to Boston Common).

If you plan to join us, please RSVP on our New England Soap Makers Meetup page. There is no cost, except for parking and dinner/drinks.

Can't wait to see all of your new and familiar faces.

~Marla

New York City Soap Making classes Announced for October 27-30!

Join us in the Big Apple for Cold Process Soapmaking, Advanced Cold Process Soapmaking, Creams & Lotions, Body Butters and Body Scrubs, as well as our popular How to Run a Successful Bath & Body Business seminar. Our New York City Soap Making classes are only held four times per year.

New York City classes are running this fall from October 27-30, 2010. Classes are held in Manhattan at a convenient Upper West Side location (94th and Amsterdam). Sign up soon for the early-bird discount. Hurry, we expect all of our classes to sell out this session!

If you're looking to take all five of our classes in NYC this October, save when you sign up for NYC Bath & Body University.

This is an all-inclusive four-day bath and body intensive program that will get your current business or the one you've dreamed about owning off of the ground. You will receive four full days of training - and a course completion certificate - exclusively from Marla Bosworth, founder and owner of Back Porch Soap Company. With 12 years of bath and body industry experience, she also will share her 30 years of retail, market research, and entreprenurial and business experience. You'll learn how Marla landed more than 200 wholesale accounts, including Whole Foods, and how you can have the business of your dreams too.

Students have travelled all the way from Ghana, South Africa, Germany, Chile, Guatemala, Ireland, Venezuela, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, Israel & and from around the United States to participate in our programs.

This specialized program is perfect for entrepreneurs who own a business as well as for budding entrepreneurs who are seeking training in the field of bath and beauty. (Remember to check with your tax accountant, as this class fee, your travel and accommodation expenses and more could be tax deductible.)

Hope to see you in NYC!
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