Baby Got Track.

{Molly, that post title is for you.}

Kiddo was on the track team this year...and as much as I admired the kids who practiced four days a week after school for what felt like months on end, I was just floored by the commitment of their coach. Not a school employee, but a dad, who was out there EVERY DAY after school and at EVERY track meet.

If you've never been to a track meet, let me fill you in.  They're outside.  (You probably knew that.)  In the heat, in the sun, and, yes, sometimes even in the rain. From 8am to 5pm. Your child will compete for, oh, a total of 4 minutes?

Suggestion for track venues: tacos. And possibly margaritas.  

So anyway, obviously coach needed some cookies.  And not just any cookies, the most brightly colored running shoe cookies in the universe.

The shape was made from a template.  I used it to make these cookies last year.
Here it is for you to use:

(Just save this image on your computer and resize it as you wish. Click here for info on how to use a template.)

To make obnoxiously colored running shoe cookies, you'll need:

• sugar cookies cut with the template above
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Electric Green, Sky Blue mixed with Turquoise, and Orange mixed with Red Red (or any colors you want)
• disposable icing bags
• coupler and tips: #2
• squeeze bottles 
• toothpicks

Outline cookies in the base color and the sole color using #2 tips, sectioning off areas to be filled with contrasting colors.  Reserve some of each of the piping consistency icing.

Thin all of the icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the cookies, filling in the outlines. Use toothpicks to spread the icing and pop any large air bubbles that have formed.

In the very small areas, take care not to overfill, and run a toothpick through the area to dislodge air bubbles.  Overfilling and not using a toothpick can lead to craters as the icing dries. Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Again with #2 tips, add the laces and shoe details.

Let the cookies dry, uncovered, 6-8 hours or overnight. 

A big thank you to ALL of you coaches out there...especially volunteer coaches!  You are appreciated! 

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