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Cookies by Bridget Edwards…using “flood icing.” (Photos by Helen Ford Wallace).

Ever heard of “Flooding Your Cookies?”

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, graciously invited readers and bloggers to the Drummond Ranch, in northern Oklahoma, to learn tips on that and other ways of cookie decorating. These decorating lessons were taught by expert cookie decorator Bridget Edwards from The Woodlands, Texas.

Ree’s Saturday event at the Lodge at The Ranch had all of her lucky guests  (4 PW blog readers  and their 4 guests chosen at random from 40,000 entrants, some local people and friends from throughout the state)  decorating beautiful holiday cookies. Plus, Ree made all the cookies from expert Bridget’s own vanilla-almond sugar cookie recipe. There were stars, candy canes, ornaments, gingerbread men, bells, Christmas tree cookies, all decorated in beautiful colors, flooding icing (thinner icing for better spreading) , and sprinkles.

Everyone gathered around the center island in the kitchen where stools were set up. Cookies and disposal icing bags and plain decorating tips were provided, as well as aprons. What a treat! The creative side of the all of these women prevailed. The cookies they produced were outstanding. After Bridget showed them how, they went to work. Bridget also showed the group how to print edible photos on the printer and attach them to cookies for personalization. She used Pioneer Woman’s (http://thepioneerwoman.com ) own pictures from The Ranch to demonstrate.

During the entire session, everyone, including Pioneer Woman,  took photographs ( for their blogs and facebook pages), twittered about their cookie decorating experiences on their cell phones, and one guest had her computer out and was blogging. It was multi-tasking at its finest!

After cookie decorating, the tables were cleared, wine and cheese and crackers were produced (before the next sweet course) and the women went to work learning how to make chocolate, chocolate truffles and toffee. Tiffany Poe and Lia Lewis were instructors  lessons in candy making.

With cookies and candy bagged and tagged, the group was ready for dinner. I forgot to mention that Ree served a marvelous seafood salad for lunch with the best just-right recipe for dressing.  It was excellent.  I will include that recipe if/when I receive it along with the candy recipes.  For now, I will direct you to Bridget’s post on sugar cookies.  You will love them! http://www.bakeat350.blogspot.com

Bridget Edwards, Ree Drummond, Jennifer Wilson are ready for cookie decorating.