I am going to be making a C.B tomorrow or Wed. for my moms bday. I need some pointers beyond the tutorial. I know how to make no fail cookies, and have the recipe for Antonias icing. But they questions I have are the following:

I am using cookie sticks, do I put them in the dough before I bake?

Does the cookie cool before I start to decorate?

Once decorated, how long before bagging them?

Once bagged and ready to place in coffee mug, do I put foam or something to make them stand up?

And after all this is done, how do you place the tissue paper around to make it nicer looking? Did not know if you put the cookies through the paper, or if the paper is just laid or placed around the sticks?

I know its too many questions but I need some guidance! Thanks for any help offered!

Okay...answers...

1.Yes....poke the stick through the dough before baking..if you need to patch..do it then.

2.Yes..You will have to cool the cookie or the icing will melt

3.I would wait a day or two to let the icing harden

4.I would suggest foam to help them stand up otherwise the weight of the cookies and sticks becomes very heavy and can topple a mug.

5.I would just take smaller pieces of tissue and scrunch it around the base of the cookie sticks but not really scrunched just sort of tucked in..does that make sense? You can also use Royal icing as a glue to hold the sticks in.