What I've started doing instead is making a big tray of goodies for the entire faculty and staff to have during finals week.
Listen, I'm sure those teachers can use a sugar buzz to make it through until summer just as much as the kids. Maybe more so.
[note: BIG NOTE...Jack goes to a small school. If my mom had made year-end treats for the faculty/staff at the high school I went to, she would have needed to start baking in September.]
I've done trays of brownies and cookies. I've sent up big batches of the New York Times chocolate chip cookies. This year, I wanted something that screamed, "SUMMER!" Maybe because it won't. stop. raining. around here and I needed a little visual sunshine.
I made these ice cream pop cookies. I have this little board on Pinerest called "this would make a totally cute cookie." It's where I save things that would, well, make a totally cute cookie. You can see the inspiration for these there.
Originally, I started doing surgery on a rectangle-shaped cookie to get this shape. Then I realized that I had exactly the shape I was cutting out...my tombstone cookie! Who knew tombstones could be so cute?!?
To make ice cream pop cookies, you'll need:
- tombstone-shaped cut-out cookies
- wooden popsicle sticks (food grade)
- royal icing, tinted with AmeriColor (or Hobby Lobby) coloring: peach, electric pink, bright white, and chocolate brown with a bit of super black
- disposable icing bags
- squeeze bottles
- toothpicks
- multicolored nonpareils
When rolling out the cookie dough, roll to about 3/8" thick. Space on cookie sheet so that a popsicle stick will fit between cookies.
Bake according to recipe. Immediately upon removing from oven, insert popsicle stick into each cookie. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the icing, divide and tint. Thin the peach, pink and white icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring gently. Thin until a knife drown through the middle of the icing disappears in a count of 12-15 seconds.
Cover the thinned icings with a damp dish towel until ready to use. Pour the icings into squeeze bottles.
Outline and fill each section of the ice cream pop, starting with the top and bottoms sections. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into spaces and pop any large air bubbles.
Let these dry at least one hour before filling the center.
For the "fudge"-covered pops, let the base color dry for an hour or more. (I let these sit in the dehydrator for about 2 hours.) Thin the brown icing in the same manner and apply over the base coat. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into spaces and pop any large air bubbles. Sprinkle nonpareils on top.
Let the cookies dry completely, uncovered, for 6-8 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, make the icing, divide and tint. Thin the peach, pink and white icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring gently. Thin until a knife drown through the middle of the icing disappears in a count of 12-15 seconds.
Cover the thinned icings with a damp dish towel until ready to use. Pour the icings into squeeze bottles.
Outline and fill each section of the ice cream pop, starting with the top and bottoms sections. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into spaces and pop any large air bubbles.
Let these dry at least one hour before filling the center.
For the "fudge"-covered pops, let the base color dry for an hour or more. (I let these sit in the dehydrator for about 2 hours.) Thin the brown icing in the same manner and apply over the base coat. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into spaces and pop any large air bubbles. Sprinkle nonpareils on top.
Let the cookies dry completely, uncovered, for 6-8 hours or overnight.
