Balloon Sugar Cookies are undeniably cheerful. A few dots of colored icing quickly and easily transforms sugar cookies into sweet birthday wishes.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Balloons are like sprinkles. Their bright and cheerful colors make people smile. Sprinkles and balloons change the ordinary into a celebration.
When my kids lived at home, they were always greeted on birthday mornings by helium balloons tied to their bedroom door and their chair at the kitchen table. When they were away at college, I sent them helium balloons in a box.
(It’s important to mark on the outside of the box, not to open with sharp objects. Also, taping the balloon string to the inside bottom of the box prevents an unexpected balloon escape.)
When I found out that my adopted sailor would celebrate her birthday while deployed, I shipped a box or two of sprinkles and balloons. Sprinkle Sugar Cookies get the party started.
Sending balloons required a bit of creative license. I couldn’t ship helium balloons by international air, so I opted for Balloon Sugar Cookies. They don’t float, but I think they still communicate happy thoughts and celebration.
Instructions
- I made two batches of sugar cookies, one vanilla and one chocolate. Each batch made 12-14 (2 ½”) cookies. The recipe can be doubled.
- Corn syrup icing is easy to make and to use. No experience or skill is needed. This Balloon Sugar Cookie design is so easy, that kids could definitely help with the decorating. The cookies are covered in a background color. I used Americolor Sky Blue.
- After the background has time to set (one hour or longer) colored ovals are added. I used Americolor Super Red, Leaf Green, Violet, and Lemon Yellow.
- Immediately after adding the ovals to a cookie, I used a toothpick to gently pull a bit of the colored icing downward to create the balloon tips.
- After drying completely (at least overnight, possibly longer depending on humidity) balloon strings are drawn onto each balloon with a food marker. I recently purchased these Americolor Black Food Writers, and I love them. The dark black line glides onto the icing with no pressure at all. I’ve used other brands before, and the difference is huge.
Care package contents
Usually, my military care package ideas fill up two Monday Box posts. This Birthday Care Package was special (as all birthdays should be) and it took three posts to share all of the contents.
The Sprinkle Sugar Cookies are the new recipe included. The Birthday Party in a Box post gives directions and printables for shipping a box of 3-2-1 Microwave Mug Cake mix with frosting and candy add-ins.
Balloon Sugar Cookies are the final celebratory treat.
My care package also included a necklace, a small gift for Sailor A. You can find it on Amazon. I think the message and attached angel wing charm is perfect.
More birthday care package ideas
Birthday Cake Surprise Cookies look like mini birthday cakes with three layers of sugar cookies.
Celebration Sprinkle Cookies are personalized cookies for the birthday person.
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies make you smile just looking at all of the colorful sprinkles!
Funfetti Cookies have the celebration sprinkles baked right into the dough!
Birthday Mug Cake is the perfect way to send a care package with the ingredients for an instant microwave birthday cake to anyone with access to a microwave.
Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
Balloon Sugar Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
VANILLA COOKIES
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 large eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
CHOCOLATE COOKIES
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup cocoa
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
FAUX ROYAL ICING/CORN SYRUP ICING
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk plus extra for thinning
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring I use Americolor gel; Sky Blue, Grass Green, Super Red, Lemon Yellow, Violet
Instructions
FOR VANILLA SUGAR COOKIES
- Pre heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar just until combined.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla. Then mix in baking powder and salt.
- Gradually add flour. If making the cookies right away, use 2 ¼ cups of flour. If refrigerating dough for use in several hours or several days, use only 2 cups of flour.
- Between two sheets of wax paper or parchment roll out to slightly less than ½” thick ( about ⅜”). If the dough is sticky, dust lightly with flour.
- Cut out 2 ½’ circles.
- Transfer the circles to prepared baking sheet about 1” apart. Bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
FOR CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES
- Pre heat oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar just until combined.
- Mix in eggs and vanilla. Then mix in salt, baking powder and cocoa.
- Gradually add flour. If making the cookies right away, use 1 ¾ cups of flour. If refrigerating dough for use in several hours or several days, use only 1 ½ cups of flour.
- Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper to slightly less than ½” thick (about ⅜”)
- Cut out 2 ½” circles.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet about 1” apart and bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
TO DECORATE
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the icing ingredients and mix until smooth. The icing should be the consistency of white glue. Add more milk in tiny increments if needed to thin the icing to the desired consistency.
- Spoon about 3 tablespoons of icing into each of four small bowls. For the balloon design, add one or two drops of food coloring to each small bowl and mix until the color is uniform.
- Add a 2-3 drops of Sky Blue food coloring to the remaining icing for the background color.
- Spoon each color of icing into a separate piping bag fitted with a plain round piping tip (#5 for the background color and # 3 for the balloons).
- Pipe the background color onto each cookie, then allow to dry at least one hour.
- Working with one cookie at a time, pipe three balloon ovals onto the background. To create the balloon neck opening, use a toothpick to gently pull downward at the bottom of each oval.
- Let the cookies dry completely (overnight or longer) then use a food writer to draw on the balloon strings.
- Store in cellophane cookie bags or between wax paper, in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.
saltandserenity
These cookies are adorable but I am obsessed with the idea of sending helium balloons to my kids in a box for their birthdays. Genius. Can't wait to try it.
You always have the best ideas.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Cindy! I've sent balloon to Chicago in February, so I know mailing balloons works in cold weather. My daughter's balloons were mailed in May when it wasn't too hot yet. The first time is the big surprise. After that, my kids expect the "balloon box" ! 🙂
Chris Scheuer
Wendy, your cookies just keep getting prettier and prettier. They always make me smile but these do in particular!
The Monday Box
Thank you, Chris! Balloons have the same magical smile creating powers as sprinkles. 🙂