I hate sparklers.
It’s true.
Every time I hold one, I burn myself. Every time.
Fourth of July rolls around and I’m peer-pressured into holding a sparkler. I convince myself that it will be different this time and I will become a mighty master of the sparkler. I will twirl it around without fear for my exposed skin. It will be different this time. I believe it.
And…I burn myself.
So, maybe I’m not so into sparklers, but fireworks…fireworks, I like.
They are meant to be admired from a distance, perfect for a chicken like myself. Plus, they’re colorful and loud and awesome.
And now, they’re edible!
Firework Cookies
Ingredients:
- Circle shaped cookies
- Rectangle shaped cookies
- Black icing (outline and flood)
- Firework color icing (outline) – I used AmeriColor electric colors (pink, blue, yellow, and purple). Feel free to use red, white, and blue!
- Couplers, pastry bags, and #1 and #2 tips
Other than the electric colored icing, these were all leftover cookies and icing. I’m trying to get better about using up my leftovers, since I invariably make too much.
1. Outline and flood your circle and rectangle cookies.
Let dry for a couple hours.
2. To make the firework “bursts,” I found a piece of clipart online to use as reference (I just did a Google image search for fireworks). Then, using the electric colored icing with a #1 tip, I freehanded the design.
I would say that some of my cookies were more successful than others! It is a simple, random design, so it doesn’t need to be perfect.
3. For the rectangle starburst cookies, I was just wingin’ it!I started by making stars. Pipe a plus sign, like so:
Then, create two diagonal lines to complete the star:
Then,I randomly added more stars of varying size, along with a couple icing dots.
So, do you like sparklers? Is there an elusive skill that I’m woefully missing when it comes to sparkler wrangling?
Find more Fourth of July treats here.
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Neon colors! Totally loving it. =)
Thanks, Yesenia! I love the electric colors
You could also use red, white, and blue for a more patriotic look, but I always think of fireworks as being boldly neon!
LOVE these, Jennifer!!!! And there’s no trick that I know of with the sparklers!!! I have even gone so far as to just stick the handle in the ground and use a “candle lighter” to light them. But that’s just so “blah”…boring. Like you said – I want to be a sparkler wrangler (think “master ninja”) too!
But – these cookies make me feel better about the whole thing!!!!!
Thanks, Kerri!
We can avoid the sparklers together!
Super cute! I do not burn myself on sparklers, but I do get tricked into eating oatmeal about every 6 months. It smells really good and I love oatmeal cookies, so I make some, take a bite and then go, “Ewww…I hate oatmeal!”. I just can’t get past the bland flour/paste flavor and texture, even if I add brown sugar, it just reminds me of brown sugar wall paper paste!
Haha – I love it, Amy! I’ve had good oatmeal, and I’ve had really bad oatmeal. Bad oatmeal is…bad. Really awful!
These are beautiful! Great job chica … you always impress me!
Awww – thank you! I thought they were pretty good for leftover cookies and icing
How did you get the black icing so black? Lovin the neon colors too!
Hi Janine! I always use AmeriColor super black and have no problem getting that deep, dark black color
Take a large red solo cup and make a hole in the bottom…..put your hand inside the cup and stick the sparkler end through the hole. No more burning your fingers!
Great idea, Linda! But, how do regular, non-Solo cup wearing people do it!? I’m mystified
Love the cookies! The colors are truly fab. My trick for not getting burned is keeping my back to the wind. I don’t remember getting burned since I was very little and we used sparklers ALL THE TIME. Or maybe I just don’t feel the burns anymore because I have just gotten used to it.
Thanks, Sara! I never thought about the wind – that makes perfect sense
Wow – those are great. I bought some of the electric colors but haven’t used them yet. Now that I see them on black…oh my, perfect!
I know – I had only used the electric blue before; all of the electric colors are so awesome!
When I have sparklers here in the UK for Guy Fawke’s Night in November, I always put on an oldish long-sleeved t-shirt or jacket and some gloves. No exposed skin!
July in the States might be too warm to do that but you can always change after using sparklers.
Keep them at arm’s length, back to the wind or somewhere a bit sheltered, and get someone else to light it while you’re holding it as far away from your face as possible.
I love your blog, by the way. I was drawn here by the jelly Dothraki heart and haven’t yet escaped!