Hi! I'm "new" here (meaning I've been a lurker for years but haven't posted much).

I'm not a cake decorator, though I'd love to be. I have a question that I was hoping someone here might help me out with.

My son's birthday is on the 30th. He is in Kindergarten, and I was wanting to make some pumpkin shaped cookies and ice them.

I was hoping someone here might have a suggestion for the best type of icing to use. I was thinking my typical buttercream frosting that I use for our family cookies might be a bit too messy for 20 5-6 year olds. heh.

Thank you! I very much appreciate any advice.

Royal Icing (I flavor mine) or Rolled Buttercream work beautifully! I personally like using both. As far as taste goes, they aren't picky

I agree with dandelion, royal icing is the best because it dries and isn't very messy. But I use both royal and rolled bc.

Hi LovingTim,
Do you know how to make Royal icing or rolled buttercream? And of you do perhaps you might want to consider making the royal icing with a small amount of shortening 1 Tablespoon or less or karo syrup in it so it's not so hard the kids break their teeth on it. It will take longer to dry.

Thanks everyone for responding!

I've never used Royal Icing or rolled buttercream. Could someone point me to a recipe? I did happen to catch a thread that mentioned using Meringue Powder instead of eggs, I'd love a recipe with that!

Thanks again!

Hello Tim,
Here is a link to the rolled buttercream:
http://cakecentral.com_recipe-1603-0-Rolled-Buttercream-Fondant-alternative.html (If for some reason this link doesn't work you can find it in the recipe section under rolled buttercream)

And the Royal icing:
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-3243-5-Royal-Icing-for-Sugar-Cookies.html

This recipe has meringue powder instead of eggs. And it will set hard in a few hours. If you add 1T of shortening after you finish mixing the icing mix in until just blended. It will take longer to dry but it won't be so hard when it dries.

HTH
Barb

Antonia74's Royal Icing isn't too hard when it sets. I would be terrified to add shortening to RI since fats can cause RI to be runny & not set, but that's up to you to try or not.

Whew!! Thank you all so very much.

I decided to go with the linked RI with shortening add. This is some awesome stuff to do cookies with. I think I might have had a cookie icing lifetime change haha. I've always used BC with my children. This was so "mess free".

Again- Thank you all so very much.

dandelion56602- Thanks for the advice. I think I might follow that advice come late spring/early summer. I'm in Michigan and we get a good amount of humidity.

Reason I say that, is because as it is right now, the added shortening seems to be working wonderful. The cookies that I frosted first were already setting by time I was finished.

Only thing I can think of, is maybe because of the cold weather, the dry air, is why it's working so well... so perhaps when I do my other son's dino cookies in June, I should avoid the shortening.