When I was a child, my mom was known for throwing the best birthday parties. Some parents rented rooms at a hotel with a waterslide so that kids could swim. Others would take a group of kids to McDonald’s for one of their special birthday celebrations.
I have to admit that I had a blast at those parties, but none could compare to the parties my mom planned and threw for us each year. Every party was at home and featured food and games my mom had made and planned herself, but the originality is exactly what made them so much fun.
Now that I have kids of my own, I’ve taken a page from my mother’s book…and maybe even gone a step further! Planning that perfect party is a chance to test my creativity and create something special for my boys, and seeing their smiles after all the fun has come together makes the effort worthwhile. I also enjoy the fact that by creating my own themed parties, I generally save money too!
Having thrown a few themed birthday parties over the years, I’ve come up with some techniques to make the process easier. One of my favourite special touches is creating themed sugar cookies. These have become a tradition at birthday parties and are always a hit with kids and adults alike. And the secret is in the icing.
I’ve never liked Royal Icing for decorating cookies because it dries to such a hard, crunchy finish. I prefer a sugar cookie frosting that’s creamy and melts in the mouth, yet still dries fully enough so that the cookies can be stacked. After a lot of trial and error, I eventually found exactly what I was looking for.
The cookies can be decorated in a variety of ways with this cookie icing, though making sure each colour is dry before the next is layered on is a must. For a swirled design, two colours can be mixed and then combined using the end of a small spoon or a toothpick while the icing is still wet.
The rest of the party might be as simple or as complex as I see fit, but creativity is always key. Sometimes games are as simple as jumping on the trampoline. For other parties, I might build race cars out of boxes or shoot water bottle rockets into the sky.
For some parties I’ll find cute themed toys at the dollar store to fill treat bags. Or I might create my own DIY personalized medals or custom hats for the kids that attend. But no matter what ideas come to fruition, the kids always have a great time!
There are all kinds of ways to celebrate birthdays, from simple celebrations at home to elaborate parties at a special location. But no matter what type of party is your favourite, spending time with friends and family is what truly makes a birthday special. And serving cookies decorated with this amazing sugar cookie frosting will have all your friends and family smiling!
Looking for some party planning inspiration? Check out my DIY Super Mario Bros. birthday party ideas or these Fortnite birthday party ideas for inspiration!
Best Ever Sugar Cookie Frosting
This icing makes decorating cookies so easy, and instead of drying to a rock-hard finish, it stays soft, but firms up enough for stacking and storing!
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon butter flavouring
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth.
- Beat in corn syrup and extracts until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
- Divide icing into separate bowls and colour using food colouring. Paint and/or pipe icing onto cookies to decorate as desired. Let dry fully before stacking or storing.
Notes
Makes enough for approximately 12 large sugar cookies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 40 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 2mg Carbohydrates: 10g Net Carbohydrates: 0g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 10g Sugar Alcohols: 0g Protein: 0g
loriag says
Saving that recipe to try. Looks and sounds lovely.
kathy downey says
Thanks for sharing,I just love the cake.Your boy is just too handsome.
Meri says
Definitely saving this post for later! Thanks for the recipe, I’ve been looking for one!
salexis says
Thank you for all the tips. Count on me to attend that twitter party!!!
William Deaffie says
Love the mario theme party favors!
Amy Lovell says
Those cookies are awesome!
Victoria Ess says
I’ve bookmarked this recipe and am definitely going to try it out for my next cookies! The icing sounds exactly like the type I’m looking for!
Jessica Menster says
This recipe looks awesome! I’ve never seen the corn syrup in frosting before- I’ll have to try it soon!
Alison Braidwood says
I’ll definitely try this recipe; I’m not a fan of dry, crunchy icing either.
Gord says
That’s the kind of icing I like, so I will try the recipe for it.
jan says
it is so fun letting them pick a theme and then working with it. your cookies sure look fantastic.
Lynda Cook says
I love the Mario theme, very cute idea, sounds like the perfect icing for cookies must try it, just wish I was talented enough to make some pretty cool pictures, oh well they still get eaten no matter how they look!
LisaM says
I love making cookies but I am so NOT good at decorating. I tend to make things like oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip so I don’t have to. I might try again with this recipe!
wobbles13 says
good job on the party!
Stephanie LaPlante says
OMG I love the cake!!!!
Judy Cowan says
I really need to try icing cookies, I keep thinking it is too hard. Thanks for the recipe, I am going to try it this fall when I have some spare time.
kathy downey says
Thank you for all the tips.
caryn s says
Love the mario themed birthday and will be using the recipe for the next time i make cookies!
Wanda Tracey says
Thank you for the great tips.You did an awesome job of icing the cookies!!! Love the recipe too.
angie andrews says
I will have to give this recipe ago, looks great
Silvia D says
perfect icing recipe for not just birthday cookies but all occasions! Thanks for sharing!
Julie says
Thanks for the recipe, it looks awesome!
Neal says
These cookies are right up my son’s alley!
jamie hall says
I TRIED THIS icing and i loved it thankyou
Kerry Shedden says
Thanks for the recipe!! I’ve gotta try this
Bo Simms says
Thanks for the icing sugar recipe, it’s easy to make and the kids will love it!
Darlene Demell says
That cake looks fantastic. Your son looks quite pleased with it too. Good job.