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'The Little Red Hen' Sugar Cookies

'The Little Red Hen' is a familiar children's book published by Little Golden Books, and many kindergarteners are taught the virtue of work ethic through its story line.  Told from the perspective of the little red hen and her barnyard friends, the book is a classic and a favorite with kids.


I was recently asked to make a set of cookies for a classroom that was putting on a production of 'The Little Red Hen'.  The cookies were given out as a reward to every single child that participated in this stage performance.  Let me assure you, they were a hit!

Keeping the sugar cookies to two shapes and only five colors, I baked and iced chickens as well as pigs for the children.

  Do you remember this book from childhood?  


I cut out large pigs using a cookie cutter from Copper Gifts and used a rooster cookie cutter that I got from my friend, Janet.  She told me that she discovered this little rooster at a specialty kitchenwares store in Carmel, California.  It's really charming and makes beautiful cookies.


As you've seen me do countless times, prepare to ice the cut out pig cookies by placing them on a decorator's turntable.  Why do I like working this way?  It's because I like to rotate the cookies while decorating; it helps me maneuver certain angles with the piping bag much more easily.  The bamboo toothpick is there to help me coax the icing into corners and to poke out any air bubbles from the icing.


Outline and flood the pigs using a #4 or #5 plain round tip with bright pink royal icing, and let the base coats dry completely.


Using a little bit of fuchsia-colored royal icing for the accents and a #2 plain round piping tip, pipe a circle for a nose, a partial triangle for ears, two beads of icing for the cloven hooves, and a curly pig tail.  Using a #1 piping tip, add a black dot for an eye.  Let dry completely.


The 'little red hens' are outlined and flooded in red royal icing using a #4 piping tip.  This is left to dy.  Using a #2 piping tip and the same color (simply switch piping tips), pipe tail feathers and an outline for the wing as shown. Using a #1 piping tip and black royal icing, pipe a dot for an eye and three-pointed feet and legs.  Using a #1 piping tip and yellow royal icing, pipe a small beak.  Let dry completely.


My neighbor Cathy tells me that these cookies were a big success with the kindergarteners and teachers.  As a cookie decorator, you don't need to wait for a production of 'The Little Red Hen' at a local elementary school to make these simple cookies.  Ice some for a family reunion, a spring or summer cookout with friends, or make them to sell at a local farmers market.  You can also make some to surprise any neighbors or individuals who have a farm and practice animal husbandry.

Don't shy away from using bright colors like these, because they really will stand out and catch people's attention.

Happy Cookie Decorating!

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