HI moms, I am participating in my son's valentines day party and I will be hosting a decorate a cookie for 24 kids (7 at a time will come to my station), I will bring in made cookies already, sugar cookies, what brand do you recommend to put as frosting that dries easily so they can put it in a bag and take it home, I've never done this before so any tips is really appreciated. I was also planning to put heart sprinkles, orange and red sugar sprinkles on top, my concern is how fast the icing will dry to put into a Ziploc so they can take it home, any tips is appreciated, thanks!!!
I make icing. 1 cup icing sugar, 2 teaspoons milk, 2 teaspoons corn syrup, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, food colouring. This dries quite quickly, and the corn syrup makes it very shiny and pretty.
You might have an easier time if you ice the cookies in plain white, then allow them to " paint" the cookies with dye instead. I'm sure you could mix a little gel-based food coloring with some water or something. I would think it would dry faster, and would likely be quite a bit less messy (and cheaper...) than allowing them to use frosting. If you use the sugar crystal style sprinkles instead of regular ones, they should still stick.
icing as opposed to frosting dry's quicker. you can get a jar of icing at a store like gfs which will be a huge size. or you can make it yourself with powdered sugar and water and a little vanilla. how old are the kids?
In my experience as the "mom in charge of cookie decorating" the kids always use sooooo many sprinkles the bag has no chance of sticking. Give them little paper plates that will fit into the baggies and have names on them. Set the frosted cookies aside until the end of the party and then you put them in the bags for them. Except for a select few children's cookies, they usually come home smushed in the backpacks anyhow.
***Depending on the age, you may want to be the one to give the kids their very own frosting in a little dixie cup with a little plastic knife or spoon for spreading. Frosting and sticky fingers are very tempting to little tongues.
I recently used Betty crocker cookie icing to make Christmas trees out of sugar cones. I was really impressed. It was easy for my Kidnergartener to squeeze and they could spread it on if they want to (there is a nozzle on the package. It dried faster than the regular frosting they used if they wanted green. I have 4 kids and one package was enough forus to make the trees twice and we still have half left over. I would say 2-3 would be enough. Or 7 if you want the kids to all use one at once (and you're an extreme couponer).
I did this and just used regular frosting. When they were done, I had them set their cookie on a bookshelve on the side of the room, on top of their ziploc with their name. When everyone was done, I put all the cookies in the bags. The ones done last were still a little sticky, but you know what - by the time the kids put sprinkles on them, the sprinkles help keep the frosting from sticking to the Ziploc, so it's fine.
The other option, if you want to do it, is instead of using ziplocs, go to a party store and get little valentine's day boxes for the kids to put the cookies in. Then you don't have to worry about getting the frosting mashed.
This is a really fun project - the kids loved it! Enjoy.
I agree with Michelle - those cookies will never make it home in one piece. So just have fun making them. Besides, they won't even care if its smashed. They will know what a masterpiece it is!
