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Dad Field Manual · Field card 128 · Cooking

Cookie decorating night

Store dough, a tub of frosting and every sprinkle in the house. Ninety minutes on a cold evening, a mess you planned for, and a plate of cookies nobody else would have made.

Time
90 min
Cost
About $15
Ages
3 to 12
Where
Kitchen table

What you need

  • A tube of store-bought sugar cookie dough, or a box of plain cookies
  • A tub or two of frosting, or powdered sugar and a little milk for a glaze
  • Every sprinkle, colored sugar and small candy in the house
  • A muffin tin for sprinkles, butter knives or spoons for spreading
  • A sheet pan per kid as a tray, plus parchment and a cheap tablecloth
  • Oven mitts and a cooling rack

Before you start

  • No tasting raw dough. FDA says don't eat raw flour, dough or batter, and don't let kids play with raw dough. Decorating starts after baking.
  • Wash hands before decorating and after touching raw dough: at least 20 seconds with soap and water (CDC).
  • The oven is Dad's. Mitts on, kids stand back. For a small burn, AAP says cool water right away, no ice or butter.
  • Guest with a food allergy? Read every label, sprinkles and frosting too. FDA says check each time you buy, and that "may contain" warnings are voluntary.

Steps

  1. Dad bakes, kids set the table. Bake the dough per the package while the kids cover the table.
  2. Build the sprinkle station. Fill a muffin tin with sprinkles, one kind per cup, and set out frosting.
  3. Cool the cookies. Cool the cookies fully on a rack, then everyone washes hands.
  4. Frost and sprinkle. Spread a thin layer of frosting, then sprinkle over the tray.
  5. Name and rate. Name your best cookie, then vote on names, sprinkles and faces.
  6. Clean up together. Roll up the tablecloth, wipe the table, sweep, then eat a cookie each.

If it stalls

  • If the youngest dumps a whole cup of sprinkles, it's on their tray. Scoop it back, say "Pinches," and carry on.
  • If someone wants to lick the frosting knife, give them a tasting spoon of frosting at the start instead.
Cookie names · Most sprinkles
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date