Someone here on cc mentioned how they had worked for Cookies By Design and how they drilled holes in the decorated cookies to put the sticks in. Well, I just finished a beautiful order of bridesmaid dresses only to look at the order form and notice that they were supposed to be on sticks! Yikes!!!!!!!

I couldn't believe I'd have to make them all over again...that's when I remembered that thread. So I got out the drill, clamped it to the counter, adjusted the height of everything involved, drilled the cookies and VOILA! I saved an order!!!! Only one cookie died in the process...the frosting cracked a little! My cookies are 1/2" thick and nice and soft. I thought they'd fall apart for sure, but it worked. I squirted a little frosting in the hole, stuck in the sticks and I'm ready to go.

Thanks a bunch to whoever posted that information. It saved me a ton of work!! Oh, and just in case anyone is wondering, I had a brand new drill bit that I sterilized for this although I hope to never have to use it again!

I don't know what I'd do without all the wonderful tips here on cc.

I worked for them about 5 years ago and I remember drilling away and it definately works. I don't recall being the one that mentioned it though but I'm glad it worked out for you

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that actually worked! I started that thread, and it was someone else that responded to it that posted the information.
Well, CBD has been in business for a LONG time...so they obviously DO know what they're talking about! lolol I'm with you though...I hope to NEVER have to drill holes into my cookies! I'm so glad that you were able to save yours however!

Good for you!! I can't imagine having to re-do all those cookies. I remember someone saying they bought a Dremel tool for just that purpose.

A few questions for you:
What kind of drill did you use?
What size bit?
How deep did you make your hole?

Honeydukes - I used a regular household drill with a bit just a little bigger than the sticks so the hole would accomodate the icing as well as the sticks and I drilled the hole about 2 inches deep because the cookie was pretty big.

I'm just so glad it worked. I'll post a pic of them soon so you can see why I didn't want to redo them! Thanks for sharing in my success!!

Jennifer

I just saw your cookies in the gallery and am SO glad that worked out for you! They are really lovely and I agree that we all learn so many great tips and techniques from one another!

If I may ask (only if it is okay), what sugar cookie recipe do you use? If is a secret, I understand. If you do share, how thick do you roll them to end up with 1/2" thick? I don't plan to do bouquets in general (horizontals give me enough of a time challenge!), but I might try to do one for a good friend.

If you can share, it would be appreciated. If it is your own recipe, I fully understand.

Thanks either way! Your cookies are phenomenal!

I would also like any general tips you can give us. I so enjoy looking at your beautiful cookies. I use my grandmothers rec and my own icing, but any suggestions on just how thick you think a cookie works best is great!!!

Hope that makes sense to you

Your cookies are beautiful. I only hope to become that good.

Tracy - I do use my own recipe...but it's actually very similar to the NFSC recipe on here. And I roll them out 1/2" thick. So there's a lot of room for the sticks when I remember them!!

You're funny! Thanks for telling me about the recipe. I have been rolling the NFSC to 3/8" and will just go a bit further. I found it interesting when I switched flour as it made a big difference in the detail. Thanks again for your help!

what is NFSC?

Tracy! Switched flour? Are you holding out on a secret tip? (Just kidding...you know I wouldn't make you tell me.)

I'm going to have to try the drilling the hole trick. I break too many cookies trying to do it any other way!

karema....NFSC is No Fail Sugar Cookie. The recipe is on the website.

and yes, TracyLH what is this switching flour

Yah, TracyLH, what do you mean that switching flour made the difference in detail? I'm not getting that one!!!

Jennifer,
I'm so glad you tried this technique and it worked! I had also read the thread about CBD doing this, and need to try it. Those sticks and I don't get along! Maybe this is just what I need!

CindyM - I have to say it worked and saved an order for me, but it was very nerve-wracking drilling holes in already decorated cookies wondering if each one was going to crack. I wouldn't want to do it all the time.

I hear a lot of people having problems with the sticks so I feel very lucky, but I think the sticks are the easiest things to work with (when you don't forget them!). Maybe if you wrote here exactly why you think you have a problem with them I could help you out...or pm me. I'd be glad to help.

wait.

where and how did you drill the hole? do you have a picture of what it looked like with a stick? i just can't picture it. the cookie in your pics looked so cute!

cupcakeshoppe - I drilled holes in the cookies in the same place a stick would go if you were making cookies on a stick. If you go to my flickr site you'll see the picture of the bridesmaid dress cookies after I drilled the holes and put the sticks into. HTH!

Hello Ladie,

For those who asked regarding my 'switching flour' comment, I read an article in Cook's Illustrated about how different flours can yield different results. They tested different brands with a variety of bqked goods. I focused in on cookies (imagine that!). Gold Medal scored highest with G.M. Enriched Bleached All-Purpose Flour winning for 'Icebox cookies" and G.M. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour winning for "Chocolate Chip Cookies". I figured "Icebox Cookies" was the closest to the NFSC I make, so I had been using the G.M. Bleached Presifted All-Purp. Flour.

One day, I realized I was out of my normal flour and needed to make some right away, so I grabbed the G.M. Bleached Presifted All-Purp. I found that it really held the detail much better than the one I was using before - i.e. - it didn't spread as much. I used that flour again with the same results, which worked well as I was doing a cookie that I didn't want to spread and ruin the design (a small daisy that I wanted the petals to 'stay where they needed to' vice puff out.) I have not done a side-by-side test at the same time with the two flours, but always make my dough the same, prechilling before cutting and chilling again before baking.

So... that is what I meant by switching flours

Interesting!

It really made a difference for me!

Hmm... I may have spoken too soon after just doing a batch. It might be how soft the butter was when I creamed it...or the roon temp... how long I mixed it...if it was a full moon Either way, I will do a completely thorough test with all variables being the same except for the flour once the kids start school and I get my head above water to see if what I thought was valid or not.

Okay, last time I am going to attach a message onto poor bakincc's forum message! I typed entirely too fast (note the "Hello Ladie" vice "Ladies". Who am I... Jerry Lewis?). So excuse the typos and the flour I used in place of the normal one is the G.M. Unbleached All-Purpose flour not the incorrect one I typed. But... I am still testing that hypothesis!

Thank you Tracy, I will also try the flour test, the cookies I did this weekend, held the shape generally well, but I would love it to be a tad crisper if that makes sense. and thank you for commenting on my picture. It really makes my day, I am still very afraid my work just doesn't compare to some of you ladies our there. But i will continue to try

Pinksugarbee - We are all trying and no matter the different levels of cookie decorating that you see here on CC, everyone all started as beginners. I learned early on not to compare my work to others (far too depressing!), but instead to be inspired by their 'cookie greatness' to try new techniques.

Will I ever be as good as kneadacookie? Nope, but I can learn from her use of glace how to make image appear through layers. Will I ever be as polished as Antonia74? Another resounding nope, but I can see her cookies and try harder to get her incredible, professional look (admittedly, a stretch!). I look at JenWhitlock's creativity, bakinccc's wonderful quality, helpful hints and great ideas, yankeegal's fabulous use of black outlining (among other things), Peeverly's great design ideas, how Joanne914 fabulous designs, McMama's very creative, whimsical cookies, CindyM's great colors and incredible attention to detail, and have you seen Nancy's Fancy Cookies? Oh...my!, ... and the list goes on and on.

The bottom line is that we all are trying and don't worry about comparing your work to others. I would hang up my pastry bags if I did that. No matter what level we are all on, I think we all draw inspiration from one another and I think with each new technique we try and the more practice we get, we all keep learning and improving.

Wow ]bakinccc[/b:de309aa3fa] I just looked at your cookies and they are totally amazing.
I'm new to cookie decorating and hope to be even half as good as you someday.
Just one question what sort of icing do you use in your pictures your icing is so shiny and smooth.
Look forward to seeing what you create in the future.
Ta Maria