how to host a cookie decorating party (my third Project Food Blog challenge)

Well, the panda sushi got me through to round three of the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog contest! A huge and hearty THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me! The third challenge:

 "host a luxurious dinner party"

My initial thoughts involved cream sauces, puff pastry, individually plated desserts with sprigs of mint, wine that cost more than 10 bucks a bottle...  but what would I do with my 3-year-old?  What would our friends whom we'd invite do with their 3-year-olds? So I revised my thinking. What would a luxurious dinner party be for a 3-year-old?

"a cookie decorating dinner party"

So one evening, my three-year-old had five of her neighborhood friends over for a luxurious cookie decorating dinner party (technically six if you count the baby who couldn't hold a frosting bag).

how to host a cookie decorating party

the dinner menu
The menu was planned around toddlers who have potentially picky tastes and who need at least one hand free for cookie decorating. So that means....

Unadorned, non-messy, finger foods. And as the toddlers come with parents: accompanying foods for a more grown-up palate. Click HERE to see the menu or click below to see what we served.

the decorating table
The three essentials for cookie decorating: cookies, frosting and sprinkles.

 

you will need:*
dough
frosting

cookie cutters

frosting colors

12-inch clear disposable decorating bags

assorted sprinkles

scissors

freezer or butcher paper

lots of paper towels

*Choose simple shaped cutters, like circles, stars, hearts and flowers. For frosting colors, I use Americolor soft gel pastes (Electric Pink, Orange, Electric Green, Regal Purple, Bright White, Sky Blue used here.) Find the decorating bags, sprinkles, and cutters in the baking aisle of the craft store. For more tips on finding supplies, click HERE.

what to do:
The day before the party, make, chill, roll out and bake cookies according to the recipe. Prepare your frosting and mix an assortment of colors. Fill empty decorating bags (don't snip the ends yet) and tie closed tightly with rubber bands. On the day of the party, cover your table with freezer or butcher paper, taping down the ends. Arrange the sprinkles in small bowls, shakers or cupcake liners on the table with the frosting bags.  Snip about 1/4 inch from the tips of the decorating bags, give the kids their cookies, and decorate!

the kids
The fourth essential: the kids!  {Photos taken by my husband, my friend, Liz, and some by me.}

The mini cookie decorators in action:

tips and tricks

• Age matters. Cookie decorating parties are fun for ages two (maybe) to grown-ups. Toddlers and younger children will just squeeze a bunch of frosting and sprinkles on a cookie, so don't waste time with complex shapes or instructions. Older kids (especially girls, I've found), ages ten and up, are much more precise. They may handle more complex shapes. You might even want to decorate some sample cookies the day before to display for ideas. 
• The frosting bags. For younger kids, snip the ends of the frosting bags more generously, so they are easier to use. For older kids, snip smaller openings for more controlled decorating, or, use couplers and tips.
• Rubber bands! Be sure to close frosting bags tightly with rubber bands! Toddlers will squeeze the frosting out of the top otherwise. 
• The stains. Frosting coloring will stain, so don't dress your kids in their finest clothing. Stains on hands will disappear over a couple of days. Unless they are needed for particular designs (which should only be a concern of older kids), stay clear of red-based colors, dark colors (like navy or deep purple) and black frosting. They are the worst culprits. Stick with pastels.
• Have enough cookies. Plan on at least four per child, and it's not a bad idea to have a bag of plain, store-bought cookies handy in case you run out.
• Have enough frosting bags. Have at least enough that every child will have a frosting bag at the same time. I doubled up the popular colors, too. I'm glad I had two bags of pink, as that was the coveted color among 3-year old girls.
• Make sure to have take-home boxes. As the cookies will be too wet to bag, bakery boxes found at the craft store are perfect to take home the goods. Write the child's name on their box or add a decorative tag and you have instant favors, too. 
• Eat dinner first! My one mistake was having all the decorating supplies laid out when the kids arrived. Hence, they dug right in before dinner. (Um, sorry parents.)