Play Food
I made some tiny sugar cookie sugar cookies for you.
Tee-niny!
Yes, I love little and I kinda like to play with my food… But I’m sure you know that about me by now.
And you probably know that I made more than just baby cookies.
They’re cute on their own, but I really needed them to put on display.
On these 3-tier sugar cookie dessert stands I made.
EEek! Cookies on cookies. Key-ute.
I love sugar cookies since they require a few basic ingredients that I almost always have on hand.
They can be baked in no time – especially with the recipe I’ve been using from my friend Bridget at Bake at 350. It’s been my go-to recipe lately. I love hers because nothing has to be set out to room temperature. And her dough doesn’t need to be chilled before rolling either. Equals Awesome! I hate waiting. So I love this recipe. When the dough comes together it will be crumbly, but don’t worry. Just grab it and knead it a bit and it’s ready to roll and cut. And it lifts beautifully, too.
Here’s Bridget’s recipe for sugar cookies and royal icing on some peppermint cookies I made a few weeks ago. And here is the recipe on her site.
But even better, Bridget has a Cookie Decorating book out. And I’m giving one away at the end of this post. YAY!
Actually, I’m giving away a signed copy of her book, Decorating Cookies. Easy to understand instructions with tons of adorable cookie decorating ideas. You’ll love it.
Skip on down to the bottom if you want to enter. Wheee!
Or if you want to see how I made my cookies stand, then keep on reading. These aren’t in Bridget’s book… I was just inspired by her cookie creations and love for decorating and wanted to share it with you since I love using her recipe.
Hope you like them Bridget! P.S. I need a piping boot camp. I don’t know how you do it.
Roll your cookie dough out nice and flat. I used these rubber dough bands to make sure the thickness was even when I rolled.
Then cut out circles in graduating sizes. I used 3 7/8, 3, 2 5/8 and 2 1/4 inch sizes.
Before you bake, use a plastic drinking straw to remove the centers of each cookie. The straw collects the dough in the center. Convenient.
Freeze the cut shapes for about 10 minutes to help the dough avoid spreading and then bake.
And when they come out of the oven, use the straw again to make sure the holes stay the same size.
Use the dough scraps and tiny cutters to cut out shapes for your desserts to go on display.
A piping tip like the one on the right will make circles with rounded tops since the tip is cone-shaped.
Makes great mini macarons or whoopie pies. Just tap the tip on the counter to release the dough.
Lots of little shapes.
Assorted shapes – around 1 inch wide.
Tiny alphabet cutters. XOXO
Graduated ovals – plain on one side and crinkled on the other.
And my favorite – I can’t live without – graduated circle cutters that I used to make the stands.
You’ll want to use four different sizes to make the 3-tier stands.
Note: For the chocolate cookies, I swapped out 1/2 flour for 1/2 cup cocoa and used all vanilla extract in Bridget’s recipe.
After they are baked and cooled, and then comes the piping. This always goes smoother in my head than when I actually start piping.
Pipe first with outline icing and then fill with flood icing.
However for these I ended up using a royal icing consistency somewhere in between and piped and filled with the same consistency.
Ugh – wonky lines. Not what I’d hoped.
So after I filled and before the icing set completely, I piped dots all the way around. Camouflage it.
Much better.
Let cookies dry overnight. And after all the cookie decorating save leftover royal icing in an airtight container or in the piping bag with the ends tied off and cap closed for finishing up the project the next day.
Now comes the fun part.
Ice the cakes and decorate!
Easy details for major impact.
Oh and those macarons, try painting them with a little luster dust.
Just mix some of the powder with a small amount of clear extract and you can paint right on the cookies.
Pretty.
Pretty dang cute!
And even cuter on display.
These were surprisingly easy to make stand up.
Start with using cookie sticks for the support. These are bigger than the lollipop sticks I usually use for cake pops (lower right).
The sticks should be about 6 inches tall for the stands. Buy the 6 inch sticks or cut down the 8 inch.
Use a cookie stick to gently twist through each cookie opening to make sure it goes through before building.
And make sure your cookie icing is completely dry and set from the day before.
- Start with the smallest cookie shape. It should not be iced. Place on a flat surface and then insert the cookie stick. Slide the largest iced cookie on top. Having two cookies on the bottom will give you more support and keep the stick straight.
- Cut striped straws into 1 1/2 inch sections. Slide one straw piece over the stick and push to the bottom as a spacer/ledge.
- Slide second largest iced cookie on stick until it stops at the straw. Then slide another straw piece on top.
- Slide last cookie on top until it stops at the straw. Then slide one more straw piece on the very top. Wrap a piece of washi tape around the straw and cut out a triangle for a cute flag topper.
- Note: Not shown. Use the leftover royal icing to pipe in between the two bottom cookies and pipe dots around the centers of each tier to help secure the cookies in place as you build. Attach the desserts to the tiers with royal icing too. Then let dry and don’t move for a few hours. I skipped this step because I wanted to get right to taking pictures.
There you have it four cookies for 3-tier stands. Bridget’s recipe will make four stands with enough cookies to decorate.
And these can be totally scaled back? Two tiers? Just a cookie plate? Just the tiny cookies? Only one cookie shape? Choose how you want to play.
They’d be super fun and totally stand out for Valentine’s Day, for a dessert party or even party favors.
Enjoy!
_______________________
Now for the giveaway!
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Bridget’s book, Decorating Cookies.
- Just answer the following question and leave your response in the comments section on this blog post.
- What did you do this weekend? Something fun I hope. I made a bunch of cookies : )
- Deadline to enter is
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 7:00 pm.Sorry, Time’s Up. Winner announced below. - One winner will be picked at random and announced sometime Wednesday evening on this post.
Good Luck!
Thank you all so much for the sweet words on the cookie stands. I really appreciate it. And now for the winner of Bridget’s book.
It’s comment #917 – Becky P! Congratulations and have fun decorating cookies. And swimming too.
So cute! This weekend I baked a chocolate bundt cake with a chocolate cinnamon pecan streusel for my mom’s birthday. It was delicious! :)
Took my son to a track meet, cleaned house, took all my kids to a birthday party, picked up an extra Kid for a sleepover and vegged all day Sunday :-) Oooohhhhh..and made an Upside Down Lemon Merengue pie!
Ohmigosh! ADORABLE! I love the mini cookie stands :) You are so creative.
This weekend I took the itsy bitsy valentine class at Archivers and made some very cute valentine cards (if I had a blog I’d show the pictures….hmmm..) and I made cinnamon roll cupcakes – yummmers, cinnamon goo….
Didnt do much fun, we had ice so we were stuck in the house just relaxing this weekend.
Oh my gosh, the cutest ever!!! Now, a question for you – did you eat your creation? :-)
This weekend was fun end to end, beginning with a night out with a group of really terrific ladies from my church community group. Good food, good conversation and yep, good dessert. LOL
I love these cookie stands. What a genius idea. Can’t wait to try it out.
This weekend I went to see Shen Yun (Chinese Classical Dance. Next headed over to Vacientes for dinner (Cuban food. yummy!). After dinner made my way over to the Detroit Auto Show. The new cars were awesome!!! Finally home to bed.
Sunday i went to church and afterward went to my dance class. From there headed home for some much needed rest!!!!
I really love that cookie stands! they are wonderful!…. this week I went to a pastry seminar with my mom! we really enjoy it! =D
Super cute! I took my kids to a birthday party and had a sleepover for with one of their friends..and made an upside down Lemon Merengue pie!
Too cute!!! I judged a cheerleading competition all day on Saturday…was up before the sun and judged some great cheerleading routines!!! I did some baking on Friday so that I could relax and enjoy my Sunday!!!
Those cookies are fabulous! You are the Master of Sweets! I would love nothing more than to make them…though my weekend, like many, are filled with hours of entertaining my beautiful 2 year old daughter! Playing Blocks/House/Dolly’s/Trains, Coloring, Painting, Play-doh, Reading Books…etc. REPEAT! Mixed in with meal prep & clean-up! After it all I’m exhausted but the happiest Mommy ever! One day I will get to bake sweet things…but until then I will enjoy life’s sweetest things! :) Keep up the great work Bakerella!
How adorable are those cookies!
I made Save the Date cookies for my wedding in July this weekend :)
This weekend I went cake/cookie supply shopping!!! for all the valentine’s presents.
I caught up on some chores and projects that I was too tired to deal with during the week.
This weekend I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies but I really want to try iced sugar cookies following your guidelines. Mine never look right. I also made two dresses, one for each grand daughter.
I took my girl to her speech therapy and then to her occupational therapy. She is doing great though and that makes mommy happy!!!
Those Cookie Stands are the cutest thing i have ever seen!!!!! Im going to try and do them some time :)
This weekend I enjoyed the beautiful sunny and windy days of summer here in Costa Rica :)
Spent the weekend at the Hershey Jr Bears Winter Classic hockey tournament. Those boys love cookies!
HI- I cleaned out my treasure room this weekend. I worked up an appetite for some cookies!! haha….
cindy
I didn’t do anything fun, just ran some errands and cleaned the house. I would have loved to bake and decorate some cute cookies!
My husband and I drove 9 1/2 hours to visit daughter and family in North Carolina. Having a wonderful time with family and grandkids.
Had to do a work thing last weekend but I’m making yummy cookies and cupcakes for the Super Bowl party this weekend!
My husband cut himself at work (he works at a meat market) so I was the good wife and waited with him and took care of him. I did not, at any time, view the wound though – that is where I draw the line!
Chocolate pudding, a new pair of shoes and movie.
I went on a road trip with all of my friends. We slept in a hostel in a village called Taanayel in Lebanon (Middle east). Our Rooms were very traditional so basically our beds were on the floor! http://arcenciel.org/fr/programmes/aubergetaanayel.htm
lovely weekend very relaxing :)
Cookies are just too cute!!
I didn’t do much…Costco to do some food shopping. Church on Sunday. That’s about it.
wish I could see the cookies but for some reason none of the pictures are showing. :-(
I took my college quiz bowl students to a competition, which they won! I’m very proud!
These cookie stands and mini cookies are the cutest thing ever! It’s a great idea for a birthday girl or just a special day gift wrapped in cellophane and tied with a bow and a little hand made tag. Love it!
These are tooooo cute! What a great idea! Can’t wait to use all my tiny cookie cutters (i actually use them for puff pastry decorations on beef wellingtons!)
This weekend – I was under the weather – and stayed home making lots of gum paste flowers for my first cake competition!
Fun blog! Thanks so much!
This weekend I had to work at the bakery… http://Www.dippedanddazzled.com finishing up orders, and then I spent time with family and friends.
I finally took down all the Christmas decorations….and attempted the chocolate peanut butter truffles.
Made canadian flag shaped/colored cookies for a presentation that kiddo had at school on the canadian flag.
How creative!
This weekend, I started drafting a pattern to make an A-line skirt.
Haha! I spent the weekend trying to make sugar cookies! But the dough was not right – too crumbly and wouldn’t roll out). You are just in time with this recipe, and I will be trying again tonight!
I traveled to Penn State for a convention with a few friends. This meant that we stayed up too late and got up too early. I’m not really sure how I’m functioning right now, but it was still fun.
My husband and I took our 10 month old daughter to the park to swing. She loves swinging with Daddy!
I threw my back out doing chores. Not the best way to spend a weekend, but I got caught up on some of my DVRed shows.
We took advantage of a childcare night at our church to go out with some friends to a great new restaurant in town!
Those are absolutely adorable!
These are the cutest things I have seen in a looooong time! And I have pretty adorable kids, so that’s saying something!
Was going to make banana ark chocolate raspberry bread but instead spent the weekend cleaning house.
My 4 year old and I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. He loves to bake with me. I think it is the fun of cracking the eggs and measuring out all of the ingredients that he truly loves.
Very cute cookies and stands! I didn’t do very much. Recovering from a cold and an asthma attack.
I did a whole bunch of nothing. I read a book and started another one but I’m off of work for knee surgery so there isn’t a whole lot I can do. I’m taking advantage of it while I can :)
We spent some good quality time with our kids! It was a great weekend!
So creative and cute!
We made a quick trip to Austin for some car shopping. Didn’t get anything yet! And visited my daughter while there. Spent Sunday cleaning and getting ready for the workweek.
Love the cookies stands!
This weekend I got my hair cut and colored, cleaned, did laundry and baked 3 different kinds of cookies for my friend’s son to take back to college. Oh and some for her other 3 sons still at home.
It’s full summer here so no baking this weekend…pool days with friends!
I prepared for the musical I’m in, opening night is this week!! And today I’m relaxing because school is off due to “bad weather” Btw these cookies look sooo cute!! <3
I made valentine candy and chocolate covered oreos. Plus worked on my gumpaste roses needed for an upcoming cake.
Just survived as our house was taken over by the stomach bug!
Stayed in bed nursing a sinus infection and a bad back…while enjoying a good book :)
I laid in bed all weekend with the flu. Couldn’t even celebrate Chocolate Cake day, which was Sunday.
I love this idea! It is so cute! Do you think the sugar cookie recipe would work at high altitudes?
Those are just adorable! Can’t wait to try them.
I had a wonderful weekend with my new grandson!
I spent quality time with my boyfriend and planned a ladies night for next week. Fun! These cookie stands are adorable – I can totally see this as a fun mommy/daughter activity.
Thanks for the giveaway!
LOVE these tiny cookies and stands, so cute. Baked with my son this weekend, made chocolate chip and blueberry muffins.
I didit do much, made some monster cookies, cleaned the bathrooms
I had a 10th bday party for my daughter
I bake a Led Zeppelin decorated cake!!! I´d love to have your book!
I always use Bridget’s recipes!! Mini Cookies – so creative and such a steady hand!! Great job!
These are so fantastically adorable – your abilities amaze me – these darling photos make me smile :)
FYI for some reason a lot of your images are showing up for me as unavailable to view, I’m on Firefox if that’s of any help.
Going back to look at the pics again – Patricia
Love the teeny cookies and stand!
I went to see “Wicked”!!
This weekend I packed up some freezer meals and made shrimp gumbo!
This weekend wasn’t very exciting… My husband and I cleaned and organized our basement, then “we” moved all the furniture from our upstairs office and moved it into the basement… Now the upstairs office is empty and ready to become a nursery! Yay! :) hehe
Can’t wait for my maternity leave to kick in so I can bake and cook and stock up the freezer! (You know before the crazy sleepness nights kick in! haha)
This weekend I did a lot of homework… oh the grad school life. Luckily, I crammed in some fun watching the SAG awards!
Oh my word, you are so clever… Definitely going to make these for my daughters birthday party. I spent my weekend sorting and organizing. But will be baking this weekend for sure..
The cookies are gorgeous!
This weekend I went to swimming lessons and to have lunch with my sister on Saturday. On Sunday I catched up with lots of tv series!
We had an ice storm, so we were housebound Saturday. I baked cookies, muffins, and made a bunch of food to last us all week.
Me and my husband had an argument, I cleaned the house, took care of the baby and made a new chicken pot pie recipe and chocolate cake :)
Boot shopping. Moderately successful. :)
I made a Xbox controller out of fondant for a friends birthday.
I went to a tea salon in Osaka, just to eat some good cake with my friend, but for sure those cookies would be welcome to the party too :)
This weekend I baked chocolate, vanilla and red velvet cupcakes with buttercream and cream cheese icing with weights made of fondant on each one and a Rose cake for a friend who requested these for a party she was having.
I painted my brothers house with him and his wife! :) Very tiring
My son turned 3 on Friday and we threw him a ROAR-ING dinosaur party with cake pops (of course). He had a blast and I had a great (and exhausting) time prepping everything to be dinosaurs!
I made cookies and set up my new sewing machine!
You are so creative! This weekend I had to work in the yard, then I watched a movie with my grown daughter.
This is such a cute idea. I worked, played with puppies and went to Disneyland. Growing up near Disney I’ve been there dozens of times in my life, but somehow this year the magic was all new and I got to ride an attraction that is usually not running too. Then we topped the weekend off with a nearby Italian restaurant and the best cannoli ever.
I went to a tour and brunch at the Corcoran Gallery.
omg so cute!!!! my husband was away this weekend, so i dealt with the snow! play dates and basketball. yah fun fun
thanks for the chance
mary
Oh my! These are just darling! I love sugar cookies, and these take them to levels beyond!
This weekend I took care of everyone in my house since they are all sick
I went on a mommy-son date with my 7 year old mini-golfing and to the arcade. We decorated Valentine’s Day cookies after. I love these little cookie stands… Cannot wait to try!!!!!
My husband and I spent the weekend shopping. He’s a good sport! Love the cookies!
Laundry, cleaning and snow shoveling, I’d have much rather been baking!!! I did look up recipies to make chocolate stout cupcakes for this upcoming weekend.
I made bread this weekend, cause it was rainy! Then I decided we needed chocolate chip cookies too.
I made a batch of Seville orange marmalade mmmm
I made cookies and tried flooding for the first time, I definitely need practice! :)
These cookies are just too cute!
I’m a sucker for cake stands anyway & these are way toooo adorable
This weekend I went to a parenting seminar, hung out with my hubby, went to church, went to a singing with young couples from my church (after eating pizza of course).
P.S. I am pretty sure your cookie tiers are the most adorable thing I have ever seen…and I’ve seen a lot of adorable things.
Those are so cute!!
I had to spend the day indoors, it was freezing rain all day Sunday. So I got to bake all day.
I made Chocolate Lemon Tart :)
I enjoyed watching my parents meet their 1st great grandson (my first grandchild) and celebrated my birthday with my favorite people!
My Godsons can over this weekend since we were never able to have them over for our normal chrismas stay over. I just had a baby in October so it was extremely chaotic!
One day I want to attempt sugar cookies, I love how they look and make any table look beautiful. These are amazing! But I do say all the mini’s is what really puts it over the top. Lots of patience went into this. Love it. Kim
I made cupcakes!!! :) Ice blue buttercream with red roses and some with black mustaches! They were adorable! We delivered a dozen to a dear friend that had surgery this week! Hope you had a wonderful weekend too!!!
Oh my! So cute! Made rye bread this weekend for the first time. Can’t wait to slice and toast for breakfast. This book would be great for my 52 weeks of cookies project. Crossing my fingers.
I spent the weekend at the family farm, enjoying some time with my nephews and working on craft projects.
So cute!
I was in the craft room making cards, I did bake some muffins for my lunch!
I finally put away our Christmas decorations :)