First I decided items that I can make in advance...candy and cookies I can make and freeze. So to begin with I have been making chocolate buttons. This was easy and fast. Buy chocolate bark or candy melts and use double boiler to melt them down. I added a tiny bit of olive oil to each batch and I can tell you, that it makes the candies have a glossy coat, compared to a dull matte color. If you do not have a double boiler you can make one using two sauce pans. I will share a link below.
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Once the candies were made I decided I can make cookies in advance and freeze them. This was fun and interesting. I used two different kind mix, one is sugar cookie mix and shortbread mix. The sugar cookie was much softer and easier to make the buttons, the shortbread-spritz cookie mix is much thicker and you need to have the button shape and holes out prior to baking. I will be posting the pictures to show you the difference between the two. The blue purple and coral colored cookies are the spritz cookies. These I had to have the button design set before baking, unlike the sugar cookie I did as the cookies were cooling out of the freezer. My kids seemed to like both types but in general sugar cookies are much more popular. On the outside of the platter I saved alphabet cookies to spell out Happy Birthday Tahlia. I think it just makes it a little more personalized, thought I did have to buy two packs of the cookies as I was short on on h to spell this all out. Ideas are endless when it come to the cookies and buttons, you could make giant sugar cookies and during the party let the kids decorate their own cookie to take home. to be continued more birthday party idea's how to and where to go.....
