Frog Class Cake

Mabry volunteered me to make a cake for her Mother's Day Out end of year party. She was in the frog class so we thought a frog cake might be fun. I used Rice Krispie treats to make the head and then sculpted chocolate cake for the body. The kids screamed when they saw it!

The cake was served with lily pad sugar cookies:

I love my cut out cookie recipe. It is so easy, so good, and it makes a ton of cookies. They are shortbread like in texture with a great buttery flavor. Justin and Mabry like to eat them plain, un-iced. In fact, Justin refers to them as "the devil's cookies"! They are the type of sweet you can eat a ton of because they aren't overly sweet and rich...very dangerous.

The recipe came with a copper cookie cutter I ordered online and I am very grateful to have it. I have tried many others; but this is my favorite so far. Hope you enjoy it to!

Big Batch Sugar Cookies

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
6 cups flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Stir to combine. Chill in large pancake shapes wrapped in parchment paper for 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Cover baking sheet with parchment. On surface dusted with powdered sugar, roll and cut dough into shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes until just beginning to brown around edges.

Notes: I usually chill or freeze the cut out cookies on the baking sheets until they are nice and cold prior to baking. This helps the shapes stay cleaner and minimizes spreading.

When I decorate cookies, I usually pipe a border with royal icing and use a glaze made of powdered sugar and half and half or milk to fill in the border.