One box of Quaker Oatmeal is enough for approx ten kids (maybe).
Follow the recipe on the back of the box, but whiz the oats in a blender. This gives a cookie with a smooth texture that is difficult to recognize as an oatmeal cookie. This is great when you want an assortment for an adult gathering, and even better to entertain a group of kids for about half a day. Let them mix odd flavors and roll the dough, and show them how to apply the frosting using a baggie with a corner cut off. Just be sure you have lots of colors of frosting!
Variations:
1. Add ginger, roll the dough, and cut gingerbread men. Decorate with white frosting, raisins, etc. For most people, this is indistinguishable from genuine gingerbread.
2. Add almond flavoring and garnish with almond slices. (Bunny faces!)
3. Add banana flavoring, cut banana shaped pieces, and top with yellow frosting and brown spots.
4. Add rum flavoring, make balls, and roll in powdered sugar.
5. PBJ cookies: Add crushed peanuts or peanut butter instead of shortening. Top with a grape gumdrop.
6. Add cherry flavoring and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
7. Add mint flavoring and top with green frosting.
8. Hobo cookies: Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Add carob chips and peanuts.
9. Christmas cookies: Use white sugar instead of brown. Decorate with anything you can think of!
Easy frosting:
Soften some butter or margarine, then beat it. With the mixer running, add powdered sugar slowly until it begins to look like frosting. Divide into smaller portions if desired and add coloring and flavoring as desired.
Baggie decorator:
Cut a SMALL corner off a baggie (not a zip-lock). Place a small amount of frosting in the bag. Twist the open end and hold the sealed bag in your fist with the small hole between thumb and finger. Squeeze the bag and draw with it. You will need to twist the bag some more as it empties.
Cookie cutters:
Save food cans. Remove both ends with a can opener. (If they are aluminum, with one end that can't be cut, you can't use them.) Lay the can on its side. Using a nail, screwdriver, or other tool, burnish the cut edge until it won't cut a finger. Using the same tool and your fingers, bend the can into any shape you want. (You might need to beat it into shape. Have a good time!) You might want to solder a handle to whatever you consider the top, but it's optional. A handle helps to hold the shape in storage.
Follow the recipe on the back of the box, but whiz the oats in a blender. This gives a cookie with a smooth texture that is difficult to recognize as an oatmeal cookie. This is great when you want an assortment for an adult gathering, and even better to entertain a group of kids for about half a day. Let them mix odd flavors and roll the dough, and show them how to apply the frosting using a baggie with a corner cut off. Just be sure you have lots of colors of frosting!
Variations:
1. Add ginger, roll the dough, and cut gingerbread men. Decorate with white frosting, raisins, etc. For most people, this is indistinguishable from genuine gingerbread.
2. Add almond flavoring and garnish with almond slices. (Bunny faces!)
3. Add banana flavoring, cut banana shaped pieces, and top with yellow frosting and brown spots.
4. Add rum flavoring, make balls, and roll in powdered sugar.
5. PBJ cookies: Add crushed peanuts or peanut butter instead of shortening. Top with a grape gumdrop.
6. Add cherry flavoring and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
7. Add mint flavoring and top with green frosting.
8. Hobo cookies: Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. Add carob chips and peanuts.
9. Christmas cookies: Use white sugar instead of brown. Decorate with anything you can think of!
Easy frosting:
Soften some butter or margarine, then beat it. With the mixer running, add powdered sugar slowly until it begins to look like frosting. Divide into smaller portions if desired and add coloring and flavoring as desired.
Baggie decorator:
Cut a SMALL corner off a baggie (not a zip-lock). Place a small amount of frosting in the bag. Twist the open end and hold the sealed bag in your fist with the small hole between thumb and finger. Squeeze the bag and draw with it. You will need to twist the bag some more as it empties.
Cookie cutters:
Save food cans. Remove both ends with a can opener. (If they are aluminum, with one end that can't be cut, you can't use them.) Lay the can on its side. Using a nail, screwdriver, or other tool, burnish the cut edge until it won't cut a finger. Using the same tool and your fingers, bend the can into any shape you want. (You might need to beat it into shape. Have a good time!) You might want to solder a handle to whatever you consider the top, but it's optional. A handle helps to hold the shape in storage.