Super Quick Cookie Decorating

It's crunch time. Unexpected guests, kids at home on snow days, cookie exchanges you forgot you signed up for, there are many occasions when a quick batch of cookies are needed. These quick tips will have you out the door in no time. Even if you have to use store bought cookies, you can make them Holiday special in just a few minutes.

1. CHIP TOPPERS: With the ever increasing number of flavors of "chocolate" chips, this is a very versatile quick cookie decoration. As soon as your fresh baked cookies come out of the oven, drop about 1 Tablespoon of "chocolate chips" on top of each cookie. Allow them to melt, then with a knife or the back of a spoon, spread out the melted chips. If using cooled cookies, add the chips, then microwave them for 10 second bursts, until they are soft. Allow them to cool before stacking.

Options: Try different flavor chips, butterscotch, cherry, white chocolate, mint. You can even make your own mix and end up with swirled tops.

While still melted, sprinkle on nuts, crushed candy, sprinkles or a few unmelted chips.

2. CANNED FROSTING: We all know there's canned frosting available, but it's easy to forget, when you are in a rush for quick cookie decorating. I usually keep several different flavors on hand, so I'm ready for a quick cookie decorating session. Frosting also comes in a pressurized can complete with decorating tips. This is a real time saver for quick cookie decorating, and super terrific for kids to use. Remember when kids decorate it's all about the process, not the product. Let them enjoy their creativity. If anyone thinks they are not pretty, they don't have to eat one! This frosting takes toppings, such as sprinkles, nuts or candy very well.

3. NUTELLA: This name brand product, can be found in most grocery stores, and megastores. If you haven't tried, beware, it is REALLY good, and can cause havoc with any diet. Nutella, is a thick chocolate hazelnut spread. Not as thick as peanut butter, but very rich and doesn't run. Spread Nutella between two cookies, just about any kind will do. Use cool cookies as hot ones will melt the spread. You can also put Nutella on top of a cookie and add your favorite sprinkles. Crushed filberts or almonds are the best!

4. COOKIE POPS: This idea does require some baking, with homemade dough, or the refrigerated dough from the store. You will also need some craft sticks, or the wooden tongue depressors for quick cookie decorating, as once baked, they can be finished or jazzed up even more. Make your favorite dough. If using a sugar cookie dough you can divide the dough in half and color one half and even add a little peppermint to one half. Roll the plain dough out into a 1/4 to 1/2 thick rectangle. Roll the colored dough into a similar sized rectangle. Put the colored dough on top of the plain dough, and press lightly. Roll the two doughs from the long side to form a log. Chill the dough for at least an hour, then slice in not quite 1/2 thick slices.. The two colors will have formed a pinwheel or spiral on the inside. Put each cookie on the baking sheet and then push a craft stick in from the side about 1/3 of the way into the cookie. After baking remove each cookie from the sheet with a spatula as lifting by the stick will cause the cookie to break. These can be wrapped in cellophane with a bow or ribbon at the base of the stick, or plain cookies can be decorated using one of the ideas above for quick cookie decorating.

5. THE BEST COOKIE TIPS: My best cookie tip is; if you are going to the work of making cookies double your batch, or a least save some of the dough. I will roll the extra dough into a log, then cover the log in plastic wrap or several layers of wax paper. Put the log in your freezer for cookies anytime. Nearly all recipes freeze well. You can bake another batch or just a few at a time, by slicing pieces off the frozen log. When desperate, I have cut off a few pieces of dough and baked them right away. They don't always turn out the same as cookies baked from fresh dough, but if you are having a cookie attack, appearance doesn't really matter. I have even taken the frozen dough, put it on the baking sheet, put them in the oven and then turned the oven on. I'm not recommending this, just letting you know, you can have edible cookies in a flash.

After baking your cookies, if you don't have a cooling rack, lay your cookies out on paper towels. These will absorb the extra fats from the cookie. After they have cooled for a few minutes you can line up the cookies in rows, each one leaning against the cookie behind it. If you stack them up when they are hot they will sag. Take into consideration, that some people do not recommend paper towels for direct food contact.

Try to have a happy relaxed Holiday. Enjoy!