Cookie-decorating party - 1st grade

[Anonymous]

If you were hosting a cookie-decorating party for about twenty 6 and 7 year old girls, would you order kits (from where?)? Bake the cookies yourself? Help I think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew (pathetic pun/cry for help).

[Anonymous]

If you’re in a bind, you could find a local baker to make the plain cookies for you, and could just whip up the frosting.

Or buy a bunch of kits from Michael’s or Target.

[Anonymous]

I would totally do this myself. Buy a bunch of slice & bake sugar cookies tubes, roll out the dough and cut large round cookies.
Mix up some frosting.
Put out some bowls with sprinkles, mini choc chips, gummy bears and something else.
Have little pastry boxes with their names on them ready to go. They can put their cookies in them.

At the start of the party, you could give each kid a canvas apron.
https://www.amazon.com/SATINIOR-Adjustable-Children-Cooking-Painting/dp/B0863MSMFG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=Kids+Aprons+Bulk&qid=1665275834&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI1LjY5IiwicXNhIjoiNS4yNiIsInFzcCI6IjQuODMifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzS0oyM0Y4RFA4WjFXJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNTk2NDQwMzQwTktJNDdaQkZCUyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNzYwNTk2MkdKSDZJS0RKOTAyMiZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX3Bob25lX3NlYXJjaF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl#
Have a bunch of colorful sharpie pens and let them decorate their own apron. Then they can wear it while decorating.

[Anonymous]

That's a lot of licking of fingers in the time of covid

[Anonymous]

I’m a baker and here’s what I would do:

Way ahead: Make cookies. Cool them. Freeze them flat in one layer on a baking sheet. Once they’re frozen, layer them in a plastic container with parchment paper between each layer. Wrap the box in plastic wrap, and put it back in the freezer.

On Amazon, order white satin ice fondant, a bunch of food coloring pens, and as many cute little sprinkles, candy things, eyeballs or whatever as you like. I think they have sprinkle mixes which could be good. If your kids are super bougie you could add some edible gold leaf. A lot of this stuff has slower than normal shipping so keep that in mind.

Day before: take the box out of the freezer and leave it on the counter, wrapped.

Morning of: roll out the fondant and cut it out with the same cutters you used for the cookies. Even if your cookies spread a bit you’ll have a nice crisp shape. Either make some royal icing or honestly just mix some of the fondant with water to use as glue for the add ons. For sticking the fondant to the cookies just a little water will work too.

Extras:
If you want to get into piping bags with icing or buttercream that’s great. I probably wouldn’t. The next level for me maybe would be getting some gel colors (americolor, from Amazon) and some water color palettes and brushes. Mixing the gels with Vodka would work better than with water but idk if that’s appropriate? Water will work. They can watercolor right onto the fondant. You could also get some “luster dust.”

[Anonymous]

Omg. Do not get kits. Get the pre made sugar cookie dough, roll into balls, and give them sprinkles and orange frosting and call it day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's a lot of licking of fingers in the time of covid

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

[Anonymous]

I’m the Pp and I forgot cello bags or boxes for taking cookies home! Amazon again.

[Anonymous]

I updated my reply:

I’m a mom who works full time and deals with tons of kids activities after school and on weekends and here’s what I’d do: Do not get kits. Get the pre made sugar cookie dough, roll into balls, and give them sprinkles and orange frosting and call it day. They are 6.

[Anonymous]

Why can't you just buy a variety of sprinkle, m&Ms, skittles, edible figurines, or whatever and set them out in multiple small bowls throughout the table (so everyone can reach/each end of the table)?

Keep your expectations low. It'll be messy. They might not be very coordinated to scoop icing, hold cookie, smear icing, etc so be ready to jump in and help or have a few cookies iced ahead of time as standby.

Plastic disposable table cloth, plastic knife for smearing icing, wet wipes on hand. At the end just fold up table cloth with all the plastic knives, used wet wipes, and spilled sprinkles, and toss. Done.

We got these really cute cookie boxes from Oriental Trading that were designed for cookie decorating parties. I labeled them with the kids' names prior to the party. Just one less thing to deal with when things get chaotic.

Make sure the cookie is large enough. The bigger the surface area of the cookie the more room to decorate it or otherwise using a smallish cookie will take the kids only like 30 sec to decorate (out of a very long 2 hr party!) . We did 3 fairly biggish cookies (see above tip about surface area) for each kid - 1 of 3 of said cookies typically is eaten on the spot.

We set it up the table outside. Then had a smallish craft table (black scratch art) adjacent for the kids who were finished/not really into decorating to work on while waiting for everyone else.

Kits are a scam and the cookies taste gross and the toppings are barely edible. And it gets expensive.. Ymmv.

[Anonymous]

Definetly pre make or buy pre-Cooke plain sugar cookies. Buy some Dixie cups. Give each kid a few Dixie cups of frosting (different colored) and a few Dixie cups of sprinkles and other toppings, and a plastic knife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's a lot of licking of fingers in the time of covid

Go crawl back to your basement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a baker and here’s what I would do:

Way ahead: Make cookies. Cool them. Freeze them flat in one layer on a baking sheet. Once they’re frozen, layer them in a plastic container with parchment paper between each layer. Wrap the box in plastic wrap, and put it back in the freezer.

On Amazon, order white satin ice fondant, a bunch of food coloring pens, and as many cute little sprinkles, candy things, eyeballs or whatever as you like. I think they have sprinkle mixes which could be good. If your kids are super bougie you could add some edible gold leaf. A lot of this stuff has slower than normal shipping so keep that in mind.

Day before: take the box out of the freezer and leave it on the counter, wrapped.

Morning of: roll out the fondant and cut it out with the same cutters you used for the cookies. Even if your cookies spread a bit you’ll have a nice crisp shape. Either make some royal icing or honestly just mix some of the fondant with water to use as glue for the add ons. For sticking the fondant to the cookies just a little water will work too.

Extras:
If you want to get into piping bags with icing or buttercream that’s great. I probably wouldn’t. The next level for me maybe would be getting some gel colors (americolor, from Amazon) and some water color palettes and brushes. Mixing the gels with Vodka would work better than with water but idk if that’s appropriate? Water will work. They can watercolor right onto the fondant. You could also get some “luster dust.”

I’m sorry it’s me again, I forgot something important which is that you want cornstarch for rolling out the fondant. Not powdered sugar. Plain cornstarch. If it’s giving you trouble chill it a bit, or roll it out on parchment paper. But cornstarch should be all you need.

[Anonymous]

Omg you guys are amazing!! I’m feeling more confident already - I can make these cookies myself right? Right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg you guys are amazing!! I’m feeling more confident already - I can make these cookies myself right? Right.

Absolutely.