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Cookie baking with kids?



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 8th 04, 04:02 PM
Robin
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Default Cookie baking with kids?

I have unexpectedly found myself with the assignment of leading two
dozen children, ages 8-11, in a cookie-baking project at a school party
this weekend. (I volunteered to help cook. This is not what I had in
mind.)

The project will involve making and decorating cookie-cutter sugar
cookies, to be baked and then eaten later in the party. I am definitely
not an expert at this; I have made cut-out cookies a couple of times
with my kids at home, but not in a group, and not under time pressure.

I believe we'll be splitting the kids into two groups (the other half
will work on a craft project), which means I'll be doing two rounds,
with 10-12 kids each. We have rolling pins, cookie cutters, cookie
sheets, a metal spatula, a six-foot cafeteria-type table, and an
adjacent institutional kitchen.

My plan, at this point, is to use Pillsbury pre-made sugar cookie
dough. I figure I will cover the table in plastic, have the kids work
in groups of two or three to roll out a portion of the dough, and then
have them take turns cutting that portion up with a cookie cutter. I'll
then transfer the cut cookies to a cookie sheet, and I (or another
adult) will whisk them off to the kitchen and handle the actual baking,
removal of the pans from the oven, and removal of the cookies from the
pan for cooling.

As I said, I'm no expert, so if anyone has any tips on making this
process work (including insight into the likely problems kids might
have, so I can watch for or prevent them), I'm all ears. I do know I
should sprinkle the table surface with flour, and have a bowl of flour
handy for coating the rolling pins and dipping the cookie cutters.

My big question right now is how to handle decorating the cookies.
Icings and frostings would, I believe, normally be applied after the
cookies are baked. Letting the kids do that would mean a second session
at the table, not a good option logistically. So I'd love to get ideas
on decorations that can be put on before baking, right after the kids
have cut out the cookies. The cookies will be recognizable shapes
(stars, etc.) so abstract decoration is just fine. Colored sugar? Mini
M&Ms? Complicating this is the fact that some of the kids (including my
own two children, who will be there) are allergic to chocolate and/or
some food dyes. So a variety of possible decorations that can be
applied before baking would be helpful.

I intend to do a dry run with my two sons on Friday afternoon, so I can
train them (and they can then help other kids, I hope), and also so I
can see whether, say, 1/4 of a roll of dough is enough for two or three
kids to work with.

Further ideas and insight on making this work -- either from the
cooking standpoint or the kid-management standpoint -- will be
gratefully received.

Thanks,

Robin
who had expected to be working by myself
in the kitchen for the duration of the party

  #2  
Old December 8th 04, 04:37 PM
Cathy Kearns
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Given the time pressure (and to a lesser extent, the dye and chocolate
limitations) I'd suggest supplying already baked cookies, and having them
decorate them.

If someone at the school is insisting on baking...there are hard gold and
silver candies meant to be baked on, those little red hot candies, food
coloring mixed in dough, sprinkles (both the sparkly large sugar crystal
kind and the tube shaped kind.) Even the sprinkle discs might not melt.
Chocolate chips and kisses will melt, you might want to pull the cookies out
when they are almost done to put those on. M&Ms, and all their derivatives
won't melt as long as the candy coating is intact, so you could decorate
with them.

Years ago I remember making "stained glass" cookies that used life savers
melted in the middle to make a see through center. But I don't rememer that
recipe...


  #3  
Old December 8th 04, 08:27 PM
Scott
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Default

Cathy Kearns wrote:
Given the time pressure (and to a lesser extent, the dye and chocolate
limitations) I'd suggest supplying already baked cookies, and having them
decorate them.


I agree. It will greatly streamline things if you
can bring in baked cookies and tubs of frosting
(from powdered sugar & milk). Or come early and
bake them on site. That would be even easier.
Have the kids frost and decorate.

If you do decorate the frosted cookies, make sure the
colored sugar, for example, is put out in very very
small batches. This way people like DS, who like to
dump tablespoonfuls of sugar on a frosted cookie, can't
use up all the sugar on the 1st 2 cookies

If someone at the school is insisting on baking...there are hard gold and
silver candies meant to be baked on, those little red hot candies, food
coloring mixed in dough, sprinkles (both the sparkly large sugar crystal
kind and the tube shaped kind.) Even the sprinkle discs might not melt.
Chocolate chips and kisses will melt, you might want to pull the cookies out
when they are almost done to put those on. M&Ms, and all their derivatives
won't melt as long as the candy coating is intact, so you could decorate
with them.


Again, right on. Only put the plain chocolate on the cookies
as they come out of the oven, but then that does put the
baking onus back on the adult helpers.

Years ago I remember making "stained glass" cookies that used life savers
melted in the middle to make a see through center. But I don't rememer that
recipe...


I'd think those would stick to the pan like crazy!

Scott DD 11 and DS 8.75

  #4  
Old December 8th 04, 10:09 PM
dragonlady
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Default

In article ,
Scott wrote:

Cathy Kearns wrote:
Given the time pressure (and to a lesser extent, the dye and chocolate
limitations) I'd suggest supplying already baked cookies, and having them
decorate them.


I agree. It will greatly streamline things if you
can bring in baked cookies and tubs of frosting
(from powdered sugar & milk). Or come early and
bake them on site. That would be even easier.
Have the kids frost and decorate.

If you do decorate the frosted cookies, make sure the
colored sugar, for example, is put out in very very
small batches. This way people like DS, who like to
dump tablespoonfuls of sugar on a frosted cookie, can't
use up all the sugar on the 1st 2 cookies

If someone at the school is insisting on baking...there are hard gold and
silver candies meant to be baked on, those little red hot candies, food
coloring mixed in dough, sprinkles (both the sparkly large sugar crystal
kind and the tube shaped kind.) Even the sprinkle discs might not melt.
Chocolate chips and kisses will melt, you might want to pull the cookies out
when they are almost done to put those on. M&Ms, and all their derivatives
won't melt as long as the candy coating is intact, so you could decorate
with them.


Again, right on. Only put the plain chocolate on the cookies
as they come out of the oven, but then that does put the
baking onus back on the adult helpers.

Years ago I remember making "stained glass" cookies that used life savers
melted in the middle to make a see through center. But I don't rememer that
recipe...


I'd think those would stick to the pan like crazy!

Scott DD 11 and DS 8.75


They get baked on aluminum foil, and they DON'T stick -- or, at least,
it's pretty easy to get the aluminum foil off.

I can't find the recipe right now, but iirc it's just sugar cookie
dough, then either rolled out and cut (but with extra holes cut in the
interior) or rolled into 1/4" ropes, and then shaping the ropes into
shapes, then putting crushed life savers in the holes.

They end up looking pretty cool.
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

  #5  
Old December 8th 04, 10:48 PM
Scott
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Default

dragonlady wrote:
In article ,
Scott wrote:


Cathy Kearns wrote:



Years ago I remember making "stained glass" cookies that used life savers
melted in the middle to make a see through center. But I don't rememer that
recipe...


I'd think those would stick to the pan like crazy!

Scott DD 11 and DS 8.75



They get baked on aluminum foil, and they DON'T stick -- or, at least,
it's pretty easy to get the aluminum foil off.

I can't find the recipe right now, but iirc it's just sugar cookie
dough, then either rolled out and cut (but with extra holes cut in the
interior) or rolled into 1/4" ropes, and then shaping the ropes into
shapes, then putting crushed life savers in the holes.

They end up looking pretty cool.


Yes, I did a google search on the recipe (Stained glass cookie recipe)
and saw how they were made.

scott

  #6  
Old December 9th 04, 03:38 AM
Iowacookiemom
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My e-mail address is not a fluke; baking cookies is my hobby, passion and
some-time obsession!

Your plan sounds basically good, but I wonder -- do you *have* to do the baking
part with them? It's really not the fun part, and it's messy and
time-consuming. As you correctly point out, the cookies will have to cool
before you can frost them. If it's not required, I'd strongly encourage you to
make the cookies in advance (or -- and I can be a big girl and suggest this
even if I *do* like baking ;-) -- buy already-baked cookies from a grocer or
bakery) and just decorate them with the kids -- that's the part they will enjoy
the most.

In my experience the pillsbury dough, while convenient, doesn't roll out
easily. If you want a good recipe for an easy-roll sugar cookie dough, let me
know and I'll e-mail you one. If you have a food processor, it's super-easy to
make a very easy-to-roll dough.

Whatever rolling you do, chill the dough very thoroughly (you may even want to
freeze pillsbury dough, which tends to be goopy) and then roll it out between
pieces of waxed paper. This eliminates the need for flour, which eliminates a
ton of the mess. Peel the top layer of waxed paper off of the rolled dough and
cut out your cookies from there.

If the kids need a "cooking" experience, rather than have them make the
cookies, they could make the glaze/frosting. You can make a very simple glaze
by whisking together powdered sugar, melted butter, a teaspoon of vanilla and a
little bit of half-and-half.

Avoid messy colored sugars in favor of red-hot candies, raisins (or the new
Craisins, which are dried cranberries), larger crystal sugars, and other
sprinkles. The very fine colored sugars are a royal pain. Crushed peppermint
candies or candy canes are a nice touch.

Don't get into the whole icing/writing thing -- it's messy and kids don't
handle pastry bags well, you'll end up with glops of frosting squirting out of
the wrong end of whatever contraption you're using to write. Just spread your
icing with butter or kitchen knives and sprinkle. Kids are more intersted in
eating than in making picture-perfect cookies.

If you *do* have to bake, you can avoid the frosting and just sprinkle the
cut-out dough with sprinkles before baking. There's also a kind of cool
egg-based paint recipe where you can paint cut-out cookies before you bake
them. I found two cookie paints with a google search -- one is an beaten egg
yolk plus a scant tsp of water, then add food coloring; the other is clear karo
syrup with food coloring. You might experiment with these when you do your dry
run; I would think that the karo mixture would tend to burn. It's been a long
time since I've tried cookie paint but I believe when I did it as a kid it was
an egg mixture. I'd be tempted to leave the egg white in the egg mixture since
it will help form a nice shiny glaze...

If you want more replies like this one (less parenting, more cookie know-how)
try rec.arts.cooking

Cheers!
-Dawn
Mom to Henry, 12

  #7  
Old December 9th 04, 05:27 AM
Robyn Kozierok
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Default

In article .com,
Robin wrote:

My big question right now is how to handle decorating the cookies.
Icings and frostings would, I believe, normally be applied after the
cookies are baked. Letting the kids do that would mean a second session
at the table, not a good option logistically. So I'd love to get ideas
on decorations that can be put on before baking, right after the kids
have cut out the cookies. The cookies will be recognizable shapes
(stars, etc.) so abstract decoration is just fine. Colored sugar? Mini
M&Ms? Complicating this is the fact that some of the kids (including my
own two children, who will be there) are allergic to chocolate and/or
some food dyes. So a variety of possible decorations that can be
applied before baking would be helpful.


We always decorate before baking. We use a variety of "sprinkles"
form the baking aisle, usually colored sugars plus the long chocolate
or multicolored ones you often get on ice cream, and sometimes even the
little silver balls. You can do home-made colored sugar too but that
isn't as easy to work with IME. For the allergic kids, any tiny candy
that is safe for them should work fine, plus of course sugar sprinkles
in safe colors.

Good luck and have fun!
--Robyn
I intend to do a dry run with my two sons on Friday afternoon, so I can
train them (and they can then help other kids, I hope), and also so I
can see whether, say, 1/4 of a roll of dough is enough for two or three
kids to work with.

Further ideas and insight on making this work -- either from the
cooking standpoint or the kid-management standpoint -- will be
gratefully received.

Thanks,

Robin
who had expected to be working by myself
in the kitchen for the duration of the party



  #8  
Old December 10th 04, 12:29 AM
Robin
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Default

Many thanks to all who have made suggestions. I'm hanging this reply of
Dawn's post, but am trying to answer you all :-)

If the choice is between baking the cookies (and simply not frosting
them afterward), or bringing pre-baked cookies (and doing only the
decoration part for the activity), we really need to go for the baking
step. For one thing, I can't buy the cookies we have in mind
(specialized shapes for which we do have cookie cutters, but which
aren't likely to be sold in stores) and I don't want to have to bake
them all myself. For another thing, I think the kids will get more out
of the rolling/cutting experience than the frosting, and it will
probably fill the alloted time better. I figure both are equally messy.
(And yes, the person in charge was very eager to see an active cooking
activity; I had to persuade him NOT to try to involve the kids in the
hot-oil-frying process I'm using for the other main party dish!)

In my experience the pillsbury dough, while convenient, doesn't roll

out
easily. If you want a good recipe for an easy-roll sugar cookie

dough, let me
know and I'll e-mail you one.


Please do, Dawn. I've used the Pillsbury myself with success, and will
try it for my dry run, but I'll have yours as backup if I need.

... and then roll it out between
pieces of waxed paper. This eliminates the need for flour, which

eliminates a
ton of the mess. Peel the top layer of waxed paper off of the rolled

dough and
cut out your cookies from there.


That is the single most useful hint I've ever heard. In addition to
cutting down on mess, it means the dough won't "roll up" on the rolling
pins (which is SO frustrating for kids who are just learning). That
will also make it a whole lot easier to keep the cookies from sticking
to the plastic tablecovers, and also to set the cut cookies aside till
we're ready to put them on cookie sheets. Brilliant. Thanks!

Avoid messy colored sugars in favor of red-hot candies, raisins (or

the new
Craisins, which are dried cranberries), larger crystal sugars, and

other
sprinkles. The very fine colored sugars are a royal pain. Crushed

peppermint
candies or candy canes are a nice touch.


Not sure what the difference is between the two types of sugars you
describe. The bottle I bought for a test run says "Cake Mate Blue
Crystals Decors." It's not as fine as table sugar, if that's what you
were warning me against. I didn't know there was any other kind (see
how little I use these things!). Color theme for the day will be blue
and white, so maybe I can find some undyed crystal sugar too. I'll make
sure I have sprinkle bottles that will keep the kids from overdoing the
quantity (thanks to Scott for pointing that out).

Thanks to Dawn, Robyn, and Cathy for suggestions on additional toppings
that will work before baking. Does regular cinnamon sugar work too?
That would be good, I think, as a non-dyed alternative. Maybe finely
chopped dried mango or dried apricot bits? I can buy these, or mixed
fruit bits, in bags in the raisins section, and they're pretty sweet.
It would also be more in tune with this particular party atmosphere to
have something that doesn't look commercial or store-bought (like
sprinkles or M&Ms).

There's also a kind of cool egg-based paint recipe where you can

paint cut-out cookies before you bake them.

Probably fun if it were just me, but beyond my ability to lead a group
of kids in that one!
I feel rather more confident now. Thanks all.

--Robin

  #9  
Old December 11th 04, 03:26 AM
Tamex
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On Wed, 8 Dec 2004 10:02:26 EST, "Robin"
wrote:

snip

My big question right now is how to handle decorating the cookies.
Icings and frostings would, I believe, normally be applied after the
cookies are baked. Letting the kids do that would mean a second session
at the table, not a good option logistically. So I'd love to get ideas
on decorations that can be put on before baking, right after the kids
have cut out the cookies. The cookies will be recognizable shapes
(stars, etc.) so abstract decoration is just fine. Colored sugar? Mini
M&Ms? Complicating this is the fact that some of the kids (including my
own two children, who will be there) are allergic to chocolate and/or
some food dyes. So a variety of possible decorations that can be
applied before baking would be helpful.


snip

Over Thanksgiving weekend, my MIL had my daughter help her with baking
sugar cookies, and my daughter decorated them with "paints" made from
food coloring and egg yolk. You paint the cookies with paintbrushes
(hopefully clean ones ) before they are baked, and they turn out
very colorful and glossy.
--
Tamex

No matter how much Jell-o you put in the pool, you still can't walk on water.

**remove Tricky Dick to reply by e-mail**

  #10  
Old December 13th 04, 07:57 PM
Robyn Kozierok
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In article .com,
Robin wrote:

Does regular cinnamon sugar work too?


This would have the disadvantage of the table sugar with food coloring --
messy. But it should bake fine and taste good.

That would be good, I think, as a non-dyed alternative. Maybe finely
chopped dried mango or dried apricot bits? I can buy these, or mixed
fruit bits, in bags in the raisins section, and they're pretty sweet.


I would try these at home first -- I'd be concerned that they might
burn.

(And yes, the person in charge was very eager to see an active cooking
activity; I had to persuade him NOT to try to involve the kids in the
hot-oil-frying process I'm using for the other main party dish!)


They could grate and mix, however.

Have fun!

--Robyn

 




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