Essentials

Ingredients

Auxiliary

Add-Ins

Baking

Stay in Touch

Ideas for Cookie Decorating

Cookie decorating is the perfect activity to bring friends and family members together. So when a friend asked me for ideas, I immediately jumped at the opportunity. My suggestions are:

Baking the Cookies

Eggs	4 large
A pinch of salt
Vanilla or lemon extract	1 tsp
Granulated sugar	3/4 cup
All purpose flour	2 cups

Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Combine eggs, salt, vanilla or lemon extract, and sugar in a large bowl. Use the Swiss whipping technique to whisk the mixture until it has cool and increased in volume. Draw a line in the egg foam with your fingertip. If it holds its shape, it’s ready.
Gently and gradually fold in the flour with a rubber spatula.
Fit a pastry bag with a ¼-inch plain tube and stand it in a tall glass. This will free your hand and make it easy to fill the bag. Make sure that you leave enough room at the top so that you can twist the bag closed without spilling out the batter.
Pipe the batter onto prepared cookie sheets into any letters, numbers, or geometric shapes, spacing about an inch among them. Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top of the piped cookies.
Allow cookies to dry, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 4 hours. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake until cookies are firm to touch and light golden in color, about 15 minutes. Then slide parchment papers with cookies on them to wire racks to cool.

Cookie Decorating and Assembling

A piece of Styrofoam of your choice
Egg whites	2 large
Confectioners’ sugar	2½ cups
Lemon juice or distilled white vinegar	¼ tsp
Cookies that you have just baked

Combine egg whites with confectioners’ sugar until the sugar is evenly moistened.
Add lemon juice or white vinegar. Then mix, using an electric mixer, on medium speed for about 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to keep the icing from drying.
Spread enough icing all over your Styrofoam canvas.
Carefully arrange cookie letters, numbers, or shapes. For a finishing touch, generously sprinkle decorating sugar over your cookie decorating project. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap and keep it in a cool, dry place.

You can prepare the decorations many days before your parties because these cookies keep a long time at room temperature. It is, however, not meant to be a way of serving cookies.

Other Easy Cookie Recipes for Kids

This is a chance to make your well-thought opinion known.:-)

"The Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies are just yummy!! I added chocolate kisses and even mini Snickers to make them too good to pass up!"
Beckey
2/24/2011

"Wow, what a great site. I just wanted to say thank you for this site and all of the information you have available."
David King
12/30/2009

"I magically found this site just in time for Christmas. It went right into my favorites! Thank you for the wonderful recipes and tips!"
Tiffany
11/30/2009

"i think this site is just brilliant!! That's alllllll..... Thank you for the wonderful recipes."
Jennifer
7/2/2009

"Oh my gosh, I just spent HOURS on your website! This is the epitome of a cookie website - I LOVE IT! I feel like I could keep reading on forever and still find new things. I am a die-hard cookie fan and passionate baker (even thought I'm only 23!), and this website has been the most informative I've come across so far - everything you need to know in one place. Thank you so much for all of the info! I would one day LOVE to sell my baked goods, and this website is definitely educating me on things I wanted to know. Thanks again, Holly."
Madison, WI
4/13/2009

"I'm the baker in my office and I love to bring treats on Monday morning. December was no-holds-bar baking month and now everyone is joking around and blaming me for their extra tummy pudge last year. The first Monday this month, I made your gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. They were a huge hit and everyone was surprised to find out that they were gluten-free and low fat. At about 4g of fat and 65 calories per cookie, everyone ate them up and are demanding more. I love your website and I look forward to trying all of your cookie recipes, Thanks."
Barbara
January 11, 2009

"Love your site! I tried the cheese and walnut biscotti this afternoon, it is really tasty. I was out of cheddar, so used monterey jack. I know the cheddar will have more bite, but this combo was nice too! Have you used any other herb/cheese combinations that you liked? I have some herbs de provence with lavender - I think it would be great in a savory biscotti! Thanks for your great passion for all things baking!"
Elaine
5/28/2008

"Really nice site! Thanks!!"
Lara
2/25/2008

"......This imbalance of acid to base between the ingredients called for in old recipes is something that has always puzzled me. It's usually the other way around, baking soda and baking powder with no counterbalancing acid. I'm left to presume these early bakers and recipe writers weren't exactly clear about the chemistry behind their wonders, they just did what their moms told them and persisted with what worked. My own mother's cooking was remarkably uncreative but nonetheless utterly obedient and so turned out just fine, bless her. I noticed cookies with baking soda stay softer than the same cookies without it. If I was looking for a hard dunkable cookie I might experiment with leaving it out. Here, with the Greek cookie, perhaps they want it to go crispy so left out the baking soda. But what do I know? I'm just learning. That's why I came here, and now I'm delighted to have discovered you. I do believe this site may be perfect. I can't imagine it organized better. Thank you. Bookmarked. I emailed my housekeeper with your address because she's rather good with cookies, she emailed back squealing with delight and glowing warm encomiums. Cheers. Bo"
12/25/2007