Solo Mother

Easy decorating icing for kids… wait, for cookies… for kids to decorate cookies!

by christina on December 22nd, 2007

We’re making cookies. A lot of cookies. Can you tell I’m a little brain-damaged?

Cooking with your kids is a great way to get some quality time. Ever since my kid was old enough to drag a stool over to the counter, he’s been my sous-chef. “We COOKS! mama!” he’d crow as he stirred and patted. His speciality was toast — you should have seen the way he pushed down the button on that toaster. A real pro. Now that he’s older, we have ventured into more dangerous realms. Cracking eggs. Mixing batter. Measuring flour. He still loves it.

Our cookies need pretties. Your cookies need pretties? Follow me.

Here you go: four cups of confectioner’s sugar mixed with 3 - 4 tablespoons of water or lemon juice until smooth. If you have a non-alcohol based flavoring, go ahead and experiment with that, too. Divide your icing into however many cups as colors (don’t forget, white icing is a color too!) and add food coloring a few drops at a time. Voila. Icing that’s easy for kids to work with, a snap to make, and pretty kind to your wallet.

Want to know a secret to decorating cookies? Pipe icing around the edge of the cookie, then fill in with poured icing. It keeps the icing from running off the edges. And another word of advice: if the kid puts too many sprinkles on a cookie? Don’t sweat it. Just give those cookies to your friends’ children and let the sugar rumpus begin!

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POSTED IN: family fun, ritual