Cookie Train Express Ingredients: Flat cookies
Wafer cookies
Oreo (TM) cookies (or similar dark, round cookies of your choice)
Royal white icing
Lifesaver (TM) candies
Small candies of your choice Utensils: Pastry bag
Cake-decorating tip - To make the engine of the cookie train, fill a pastry bag with royal white icing. Use a cake-decorating tip to spread the icing, which acts like cement, between four wafer cookies and stack them on top of one another. Spread more icing on two sides of the wafers and place a flat cookie on each "long" side. Decorate the outside of the cookies with more icing. For the engine front and wheels, use two Oreos (or any other dark, round cookies) stacked together with icing (figure A ). Step 4 explains how to make a smokestack and wheel decorations.
- To make the coal -- or in this case, candy -- car, spread icing on the edges of two wafer cookies that have been cut in half (spread the icing on the bottom and two side edges). Attach three flat cookies to either side and the bottom (figure B). Line the inside of the coal cars with more icing.
- To complete both the engine and the coal cars, place a wafer cookie on the counter, spread icing on top of the wafer and place the engine and/or coal car on top of the wafer. Spread icing on one side of two Oreo cookies and place on either side of the coal car (figure C).
- Lifesavers are used for the smokestack of the engine and the wheel decorations on all the cars. Once again, use icing as the bond, and for the smokestack place three different-colored Lifesavers on top of one another with icing between them. Place on top of the Oreo cookie to act as the engine light at the front. For the wheel decorations, use one Lifesaver attached with icing (figure D).
- The caboose is made exactly like the engine, but leave off the extra Oreo cookies. Top off the cars by filling them with any candy of your choice (figure E).
- Showcase the Cookie Train Express with dry ice and a decorative backdrop.
Pop-Can Art Twist off the pop-top and crush the can by stepping on it or twisting and compressing with your hands (your choice). Spray-paint the can, then use acrylic paints to decorate the top of the can to resemble a face -- the opening of the can is always the mouth. Nail yarn in a loop to use as the tree hook. Be creative and come up with as many different designs as possible. Products: All supplies needed for these cans, including fun foam, can be found in any art store. Candy Topiary Materials: Small pot
Plaster of Paris
Dowel rod
Fabric of your choice (to wrap the dowel rod)
Plastic foam ball
Glue
Wrapped hard candies (your choice)
Straight pins
Decorative bow and ribbon - Pour the plaster of Paris and a little water into the bottom of the small pot.
- Place a dowel rod into the middle of the plaster of Paris and, once the solution has hardened, wrap the dowel rod with fabric of your choice.
- Insert the top of the dowel rod into the foam ball and secure it with glue.
- Pin the candies to the ball until the entire surface is covered, and decorate with a bow and ribbon (figure F).
Salad Bar in a Basket Materials: Large basket with a handle
Vegetables (your choice -- carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers were used for this project) - Line the large basket with all the vegetables you would use in a salad -- carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers.
- A fun way to present the carrots is to slice the top off a green pepper, then fill the pepper with carrot sticks (figure G).
- For the handle, attach onion stalks with ribbon.
GUESTS :
Dian Thomas
Craft Creator/Author
The Dian Thomas Co.
PO Box 171107
Holladay, UT 84117
Tollfree Phone: 800-846-6355
Fax: 801-278-0202
Email: dian@dianthomas.com
Website: www.dianthomas.com
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