Type: Active
Age: Middle school
Optimal size: <5
Estimated cost: $51 - $100
Planning time: <2 hours
Frequency: One-time

Learning outcomes

● Think flexibly ● Innovate ● Demonstrate an openness to risk-taking ● Experiment, prototype and test ideas ● Create original work or responsibly remix existing content to make something new ● Engage in personal expression

Instructions

Supplies Needed:

• Undecorated sugar cookies (I bought mine from the Walmart baking section. I got the round cookies but if you feeling really fancy, a bakery will sell you unfrosted cookies in various shapes)
• Royal icing (You can get it pre-made and you just add water or you can get it in powder form. We used the powder because we are teaching patrons how to use a mixer.) One box will accommodate two patrons
• Lots of Piping bags
• Piping tips-optional (We used tips because we wanted teens to learn how to use tips and couplers.
• Mixer (Bring one from home or ask staff; don’t buy one unless you plan to do lots of cooking programs)
• Water
• Measuring cups
• Tall plastic cups
• Spoons
• Toothpicks
• Food coloring
• Bowls
• Boxes for patrons to take their cookies

Instructions:

• We began the class by asking patrons if they had ever frosted cookies before the class. We ask them what they want to learn by the end of the class.
• We tell them that in today’s class, they are going to learn how to mix use a hand/stand mixer; how to make royal frosting; what is royal frosting and why it’s different from regular frosting; how to use a piping bag; and how to flood frosting.
• We showed a Youtube video just for inspiration.
• We split them into two groups and had them take turns mixing the frosting. Follow the directions on your frosting box.
• We gave each patron two bowls, two spoons, and two piping bags, two piping tips and couplets.
  • Give each patrons one or two food colors, depending on how many you have to offer
• Here’s where it gets tricky:
  • You need two consistencies of frosting for each color. You need piping frosting (this is the stiffer frosting you use to outline the designs). Then you need flooding frosting (this is for the inside and it needs to be a bit runny).
  • Scoop a little bit of the royal icing into a bowl and add a drop of food coloring. Mix and put into a piping bag (don’t forget the piping bag tips). This is your piping frosting. Do this for every color you will be using. You need to mark these bags so that patrons can distinguish the piping frosting from the flooding frosting. You can use colored tape or a marker or don’t use piping tips for these bags.
  • With the remaining frosting, have each patron scoop some into their bowl and add water. Please follow the instructions on the box for frosting to water ratio. Then add a drop of food coloring, mix, then put in piping bags.
    • If each patrons does this with a different color, then everyone can share the bags. There will be a variety of colors for everyone.
• Demonstrate how to properly hold and use a piping bag
• Have teens practice on a cookie.
  • I bought enough cookies for each patron to have 10 cookies. The cookies were cheap at Walmart. They can eat their practice cookies.
• I had Youtube videos running in the background for inspiration. Let them design and decorate.

Cookie Decorating

Supplies Needed:

• Cake frosting turntable kit (Option)
  
• Cake leveler
• Piping bags
• Piping tips
• Lots of frosting
• Cakes
• Food coloring
• Boxes for take home

Instructions

• We have cake decorating videos on Youtube playing as they arrive for inspiration
  and for something to watch as we wait for everyone to arrive.
• Once again, we want to teach essential cake frosting skills so we begin by asking if anyone has frosted cakes and what they want to learn by the end of the class.
• Since this is a cake decorating class and not a baking class, I pre-baked the cakes. I made 8″ round cakes.
• We purchased non-essential cake deco supplies such as a turntable and a leveler and it was expensive but when we do this program again, we won’t have to buy them.
• We learned how to decorate cakes by watching a tutorial by Rosanna Pansino. Instead of me giving you instructions here, I recommend you learn by watching this video and then teach it.

Evaluation

• Cookie decorating was a lot harder for the teens to do than cake decor. Making royal frosting and then flooding the cookie was a challenge. I'd recommend sticking to the cake decorating.
• Have teens test the piping bags on paper before they decorate so that they know what the tips look like.
• Once they got started, it was a very easy program because they didn't need a lot of help. They were lost in the decorating.
• By the end of the class, participants will know how to use piping bags, how to use varied piping tips, and how to make a two tier cake.