adventures in cookie decorating

so i tried flooding with frosting a while back.
remember the week of the crazy snow?
when i made cookies, then school was cancelled.
so i made a new batch the following week.
these...
and they actually had school the next day!
so they went in to the teachers :)

there are tons of tutorials out there on how to do this (the flooding).
but i thought i'd share my version.
i am still learning ;)
ok.
homemade frosting (see recipe at the end of this post)...
(i tinted mine a teeny bit blue. and saved some white too)
make an outline with your (blue) frosting.
let it firm up a bit.

then with that same (blue) frosting, add a bit of water a little at a time to make it more runny.
pipe this frosting onto the cookie so that it floods the inside of your outline.
(i used a piping bag and tip for this... though i am on a hunt to find those picnic ketchup bottles to use. not much luck finding those in the winter.)
let this firm up. (i dont remember how long. at least an hour id guess. ill pay more attention next time.)with the original white frosting (that was set aside)... make your design.add sprinkles/sugar crystals/sparkly flakes (that what dave called them) so they stick on the white frosting design and shake off any excess.let them set overnight to dry before stacking them.

here are some i made for lilly's daisy troop.
not enough powdered sugar in the frosting and not enough patience to let the outline set up makes for an actual flood of drippy frosting cookies :)

i had enough that turned out decent.
no complaints from the daisies ;)

The Frosting Recipe Jen uses :)
via The Decorated Cookie
Note: This frosting is similar to royal icing, but I add shortening and flavoring to make it taste delicious. Thus, it dries hard enough to handle and pack when left overnight, but not rock hard, like traditional royal icing. The consistency is NOT the runny kind used for flooding. It's stiffer. Take a spoonful, turn it over the bowl. The frosting should cling to the spoon and slowly fall into the bowl. That's the right consistency.

4 tblsp meringue powder (available at many supermarkets and in most craft stores)
1/2 cup water
6-7 cups confectioner's sugar (may need more or less, see the consistency advice above)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup Crisco

Whip the meringue powder and water on high speed for a looooong time, several minutes, until it's fluffy and peaks form. Gradually add the rest of the ingredients to desired consistency. Store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a month.