Kids' Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: And Other Treats for Colorful Celebrations
Sample Recipe fromKids' Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse: Magic WandsThe Good Witch of the North and the queen fairy agree that these star wands are magically delicious. The pixies at your party will love them, too. Send the sparkly pink wands home as party favors, or let the children decorate their own with royal icing and sanding sugar. They are sure to cast a spell on all who hold them.Materials:Cookie:Sugar Cookies (recipe below)Icing:1 recipe Royal Icing (recipe below)Decoration:pink and/or white sanding sugar, 6- or 8-inch lollipop sticks for magic wands, and ribbon for decoration (1-2 feet per wand, depending on whether a knot or bow is tied)Colors:pink liquid gel colorsMiscellaneous:half-sheet baking pan, pastry cones, star cookie cutterInstructions for Assembling the Wands:Bake the cookies and let them cool completely. Prepare the Royal Icing. Keep the icing covered with a damp cloth.Prepare the colored icing: approximately 1 cup light pink, ½ cup medium pink, ½ cup neon pink.To prevent breaking when decorating, hold the cookie, not the lollipop stick. Spread a thin layer of colored icing over the entire cookie. Immediately pour white or pink sanding sugar over the top or dip the cookie into a bowl of sanding sugar, pressing gently to adhere. Shake or dust off any excess sugar.Place 2 tablespoons of each color icing into separate pastry cones. Cut a small hole at the tip of each pastry cone. Pipe dots or lacy borders around the edge of each cookie, write the initials of the birthday fairy, or make a design of your own. Let dry overnight.Tie a bow with long trails around the handle of each wand.Sugar CookiesYield: Approximately 24 to 30 wandsLine 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have all ingredients at room temperature.In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, cream:4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter2/3 cup sugarAdd and thoroughly incorporate:1 extra-large egg½ teaspoon pure vanilla extractOn a piece of wax paper, sift together:1-½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon kosher saltAdd the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.Mix until the dough comes together.Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.On a lightly floured board, roll the chilled dough out to ¼-inch thick. Slip parchment paper under the rolled dough and transfer it to a half-sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut out shapes.For magic wands: Cut out stars using a star cookie cutter (2 inches to 3 inches across; larger stars need longer handles). Arrange the stars 1 inch apart along the long sides of the cookie sheets. Carefully insert lollipop sticks into the hollow created between two points of the star about ½ inch deep.Royal IcingYield: Approximately 4 cupsIn a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip to stiff peaks:¼ cup meringue powder½ cup cold waterAdd and mix at low speed with a paddle attachment, until combined:4 cups (1-pound box) confectioners’ sugarContinue mixing at high speed for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the icing is stiff.Add and mix on low speed until combined:½ teaspoon strained fresh lemon juiceCover the bowl with a damp cloth while you are working with or coloring batches of icing, or immediately place it in an airtight container or a pastry cone; otherwise, a hard crust will quickly form as it dries.