You knew it was only a matter of time.

You know that at some point in time I would have to start getting around to reviewing Halloween items. Since I have no idea where I am going to be when Halloween rolls around [or for that matter when October arrives] I decided to get a jump on the gun and start reviewing some of the newer Halloween items I’ve picked up over the past few months. Without a doubt the Stencil-A-Cookie series from Wilton is something that any can use – even if you are a fumbling idiot in the kitchen or are clueless about how to make frosting – I’ll even go so far as to say that even Jessica Simpson could use this! The nice thing about this set is that it is inexpensive, comes with two stencils and a cookie cutter – it might sound silly to get so excited about something so basic but hey – it makes awesome looking bat cookies and makes decorating them a complete snap. Oh yeah, it’s also a Wilton product so you know you are getting something that is going to last at least two or three seasons.

Wilton Just Batty Stencil-A-Cookie [2308-1413]

When I saw this at the Wilton Online Store I knew that I either had to order it or hunt it down locally. Knowing that I’d already placed a huge Wilton order and it would be a while before I needed more supplies, I set out to Michael’s to see if they had it in stock. As usual, the items I am really looking for are never in stock and no one seems to know when they will arrive so I headed back to the site to order some “needed” items. I collect cookie cutters of all shapes and sizes but Halloween ones are my favorite; I already have seven or eight bat cookie cutters that are almost identical to the one that comes in this kit but I felt the need to add yet another one to my collection – you can never have too many bats around you know. The basic principal of the Stencil-A-Cookie line from Wilton is this – simplicity. You get the cookie cutter and stencil for about $1.99 - $2.99 depending on where you shop; if you can’t find them locally you can always order them from the official Wilton online site – and while you are there, be sure to check out the other Halloween ones in the Stencil-A-Cookie series [ghost and jack-o-lantern so far].

Now, follow me here folks – there are some good points and bad points about the plastic stencils that come with this. The plus side is that you get two of them in the kit; the bad part is that they both have the same cut out areas. It would have been really cool to have gotten one with the larger areas cut on and then one with some smaller more detailed pieces cut out. Of course, me being the freak that I am solved this but picking up some thick plastic [similar to what you would use for Shrinky Dinks] and cutting out the shape with an X-Acto Knife then cutting out the areas that I wanted to have exposed for frosting or decorating. This might sound time consuming and frustrating but I had it all done in about fifteen minutes. If you want more information on how to do this, feel free to email me. The upside to getting two stencils is that you can get more decorating done when working with larger quantities of cookies or cakes before you have to clean them, wash them or wipe them off.

Clean Up

The cutter is your basic metal cutter so clean it as you would any other – hand washing will ensure that there is no left over dough inside the crevices and air drying will help it last longer [the heat of dishwashers will eventually take a toll on the seams]. The plastic stencils are pretty sturdy so warping shouldn’t be a huge a problem however these do need a little bit of care when you are cleaning them – I use a toothbrush to make sure all left over icing, frosting and decorating items are removed. Storing these is pretty basic but I since I’ve started to amass a ton of these from the Stencil-A-Cookie line, I’ve started storing them in their own separate container. The plastic stencils should never be used as a cookie cutter – you would never get a good cut out of them and, trust me, the stencils really don’t like it at all.

Decorating

You can decorate your cookies before or after you bake them however you will get the best results if you apply the decorations after you bake them to preserve the overall image. I like to use a royal icing [more information about how to use that here] and paint it on; you can also use a squeeze bottle to apply the icing – just make sure you don’t slip off too much of the tip so you can apply a small amount at a time. I like to use a cream colored royal icing when I am applying colored sugars or sprinkles – this helps to have it blend in with the cookie and not take away from the design. This is something that a child can easily do but you might have to show them how to do it properly the first few times. The key to all this is working with a royal icing that isn’t runny but isn’t so think that it starts to dry as soon as it is laid out on the cookie. You can also use the Wilton Food Writer to write on top of royal icing once it has hardened – this is the easiest and quickest way to decorate cookies and if you buy the large set of markers there’s so many color combinations you can use!

For cakes, brownies and cupcakes you can use these as you would on a cookie but you will have to have a flat surface to put the stencil on. I like to make large sized cupcakes then slice off the tops and frost them – this way all you have to do is drop the stencil on, shake on the colored sugars or sprinkles and move on to the next one. For cakes, these are great for making a border or adding to corners and since you have a lot of creative freedom, you can fill the cut out stencil area with what ever you want. One of the cutest things was smashed up Oreo cookie bits [with the cream centers removed] for the wings and small red gumdrops for the eyes – it’s quick, easy and kids love to help out. I played around in the kitchen with all different kinds of foods to use with this stencil and my brood and Annabelle were right there – my own little army of quality control specialists.

The Bottom Line

The Wilton Just Batty Stencil-A-Cookie kit is a lot of fun and can be used by kids of all ages. The cutter gives you excellent looking bat cookies and can be decorated any number of ways using the two provided plastic stencils. For around two dollars this is a real bargain and makes for a great gift for those who love Halloween. I am really hoping that Wilton keeps the Stencil-A-Cookie series going because this is such a great idea that bakers of any level can benefit from. Don’t settle for plain boring frosted cookies this Halloween, scare the snot out of them with some spooky bats!


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2004 Freak369


Other awesome Wilton Halloween products …

• Wilton Halloween Sprinkle Mix • Wilton Black Colored Sugars • Wilton Halloween Icing Colors • Wilton Halloween Mini Stencils • Wilton Spooky Cookie Cutter Set • Wilton Tombstone Candy Mold • Wilton Mini Ghost & Pumpkin Candy Mold • Wilton Fright Night Lollipop Mold • Wilton Dancing Skeletons Lollipop Mold • Wilton Jack O Lantern Canister Cookie Cutter Set • Wilton Copper Halloween Cookie Cutter Set • Wilton Mini Pumpkin Pan • Wilton Singles - Ghost Mini Pan • Wilton Singles - Bat Mini Pan • Wilton Haunted House Baking Pan •


Special thanks to Mind-full for adding yet another Wilton Halloween item to the database for me!




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $1.99