Moments in Time: Valentine Cookie Class

Over the years I have brought in lots of cookies and baking for holidays, gifts etc to the kids school. One of the teachers asked me if I would teach a cookie class. So on Monday night 12 of the staff from Riverview came over for an evening of fun and decorating. Thanks ladies for trusting me to TEACH you! It was a lot of fun and I think everyone came away having learned a trick or two---thankfully! What they don't quite understand is I rarely ever do anything twice....that's what makes it fun for me. However an expert I am not!
Having said that one thing I do make over and over is the sugar cookie dough. Especially at Christmas...it has become a family tradition to decorate cookies on Christmas Eve. I just never use it quite the same way. For example this time I added cocoa to it to make choc cookies. And pink food coloring to make it pink. I then used a lot of flooding techniques in the decorating. A lot of the ideas I used for the class I found on this website. If you are at all interested in making sugar cookies, you must check out this site. www.karenscookies.net. There are videos that show techniques, recipes and ideas. Not to mention a whole site of other cookie related stuff.

My tips and tricks….

DOUGH

Try rolling it out just after you mixed it on wax paper. Cover it with plastic wrap first and roll til you have your desired thickness (I like 1/3 inch) Then refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into shapes and cook immediately. You will find this keeps the edges crisp. It also allows you to roll it out again with-out using more flour. More flour makes a less tasty cookie.

ICING

I am totally into outlining with a thicker consistency frosting to form a dam. Then flood with a thinner icing. Go to Karen’s website for recipes and to see this technique in action.

Make sure your glaze is hard….then you can write on your cookie or whatever you want as a design. If you mess up…just carefully scrap it off and start again. Taking the time to work in steps is what creates the really finished look.

A pizza box we decorated and a few of the example cookies inside.

More example cookies. I also had some of these on sticks and put in a vase. The vase was filled with a layer of rice and then a layer of red hots and then more rice. Sorry didn't take a picture.