What could be more fun? A crowd of kids -- of all ages -- plus cookies, icing and sprinkles! Prizes too! And it's free.
We call it a Cookie Throwdown!
Conceived last winter to beat the off-season blues, it make our wedding-less Saturdays busy and exciting. Brought lots and lots of smiles to everyone, and the kids had a blast!
Here's how it works...
- We pick a theme and bake some shortbread cookies (sugar cookies would do fine as well). Last week it was "Winter Wonderland" and we made polar bears, trees, birds, snowflakes and ice cream cones. Of course most kids picked the polar bear because it was the biggest.
- Then we set up a couple of big tables and put out bags of icing (not too full for little hands and secured on the ends with rubber bands so the icing does not come out the top). Plus lots and lots of sprinkles of all shapes, colors and sizes.
- We made up a placard of rules (Be nice, share, etc.)
- Everyone gets one free cookie to decorate (extras are $1 each if you want to practice or you eat the entry before it gets judged). BTW, there is no rule saying you MUST enter your cookie. Kids (and adults) are welcome to just decorate (or not) a cookie and eat it.
- Contest starts at 1:30, with judging at 2:45 and clean-up at 3pm. Mary's Cakes tee-shirt for the winner in each age group, plus a box of pastries for the runner-up. Everyone in the "five-and-under" category gets a prize and we bend the rules for "no outside help" for the little ones.
The cookie at the top of the post was one of the winning cookies in the "five-and-under" category. According to Lulu's mom "This is her anti-arctic oil exploration statement. Note oily sheen on mid-section."
<< The "Adult" category is the most competitive, with contestants placing sprinkles on one-at-a-time with tweezers.
OK, we're a bakery and it's easy for us to do this, but it works great for parties as well.
This Saturday? The theme is "Here Comes the Bride" with cake cookies, dresses, rings and flowers!
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