Nothing Says “Love” Like… Dinosaurs!

sarah • February 14, 2014 • 15 Comments

There was an unfortunate cookie-ing situation in December where I made and decorated 12 dozen cookies and came down with a stomach bug the night I finished them. I just couldn't bring myself to give my friends their holiday gift that could be laced with the virus that leveled me. The cookies sat on the counter for weeks. I took more pictures. Then they went in the trash.

The Boy and I decided that after New Year's we would make dinosaur cookies for our good buddies. As we inched closer and closer it because apparent that those dinosaurs would be a Valentine's gift. So naturally we made some hearts as well.

Just cause I find data fascinating, last weekend I spent three hours baking 100 cookies (two batches, half of which are in my freezer to decorate next week), and Monday night I spent three hours making icing and mixing 10 different colors/consistencies. Then Tuesday morning there were three of us decorating cookies for about three hours. In that time I decorated 14 dinosaurs and 9 hearts, in addition to miscellaneous toddler wrangling. We decorated 50 cookies total.

The Dinosaurs

20-second icing to flood the dinosaur cookies

I was pleased to be able to get a 20-second flood icing consistency to be able to pipe the outline and flood with the same bottle of icing. I love the smooth finished look. I never cease to be amazed at how flashy wet-on-wet designs can be... like the marbling on some of Sharon's heart cookies below.

So I decorated my 14 dinosaurs with flood icing. (Note the stegosaurus with no tail. Oops.)

They were so cute. I loved them! I just had to add the details. I went for minimalist, an eye and a mouth (using my piping consistency icing) for each dino. The details just took a couple minutes, but made such a difference!

My red flood icing was a little thick, but overall I was very happy with the results. I can't wait to make more of them! What colors should I use next time? Oh, and that heart cookie, that's my last little bit of dough. No waste. I always roll out the last bit so I have another cookie to practice on. When I thinned out my red flood icing to fix it that was my first cookie. In honor of Valentine's Day I made it a heart.

The Hearts

The Boy likes to help. His preferred method is for me to flood the cookie. Then he puts in wet-on-wet dots of other colors. Then he "scrambles" with a toothpick. I saved the last seven hearts for him to decorate since I did the rest of the batch while he was at school.

wet-on-wet "scrambled" heart cookies by The Boy

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15 thoughts on “Nothing Says “Love” Like… Dinosaurs!”

Marji
February 14, 2014 at 10:06 pm

I am loving your blog, Sarah!

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1. sarah
  Post authorFebruary 14, 2014 at 10:09 pm
  
  Thanks, Marji. I'm having a lot of fun with it.
  
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Peri Baloun
February 14, 2014 at 10:06 pm

I really want to learn how to do this! Wow, the boy is talented!!!! It must be the great apron & chef hat he has, and a patient & talented mom to teach him!

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1. sarah
  Post authorFebruary 14, 2014 at 10:12 pm
  
  I spent months drooling over the beautiful cookies and reading blogs by the masters before I dove in and decorated my first batch last October. I'm having a lot of fun with it. The Boy and I brainstormed what type of cookies we'll be making each month. He was SO excited to pass out our Valentine's cookies to a few friends today. We'd love for you to join us sometime.
  
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Yvette
February 15, 2014 at 7:19 am

The cookies are beautiful...but I've always been skeptical of this kind of cookie: how do they TASTE?

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1. sarah
  Post authorFebruary 15, 2014 at 10:21 am
  
  I think they are quite tasty. Perhaps you'll have to try some and decide for yourself. ;-)
  
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Sharon
February 15, 2014 at 7:51 am

Thank you for teaching me how to be creative. Love being around talented people. Love our play days!

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1. sarah
  Post authorFebruary 15, 2014 at 10:20 am
  
  Oh, Sharon... you were already creative. Thanks for joining us to play!
  
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Bo
August 23, 2014 at 11:25 pm

Really enjoyed your cookie section. Never heard of flood icing but looks like fun. Love the pictures of the boy and girl!!

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1. sarah
  Post authorAugust 24, 2014 at 9:25 am
  
  Thanks Bo... I don't have time for too much cookie decorating, so I'm only doing it every couple months, but I really enjoy this new art. :-)
  
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Sofia
March 18, 2016 at 9:17 pm

Love the colors here. A quick question.
For your blue dinosaurs, which shade of Americolor gel are you using?

I would really appreciate if you can let me know the color to buy.

Thanks a lot.

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1. sarah
  Post authorMarch 23, 2016 at 8:19 pm
  
  The blue I used is Sky Blue, #103 AmeriColor gel. Thanks for visiting!
  
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  1. Sofia
    March 23, 2016 at 9:00 pm
    
    Appreciate your response. Perfect timing. I was about to mix color to my white royal icing in the next few minutes. :):)
    
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Sharon
January 31, 2019 at 8:02 am

Hi Sarah, these are adorable!! Thanks for all the pics!! Which Dino cutters did you use? Would you share the link? Thanks, Sharon

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1. sarah
  Post authorJanuary 31, 2019 at 8:10 pm
  
  Thank you, Sharon. I have no idea where I got the cutters... but I think they may have been part of a big plastic set. Happy baking!
  
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