We had our springtime playgroup party here today, a combination of St Patrick's Day and Easter. It was decidedly March-like outside, with cool temperatures and an alternately driving and drizzling rain. But with all the sugar inside, we were positively giddy.
Sugar cookies were our main form of entertainment and refreshment. I had begged and gratefully received another decorating lesson from our cake expert, T, who also does marvelous and adorable cookies. So, I prebaked a bunch with help from the kiddos, who still like the dough better than the finished cookie. We mixed up the dough on Monday and I baked the majority of them that night after they were in bed, saving just a bit of the dough to bake up on Tuesday, mainly because a). they are still newbies at cookie cutting and we are slow with little actual productivity b). we lose interest quickly, especially after making the dough, and c) T recommended that the cookies "age" 24 hours before frosting so I couldn't wait to bake the next day. But, what we did cut out--3 different kinds of bunnies, some eggs, some shamrocks, some flowers--were fun.
On Tuesday, T came over in the evening to teach me how to decorate. Is it frosting? Or is it icing? I'm not entirely sure of the difference. The recipe for the icing is below. I was amazed at her steady hand as she traced the outline of the various shapes (or even as she put the colors in the white icing--my hands are still colorful!). We waited awhile, talking and drinking cookies, and then "flooded" the outlines using spoons and toothpicks. This produced a smooth surface for decorating. We waited a bit longer--lots more talking, no more coffee, and by this point I was covered in green food coloring--and then started to do the detailing when the surface was slightly hardended. I wasn't as good at this part but it was fun to see the cookies "come to life." My hat's off to her--cookie decorating is hard work and she does it very well. I did have delusions of next year's Christmas cookies and could just see myself putting little multi-colored dot ornaments on gorgeously green trees; I'm sure I'll try. But I'm not sure if I like cookie or cake decorating better--cakes have a greater impact and a more cohesive design but cookies can be beautiful all on a plate and you can mix it up a little. I'll probably keep practicing both. We saved some of the cookies--I actually baked off half a batch while we waited for icing to harden--for the kids to decorate, too. Why should grown-ups have all the fun?
And then everyone showed up, in the rain, this morning. I had set out the undecorated cookies, along with white cake frosting in a can, and a myriad of sprinkles and jimmies in a muffin tin, along with cookie sheets to hold the spillover, and let the kids go to town. Mine actually started before the party did. It was killing them to see the sprinkles sitting safely on the counter. And since I guiltily remembered DD playing "party" the other day, the main purpose of which was to tell DS to "wait until the guests arrive. You can't eat yet!", I relented and let them decorate early. Isn't that the way of parties as a child, though? It always takes forever for them to start; holidays, too. My dear Aunt P says anticipation is the best part; I hear that my paternal Grandma agreed. I would say that anticipation is a dangerous thing--it's the worst part about something bad, a good part about something good (I'm not sure I'd agree that it's the best, but then I'm not good at waiting and don't like surprises much either.)
So before anyone arrived, there were thousands of colored sugar granules, jimmies (I never called them this as a child, only sprinkles. Are jimmies any color or just chocolate?), and other tiny little circles/bunny/egg shaped candies on my floor, in DD's hair, all over DS's sticky fingers, and an inch or so in height on two barely discernible cookies. Who cares! I'd rather remember them having fun and get to play along with them instead of making them wait and then miss their fun because I'm buzzing around as hostess. People think I'm nuts for doing this cookie decorating thing--Gommie thought so at Christmas, friends thought so on Groundhog's Day, and more today, I'm sure--but sprinkles sweep up nicely, cookies are fun to prep, anyone can play along, and it's not too expensive. And I like that the kids like to do it. Besides, it's a game and a party favor all in one (I actually forgot to pass out the favors--some playdough I'd been unable to take to the Valentine's playgroup and have been saving to distribute. So, friends, if you are reading this, come claim your little cans of playdough!).
But the party is over, the friends are all done, a few leftover cookies went well with my cuppa, and . . . my kids just walked into the kitchen butt-naked. I guess they're not resting while they watch Little Bear.
Too much sugar, you think?
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Punch Recipe
1 qt. pineapple juice
1qt oj
1.5 qt cranberry cocktail
2 liter gingerale
rainbow sherbet
blueberries (fresh or frozen, slightly thawed), optional
Mix. Beware, it stains.
NO FAIL SUGAR COOKIES--T loves and swears by this recipe. She usually cuts it in half. I made it all and froze half--the kids ate so much dough, we needed the whole batch for the party.
6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I like
almond myself)
1 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below)
Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350
degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe
can make up to 5-dozen 3” cookies.
HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess – Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the
refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies.
**my note: this dough can be frozen in disks and thawed later.
http://kitchengifts.com/
T's Royal Icing
4 tablespoons merengue powder
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon shortening (to make it soft and shiny, optional)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
5 cups powdered sugar
colos
Mix ingredients. Add water if too thick. It should be the consistency of glue. Separate into bowls. Add colors with toothpicks. Stir with little spatulas.
T outlines with a #3 tip and then floods the inside when the outline dries (to make flooding consistency, add more water--really just a few drops). You can use a bag with tip or a spoon to flood, and toothpicks or decorating brushes to spread it into the cracks.
She recommends the following schedule:
Day 1--baking
Day 2--icing
Day 4--packaging (too soon and the icing will be damaged)
Because of the icing, the cookies will stay fresh for about a week.
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