Eydie: I would suggest making a cowboy hat cake using the "cookie bowl" cookie recipe as the brim of the hat. The cookie bowl reciipe is designed so you bake big cookies and as soon as they are baked youo remove them from the cookie sheet and place them INSIDE a bowl. As the cookie cools it hardens into the shape of the bowl. The recipe calls for removing the cookie from the bown once it has cooled and then using the "cookie bowl" to serve ice cream, fresh fruit. etc.
For your cowboy cake, I suggest you search your cupboards for a rectangular shaped dish with rounded sides. This would enable you to make a round cookie that, when molded the ends would be flat but the sides would be turned up. ...
Using this as the brim of the hat, I would bake a favorite cake recipe, place it in the center of the cookie and (in my mind) you have a cowboy hat.
Eydie...I have never done this myself. This idea is coming from that part of my brain that functions in the "I do not see why not" mode. You may want to practice with the cookie part ahead of time... the worse that can happen is that you will have cookie chunks you HAVE to eat. Oh, how sad.
If you decide you a want to make "dips" in the top of the hat, I suggest you freeze the baked cake before layering it and frosting it. While still frozen, use dental floss or thick thread to sculpture your dip.
And, I would be tempted to NOT try to frost this cake perfectly smooth, etc. I would be tempted to make a number of layers and fill each layer so the filling shows in between the layers. Then I'd drizzle the cake with chocolate and/oror white chocolate. I don't know if 9 year olds would like that.. hummm... okay folks... we could use some help here...
Here is the cookie bowl cookie recipe, Eydie:
Cookie Bowls
1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sifted flour
3 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
3/4 tap. vanilla extract
Beat egg whites until frothy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating well
after each addition; beat until stiff peaks are formed.
Fold in flour in halves. Blend in cooled butter and vanilla.
Quickly grease a preheated cookie sheet and bake a trial cookie - if it
is too brittle to shape, the batter needs a little more flour; if it is
thick and difficult to shape, add a little more cooled butter.
Drop mixture by heaping tablespoons 6 to 8 inches apart onto hot cookie
sheet (2 to 4 on a sheet, depending on the size of the sheet); spread very
thinly, being careful not to make holes.
Bake at 400 F for 2 to 3 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Immediately remove from cookie sheet and quickly shape inside a bowl. Let
cool. Store in tightly covered container.
These are especially great for holding sundaes, but anything else can be
put in them. One of my favorites is fresh fruit with a hunk of fresh
whipped cream on top.