I’m back for the last installment on how to make the Minnie Mouse-inspired treats I served up at the Tiny Dancer’s second birthday party.  I went over how to make the Minnie Mouse cupcakes and Polka Dot Candy-Covered Pretzels in previous posts so today we tackle the Minnie Mouse-inspired cookies.

Now, there are a few different ways you can tackle this.  If you are planning in advance, I would just spend the $5 and buy the official Disney cookie cutter from the Disney Store. Since it’s a trademarked product, I was unable to find any others on the market.  The idea to make cookies was a bit last minute so I didn’t have enough time to buy the cookie cutter so instead I did it myself.

Since this was a new endeavor for me I tried three different ways to shape the cookies: ears attached to the head, ears attached on the head, and ears attached under the head.  I thought that the ears attached to the head was the most like the original Minnie head but it was also the most difficult.

Here’s what you’ll need:
Cookie Dough (I used store bought Sugar Cookie Dough but feel free to make your own)
Red Heart Candies
Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter or 2 Cookie Cutters – 1 small and large circles (the small one should be about 1/2 the diameter of the large one)

I have found that whenever I use shaped cookie-cutters the cookies tend to ooze and not keep their shape very well so I like to take the cookies out of the oven a minute or two early and cut them so they have a nice shape with clean lines.

Here’s how to do it:
1. Spoon cookie dough onto a cookie sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper) – cookie dough should be about 2-3 inches in diameter.

2. Bake according to instructions – take out the cookies a minute or two before they are done.

3. Carefully use your cookie cutters to shape the cookies. (Remember, the trays and the cookie dough are hot. I like to slide my parchment paper onto a cutting board and set the tray aside to cool.) Using the round cookie cutters, cut out 2 small circles for every large circle you cut out. (If you are using the Mickey Mouse cookie cutter then your job is simple and skip to step 6).

4. If you are using method one with the ears attached to the head you need to work quickly while the dough is still soft and press the small circles into the large circle to form the Mickey head. If using this method, it’s best to work in small batches because once out of the oven, the cookie dough hardens relatively quickly.

5. If you are using method two or three with the ears attached under or on the head (big circle) then just cut out the circles (big and small) and let them cool. Then using icing or melted candy or chocolate, attach the small circles to the big circle (either under or on the big circle) using the icing or melted candy/chocolate as glue.

6. To turn these Mickey Cookies into Minnie Cookies we need to add a bow. Using two heart candies,with the points of the hearts facing toward the center, use the icing or melted candy/chocolate as glue to affix the hearts to the cookies.

That’s it!  This is a fun activity you can do with the kids too.

Saturday was the Tiny Dancer’s first birthday and I decided to go with a Minnie Mouse theme. All of the Minnie Mouse birthday stuff in stores is in pink – I don’t know why since Minnie wears a red dress. Sooo, I had to take a DIY approach to the partay – which is fine because I really love the way it turned out.

I started out by making a mood board and doing some research on what my options were – it was my first kid’s birthday party   We kept it pretty simple – not too many guests.  Since Asiya is only one she doesn’t have many friends so we just had family over to celebrate her first birthday.  We had dinner at a restaurant and then came home for cake and birthday gifts.  It was a lovely time and wonderful to reflect on the past year and see how far she’s come.

Here’s a breakdown on the decor and party supplies…

Invitations

I made the invitations based on some that I had found online.  I made a template that includes the Disney font that you can download for free if you want to give it a shot.

Here’s what you need: white paper, black card stock, oak tag or poster board, hot glue gun & glue, red/white polka dot ribbon.

Steps for making the invitation: (1) Customize the text (either in Illustrator or Word – I included two different templates depending on the program you’re using); (2) Print the invitation on the white paper.  Cut out the solid line (the Minnie ears)  and use that as a template for the black portion of the invitation); (3) Trace the invite on the black paper and cut out; (4) Cut the white on the dotted line (the circle with all the info); (4) Use a hot glue gun to glue the white paper on to the black paper (centered where the face would be); (5) Tie a bow and use the hot glue gun to affix the bow to the invite.  Repeat…

Cake

I ordered the birthday cake.  I’m not very adept when it comes to frosting and I knew I wanted fondant details like the polka dots, ears and bow so I went to a local bakery with some pictures of what I had in mind and they did a great job whipping it up.  I also added some Amaretto Cookies, Fresh Strawberries and NY Cheesecake to the dessert mix.

Table Runner

I found red cotton fabric with white polka dots at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts.  I bought enough for the length of my dining room table and measured the width that I wanted (I used a runner that I have as a template).  I finish off the edges on a sewing machine for a clean edge.  If you don’t know how to sew, I would just cut the ends with some pinking shears – the fabric won’t fray (as much) and you’ll have a cute border on the runner.

Table Setting

Since Minnie Mouse is often seen with daisies I opted for white and yellow daises – fresh flowers always make a table setting look beautiful.  I also purchased a small cluster of balloons from Party City for the table.  I brought the balloons to the restaurant and then brought them home for dessert.  Since the Tiny Dancer’s birthday is close to Memorial Day, there were lots of party supplies in red/white and I was able to find red with white polka dot napkins and plates that matched perfectly with the theme.

Birthday Banner

I ordered the banner from The Birthday House on Etsy.  All I had to do was run the ribbon through and hang it up.  I had some extra ribbon so I added some bows on the ends and as spacers in between each word.  I suppose if you wanted you could DIY the banner based on the invitation template above but the banner was only $20 and it would take you a very long time to cut all that stuff out – the way I see it – my time is more valuable than $20/hour so it was cheaper for me to buy it.

Minnie Mouse Ears

Since it was a Minnie Mouse theme, instead of getting the Tiny Dancer a party hat, I got her official Disney Minnie Ears.  They were adorable for the party, and she’ll get to use them whenever we go to Disneyland.

The party was a lot of fun and the Tiny Dancer enjoyed herself.  It was a nice creative outlet to plan the party and I can’t wait to plan more parties for the Tiny Dancer!