Which frosting or icing should I use?

[jkath]

(yes, yes, I know, I'm not here...but I need your help!)

Saturday is my younger boy's birthday party, and instead of a cake, he wants me to decorate a twinkie for everyone, to resemble caterpillars. Sounds fun, I think, but I need to know what frosting/icing you'd use. I need something that doesn't need any refrigeration, and something that will get fairly hard, so the kids can pick up the 'bugs' with their fingers. (Fairly hard, but not as stiff as the stuff we make gingerbread houses with! )

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Constance]

How about using the canned stuff? Just mix in a little vanilla, and any food coloring you desire. (Green is a good color, with red, orange,yellow, or purple dots.)
You'll have more time to spend on the decorating, and the kids will like it fine. They're not exactly connoisseurs when it comes to frosting.

Black liquorice strings would make great legs, and little short pieces could be stuck in the head for the "horns" some caterpillars have.

 

[Constance]

Here are pics of a couple of real caterpillars to give you a guide, but you can use your imagination and make them as colorful as you wish!
Sounds like a fun project.

 

[PA Baker]

I agree with Constance that if time is short, try canned. If not, I'd use a buttercream, just making sure you make it stiff (i.e. use a little more powder sugar to thicken it).

Have a great time at the party and happy birthday to your son. By the way, he's very creative for coming up with that idea!

 

[Dina]

I'd go with a plain buttercream and use more or less powdered sugar to stiff or soften as needed and lots of food coloring to make different earth tones and various tones of green. Here are some pics for you to go by http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=images&imgsz=all&imgc=&vf=photo&va=caterpillar+cakes&fr=&ei=UTF-8 Happy Birthday to your little one!

 

[jkath]

You guys are wonderful!!!
Hopefully they'll come out cute enough for photos.

I'll pass on the birthday wishes to my (ack!) soon-to-be 11 year old.

 

[QSis]

jkath,

I don't suppose your son would go for a long caterpillar made of Hostess Snowballs? Too easy, huh?

Lee

 

[PA Baker]

Jkath, I'm not sure if it's too late for you or not, but marm's recipe in this thread would work for you, too.

will buttercream frosting last

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/will-buttercream-frosting-last-23013.html

 

[letscook]

what if you got the assorted deorations and have the kids decorate their own themselves. would turn out some interesting ones and fun

 

[urmaniac13]

Sorry, I am not a frosting queen so I can't give you any helpful advice

Just wanted to say

Happy Birthday to your young man!!

 

[jkath]

PA - great idea, if it weren't in the 100s here!
Urmaniac - helloooooooooooooooooo and I'll pass on the well-wishes.
Q - That was my original thought, till my boy and I realized the kids will be in the pool & playing water games in the hot sun. I'm thinking the caterpillars wouldn't be as exciting as throwing water balloons!
I'm still thinking about sweets for the parents. I have some nice super-ripe bananas that will no doubt make their way into a few banana bread loaves.

 

[licia]

jKath, how are your figs doing? I found some beautiful ones in the grocery today and will ration them. I'm not even sure what I paid for them.

 

[jkath]

ack! The figs! Wish I could give you the 25 that drop each day! I love them, but am afriad I may need to take the tree down from it's current status of taller than my 2-story to around 5' tall (so I can still have some and reach them). Problem is the sap or leaves gave my husband a 1st degree burn when he pruned it for the neighbor (it was hanging over his boat - not a good thing!), and it grows like crazy!