Hey Besties! Every now and then, an event or phase of life inspires a great set of cookies and today is one of those times. In my circle of friends, there are several moms who have recently dropped kids off at college. And that in itself comes with a whole mixed bag of emotions! Some couldn’t wait to drop them off, some are still crying and everything in between. But if there’s one thing we have in common, it’s that we look for the joy and laughter wherever we can. These college freshman cookies are helping us embrace the funny while also reminding us how much our big kids still need us. And really, they apply to all young adults just venturing off, not just college students. So if you’re ready to laugh, read on. And if you’re a baking biz bestie, these may just inspire you to offer something similar for those in your community!
Today’s Cutout Cookie Recipe
Alright besties, if you’ve been here before, you know we have MANY different cutout cookie recipe flavors. They each have a special place in my heart! But today, I’m revealing one of my favorite flavor substitutions that both we and our customers LOVE. It all starts with our vanilla cutout cookie recipe. It does get much easier than this! Like with all of my cutout cookie recipes, there is no chilling involved and they perfectly hold their shapes. So from the moment you open your pantry to start grabbing your ingredients, to the time the whole batch is cooling, it’s under 40 minutes. No joke.
Now this recipe calls for 1.5 tsp of vanilla extract, which offers a delicious result. However, my favorite way to kick this up a notch in the yum-factor, is by substituting 1/2 tsp of LorAnn Butter Vanilla Baking Emulsion. Seriously, this emulsion flavor in this recipe is insanely delish. So simply add your 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of the emulsion and get ready to live. The difference in the flavor this 1/2 tsp of magic creates is phenomenal. Our taste testers can’t get enough and while it’s still a vanilla cutout cookie, it just gives it that something special to create a signature flavor.
In a world full of vanilla sugar cookies, this simple substitution will set your cookies apart from all the rest, seriously! And now we have a delicious cookie canvas!
The Only Royal Icing Recipe We Use
Here’s the deal besties, I always give it to you straight…that’s just how I roll. Making royal icing is not rocket science. But a lot of people are making it WAY harder than it needs to be. And then they have all kinds of issues with their icing, and it sounds so stressful. Decorating cookies is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, not a nightmare. Which is why we use this one recipe for ALL of our cookie decorating. It takes maybe 1 minute to get everything in the bowl, I turn on my stand mixer, set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. I come back when the timer goes off, and there’s a bowl of beautiful royal icing waiting for me. It gives me beautiful results and flavor every time without any color bleeding, cratering, or other issues.
This royal icing recipe will tell you exactly how I make my icing every day. I use it for all my decorating techniques, styles, consistencies, tutorials, you name it. Now, I will say, that royal icing can be sensitive to differences in climates and how much water you should add. I use a full cup of water and that works beautifully for me and many other cookiers. But if you’re in a more humid environment, I always suggest starting with 1/2 or 3/4 cup of water. You will find your perfect sweet spot and mixing time for your kitchen. And once you nail it, it’s ridiculously simple every time moving forward!
Designing College Freshman Cookies
If you’ve dropped a kid off at college, or had one move out, in the age of texting, you’re really going to love this. And for those besties who have young kids, this gives you a glimpse into your future! While we try our best to prepare our kids for independent life, inevitably, they will have more questions! So these college freshman cookies represent a cookie-fied version of the text messages parents receive and enjoy!
I simply flooded these cookies, let that crust over and used my writing consistency to add the wording. If you need any guidance with flooding, my Flooding 101 tutorial will help! And if you need any help with consistencies, my royal icing consistency guide is here for you, with videos!
And Besties, in case you don’t already know, there is an AMAZING community of besties which you can find HERE! If you need any help from me, or the besties, you’ll find us hanging out there!
I hope you get a kick out of these cookies! My friends did when we recently got together to talk about college drop offs! It definitely reminded us that they’ll always need us for something, even if it’s something silly. Enjoy!
Did these cookies make you laugh?
I hope they made you smile and reminded you of the joys of parenthood in all stages! And hey, if you know someone in this phase of life, I’d definitely consider making some for them! This was a fun cookie set to make and hope it inspired you or warmed your heart!
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