Michelle (Sugar Swings, Serve Some) contacted me (and other bloggers) with the awesome idea of throwing a virtual, rainbow-themed, baby shower for Meaghan (The Decorated Cookie) in honor of her new, little sweetie, Violet:) Meaghan is a friend to many (including me!) and is so generous in promoting bloggers on her other site, Edible Crafts. She’s also crazy creative (think Mr. Melty, the original melting snowman cookie…yep, she’s the creator!), and has been an inspiration to me for years! I am so happy to be part of the celebration and look forward to hearing all about beautiful baby Violet and her debut on December 7th:) I know that Meaghan is as crazy about cookies (and other treats) on-a-stick as I am, so I thought this would be the perfect sweet treat to bring to the shower. I mean really, what is a celebration without balloons, especially cookie balloon pops! The bright, rainbow colors just lend themselves to the joyful occasion. The pink heart balloon smack dab in the middle was made just for the new baby girl, and since I found out (after I had readied the post)) the baby’s name is Violet, the balloon on the far left is especially for her too:)
Congratulations Meaghan, on your little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! With love and best wishes to your family of four! XO! I hope you have a speedy recovery! Wish I was next door so I could bring you a casserole:)
Rainbow Sugar Cookie Balloons {on-a-stick}
NO FAIL SUGAR COOKIES Preheat oven to 350 degrees 6 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. salt Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Mix well. Use right away or place in refrigerator. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes (Roll them on the thicker side to make into cookie pops). Place on the cookie sheet, but leave room for the sticks. Insert stick gently, but firmly. I usually press down gently on the cookie with my left hand, while I insert the stick with my right hand. You may even want to make a small slit with a sharp, small knife to make insertion easier. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes* or just until beginning to turn brown around the edges. Let cool on the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack (place spatula under the spot where the cookie and stick meet, for support, as you transfer them). Let cool completely. Decorate with a variety of colors of royal icing. Let dry completely. Tie curly ribbon at the top of each stick, and curl. *My cookies seem to take about 15-18 minutes to bake. It may be because of their size, or my oven. Start timing on the low end because you can always add more time…just keep an eye on your cookies to achieve desired doneness.
Royal Icing
3 3/4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar 3 T meringue powder (I buy it at Michael’s) 6 T warm water Beat 4-5 minutes, until smooth If you want it thicker(to outline) add a little more sugar. If you need it thinner (flow consistency) to “fill in,” add a little bit more water. Trial and error. Experience will help:) I put my icing into separate bowls and add food coloring (I use AmeriColor and Wilton gel) to make a variety of colors:) After you outline the borders of your cookies, you need to allow them to dry before you fill them in. I usually allow at least 15 minutes. Then you can fill them in…I icing bags. Let them dry at least an hour before adding any details. I usually let them dry overnight after this step, just to make sure that they are good and dry! Yep, it’s time consuming, but worth it! After they are completely dry, they can be stacked (to store) or packaged:) Hope these tips help out! One last tip: If you are having a problem with your cookies holding their shape, it helps a lot if you put them in the freezer on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before you bake them. 
Here’s a link to all the partygoers and their rainbow treats:
1. Vanilla Bean Baker – Baby’s First Christmas
2. Not Your Momma’s Cookie – Rainbow Swaddled Baby Cookies
3. Crazy for Crust – Rainbow Peanut Butter Cookie Cups
4. Dollhouse Bake Shoppe – Rainbow Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
5. Creative Food – Rainbow Pancakes
6. Hoosier Homemade – Rainbow Jar Cupcakes
7. Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons – Rainbow Smores Pops
8. Pink Little Cake – Baby at the End of the Rainbow Cake
9. Love From the Oven – Rainbow Cake Pop Cupcakes
10. Munchkin Munchies – Rainbow Balloon Cookies
11. The Baked Equation – Rainbow Baby Shower Cookies
12. Sweetology – Marshmallow Baby Pops
13. Sugar Swings – Rainbow Madeleines
14. Pint Sized Baker – Rainbow Meringue Tarts
15. Bird on a Cake – Rainbow Petal Cake
16. Haniela’s – Rainbow Centerpiece
17. Miss Candiquik – Marshmallow Baby Bottles Linked to:
I’m Lovin’ it Party
Inspiration Friday
Kitchen Fun and Crafty Friday
