New Year's Eve Tiara cookies

Don't you just love wearing those "Happy New Year" tiaras? I always have. Here's a cookie to match!

1. Using a #3 tip and white icing (light gray would work, too), outline a tiara headband and pipe "HAPPY NEW YEAR" on cookies.
2. Thin white icing and flood headband shape.
3. Let dry completely...several hours or overnight.
4. Mix silver Lustre Dust with vodka (it will evaporate leaving only the silver) and paint on design with a small paintbrush. *see note
5. Using warmed corn syrup or meringue powder mixed with water, paint over design again and sprinkle on clear sparkling/sanding sugar. (Click here for more info on applying sparkling sugar. )

* Lustre or Luster Dust is a dry powder that can be applied to add a metallic sheen to icing. The product is interesting...my bakery supply store sells lustre dust that is labeled "non-toxic" and edible, some is labeled "for decorative purposes only." Remember those silver dragees (balls) that you ate as a kid on cookies and cupcakes? Those are labeled "decorative" now, too. In my opinion, a little won't kill me. From what I understand, Europe considers all lustre dust "edible"; the US doesn't. Weird! Anyway...check your bakery supply for the "non-toxic" version.

Yay! I'm officially a foodie! :)

Check out the link to the right....bake at 350 is officially part of the Foodie BlogRoll! I am so excited! Now I have some serious computer time in store checking out all of those yummy blogs!

LeeAnn's Gingerbread Cookies: Cookie Exchange!

I love everything about these cookies....the squiggles, the eyes, the ribbon and the way the sunlight is streaming in on them. Thanks, LeeAnn for letting me post the picture!

Flood Icing

Flood icing is simply royal icing with water added to make a consistency to "flood" or fill in the outlined design. It's best to go slow, adding a little water at a time to get to a syrup-y consistency. The more cookies you decorate, the more you'll get a feel for it. If your icing ends up a little thin (like water), add sifted powdered sugar or some leftover icing from outlining to your flood icing.

Once the flood icing is "just right", cover it with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes. Using a rubber spatula (I love these!), run gently through the icing to break up the air bubbles that have risen to the top. Now pour into squeeze bottles. These can be found in the candy making section of any craft or bakery supply store. Walmart even carries them! You could also pour the flood icing into a pastry bag fitted with a tip. I used to do this before I discovered squeeze bottles...I wouldn't recommend it, though...it's a mess! :)

Onto the outlined cookies, squeeze the flood icing in a zigzag pattern. I usually do 3 -4 at a time. Don't worry, the icing won't harden by the time you get back to it and it gives the icing time to spread. Using a toothpick, spread the icing to cover the cookie.

This is how mine look, more or less, before spreading with a toothpick.

One more!

During my last batch of cookies :), I started running low on dark green icing, so I switched up the colors and really liked the outcome.

This is it...I promise...no more package cookies for the rest of the year!

More Christmas baking...

The second batch needed dots...

I don't know why, but I love seeing them all stacked together like this.

Today I tried a new way to apply the sanding sugar and I really love it! (Thank you, Martha!) When I first started making cookies, it used to really bother me that when I put sparkling sugar on a cookie, it would dent the icing. The trick is to put it on dry, not wet icing!

Up until now, I've heated up a little corn syrup (light) and brushed the area I wanted to sand with a small paintbrush. This works great, but it's sticky and when you're making 200 cookies, going back and forth to the microwave to reheat corn syrup is a drag.

Here's the new way...mix a little meringue powder with water. Brush this onto the area to be sanded. It flows better, isn't sticky and dries really well. A few more hints:

• Use a child's size paint brush. You can trim the bristles if they are fanning out too much.
• Be sure the cookies are dry before starting, otherwise the sugar will stick to and dent the wet icing. I always let them dry overnight.
• Pour some sparkling sugar or sanding sugar into the cap or a small ramekin. Once your cookie has been brushed with the mixture, sprinkle the sugar on top, holding it over a basket-style coffee filter. Shake off the excess over the coffee filter as well. This excess can easily be emptied back into the cap/ramekin.
• Sanding sugar is a smaller grain that sparkling sugar...both are really pretty, but I think sanding sugar has more sparkle. I never wanted to use it because "sparkling sugar" just sounds prettier!

Seeing red

Red icing is probably the most difficult to make. I love AmeriColor's Super Red gel paste coloring! It doesn't take as much to get a nice red and doesn't have the off-taste like some others (Wilton).

All icing will darken over time and while drying, but it is especially true with red. Try to make your red icing at least a day in advance, cover with plastic wrap, pressing down onto the icing, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using and just give it a stir.

When making red, aim for a little lighter than you'd like on your final product. Believe it or not, the icing above turned into a perfect, bright red on my cookies. If the icing is a true, deep red before it goes on the cookies, it can turn extremely dark once dry...close to black. (If your icing is too dark, stir in some white.)

Red icing can also change in high humidity. If it's humid and you notice your cookies getting splotchy once dried, don't panic. The icing will eventually even out in color.

Sparkly Christmas Presents

The picture doesn't do justice to the sanding sugar...it is so sparkly! I've always used "sparkling sugar", but could only find red "sanding sugar" and I love it! It's smaller than sparkling sugar and really reflects the light.

The cookies are in green, white and mint, but the mint color didn't show up in my pictures. More on how to make these later....

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Here's a peek at a little Christmas baking...

...waiting for sparkling sugar tomorrow morning....

Oh, deer!

To make this sweet little deer:

1. In dark brown icing, outline the deer with a #2 tip. Be sure to close off the tail separate from the body. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
2. Using the same icing and tip, pipe hooves using a back & forth motion.
3. Change the tip to a #3 and pipe antlers.
4. Thin a lighter color brown to the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes. Run a rubber spatula through the icing to pop any bubbles that formed on the top. Pour into a squeeze bottle. Fill in deer body and ear. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
5. Using the method above, thin white icing and add dots to the deer body while the brown icing is still wet.
6. Use the same thinned icing to fill in the tail.
7. After drying for an hour or more, use a #1 tip and black icing to add a nose and eye to the deer. (Spectrum Super Black)

Scenes from a bakery supply store

I know this has nothing to do with cookie decorating, but I couldn't resist posting a picture of the "MEN" drawer at the bakery supply store. :)

Royal Icing and Icing Bags

Royal icing....it may just be the easiest icing you will ever make. It is perfect for cookie decorating. Royal icing dries hard and shiny, so cookies can be stacked and icing stays pretty when cookies are packaged.

To start, you'll need meringue powder. Ateco is my favorite...I think I've tried them all. :) It is a little hard to find, so any meringue powder will work. Follow the instructions for Royal Icing that come with your meringue powder. The most important step: sift the powdered sugar! Believe me, I've tried to shortcut this step...it doesn't work. (My favorite powdered sugars are Domino and C & H, but as you can see from the picture, any will do. Imperial is easier to find in the 1 pound boxes.)

No matter what recipe you're using, you will beat the icing until it comes to a stiff peak. When the beater is pulled from the icing, the peak should stand steady. You can also pull the beater off the mixer and hold the whisk attachment upright. The peak should stand, even if you wiggle it.

At this point, you can add a few drops of flavoring if desired. Remember to use a clear flavor as brown will tint the icing.

Pastry bags...I can't say enough about disposable decorating bags! They are great. The 100 bag box is a perfect use for the weekly 40% off Michael's coupon. :) Use the bags with the white couplers to easily change out the tips with the same bag of icing.

Once you've filled the bag with icing (I generally only fill half to 2/3 full), twist the top and stand upright in a glass. If your bag will be sitting awhile unused, place a dampened paper towel in the bottom. Just be sure to squeeze a little icing out first before going to the cookie. The tip might be too wet and you'll have a water blotch.

Christmas Wreaths

Here's an easy Christmas wreath cookie...a great cookie for beginners! This little wreath was the first Christmas cookie I ever tried. It's great on it's own or to add to a Christmas assortment.

1. Outline the bow in white icing using a #3 tip.
2. Outline the wreath using the same tip and icing meeting up with the ribbon outline.
3. Thin red icing to the consistency of syrup and fill in outlined bow using a toothpick to guide into corners. Use a squeeze bottle for easy filling. (AmeriColor Super Red)
4. Thin green icing and fill in wreath outline using technique above. (Spectrum Leaf Green)
5. Enjoy! :)

Change it up a bit by outlining the bow in red and wreath in green. Add red berries on the wreath after the green icing has dried at least one hour.

Tips on tips

There are a lot of icing tips to choose from, but for decorating cookies, you only need a few. The tips I use the most are the plain rounded tips...#1, #2 and #3 (the numbers are printed on the tips). Tips 2 and 3 are perfect for piping outlines; the #1 tip is wonderful for personalization and small detail work. It's nice to have a few larger round tips on hand for larger dots. When used with a coupler, seen in the picture, tips can easily be easily changed on the same icing bag.

Dotty

When I first learned to add flat dots in my icing, I loved them so much, I wanted to add them to everything!

You can use varying shades of the same color, or different colors.

A few tips for adding dots...

• Thin both colors of icing with water to approximately the same consistency, like a syrup. One shouldn't be noticeably thinner than the other.
• Flood the cookie with the base color first and spread with a toothpick.
• While the base color is still wet, add the dots using a squeeze bottle. The dots must be added to the wet icing, but do give the base color a few minutes to set. Adding the dots right way, especially dark on light, may cause some bleeding into the main icing as it dries.
• If the bleeding does happen, don't worry...it's just a cookie! Most people won't notice and just want to eat them. :)

Gobble, Gobble

To make these turkey cookies:

1. Outline the turkey body in brown using a #2 tip. (Spectrum Chocolate Brown)
2. Thin royal icing in brown, red, orange and yellow to the consistency of thick syrup. Cover with a damp towel and let sit for several minutes. Run a rubber spatula through the icing to pop any bubbles that formed on the top. Pour into 4 separate squeeze bottles. (Red: AmeriColor Super Red, Orange: AmeriColor Orange mixed with a few drops of Super Red, Yellow: AmeriColor Gold mixed with Americolor Egg Yellow)
3. Fill in (flood) the turkey shape with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to spread to corners.
4. FOR DOTS: While the icing is still wet, drop dots of red, orange and yellow onto the brown icing.
   FOR FEATHERS: While the icing is still wet, squeeze a curved line in each color. Immediately run a toothpick through the icing at intervals going toward the middle to make feathers.
5. While the flood icing is drying, use a #1 tip and un-thinned orange icing to pipe the feet and beak.
6. Make the "wattle" from un-thinned red icing using a #1 tip.
7. After the brown icing has dried at least one hour, use a #1 or #2 tip to pipe an eye in black. (Spectrum Super Black)

I can't live without...

PARCHMENT PAPER!!!

This stuff is the best! Cookies don't stick and don't over brown. I like parchment paper more so than baking mats because it can be cut to any size cookie sheet.

Give Thanks

It's that time of year to really be thankful for our blessings. Here's how to make these sweet little pilgrim boys and girls: (All icing is royal icing)

1. Using a #2 tip, outline ears and bottom of the faces onto cookie with fleshtone colored icing. (AmeriColor Copper/Fleshtone)
2. Using a #2 tip, outline hair with yellow icing, meeting up with flesh outline. Use the same icing to outline cookie edge. (Spectrum Lemon Yellow mixed with AmeriColor Egg Yellow)
3. Outline pilgrim hat with a #3 tip, meeting with pilgrim hair. (Spectrum Super Black)
4. Thin fleshtone icing to the consistency of syrup. Cover with a damp cloth and let sit several minutes. Stir gently to pop bubbles that have formed on top. Pour into a squeeze bottle and fill in the pilgrim faces. Use a toothpick to coax the icing into all corners and to edges.
5. Using the same method as above, fill in yellow hair and black hat.
6. Thin white royal icing and fill in remainder of the cookie.
7. Let dry for 1 hour.
8. Using a #1 tip, dot eyes on the faces.
9. Using a #1 tip, add a buckle to the hat and detail to hair.
10. Let dry overnight. (This is a must for the next step.)
11. With food coloring pens, add a mouth and "give thanks", or personalization would be nice here for place cards. (AmeriColor Gourmet Writer pens)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Contact Info

Hey there, cookie! 

My very favorite part of blogging, I mean besides the SUGAR, is the connection and friendship with other bloggers and bakers and readers.  Since starting the blog, I've tried to be diligent about answering emails.  Unfortunately, balancing baking, blogging, picture editing, volunteering and playing Uno with my boys doesn't leave much time for email (or cleaning the baseboards).  I've thought of making my kiddo my "email assistant," but really, a reply from a tween-age boy might be scary.

So, please know that I still LOVE to hear from you and see your cookie pictures.  It pains me to say that I can't respond to every email.  Hopefully the answers you need are on the blog (see links below).

COOKIE QUESTIONS?
{...also try the search bar in the upper right corner of the blog}

• troubleshooting
• f.a.q's
• royal icing 102 (lots of q & a on this post, too)
  
• the vlog: University of Cookie (videos of cookie decorating techniques)
• cookie design inspiration: check the cookie index
  
• and, my favorite cookie recipe for decorating? It's in the Recipe Index. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading the blog! ♥

Email: cookies350{AT}gmail{DOT}com

{The BEST way to ask a quick cookie question or to say hey, reach out to me on twitter.}

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Cookie Index

♥ Under Construction!♥

Recipe Index

Bread

• cranberry-pecan rye bread
• pumpkin bread
• poppy seed bread
  

Breakfast

• lemon blueberry pancakes
• homemade, whole-grain pancake mix
• cream cheese triangles (diet killers)
• english muffins (link)
• meyer lemon-vanilla scones
• banana cinnamon chip muffins
• pumpkin cream cheese
• chocolate pumpkin mini-muffins
• chocolate banana spa muffins
• vanilla pumpkin muffins
• pumpkin cheddar muffins 

Brownies & Blondies

• caramel brownies
• toffee blondies
• chocolate chip cookie dough brownies
• sweet & salty brownies
• peanut butter chocolate chip bars
• pretzel m&m blondies
  

Cake

• can't beet it cake (link)
• coconut cake
• vanilla bean pound cake
• pumpkin whoopie pies
• pink lemon angel cake
• vanilla bean buttermilk cake with amaretto buttercream
• almond-crusted butter cake
• chocolate mint icebox cake
  

Cake Truffles (how-to's and ideas)

• red velvet
• mint chocolate chip
• chocolate gingerbread
• chai spice
• pumpkin spice
• pink velvet

Cheesecake

• no-bake freezer cheesecake
• Julia's triple-decker cheesecake
• candy bar cheesecake 
• light(ish) chocolate cheesecake squares

Cookies

• my favorite sugar cookie (cut-outs) for decorating
• brown sugar & spice cut-out cookies
• lemon cut-out cookies
• gingerbread cut-out cookies
• chocolate cut-out cookies
  
• kick {cancer's} butt cookies
• key lime pie bars
• chocolate chip cookies (link)
• luscious lime cookies (link)
• crisp chocolate chip shortbread
• 1-2-3-4 peanut butter cookies
• caramel apple bars
• candy-corn cookies
• oatmeal cookies
• soft oatmeal cookies
• witchy wormy cookies
• homemade Oreos
• homemade chocolate-filled Nutter Butters
• peanut butter blossoms
• pecan snowballs
  

Cupcakes

• 4th of July cupcakes
• April Fool's cupcakes (meatloaf & mashed potato)
• homemade Hostess cupcakes
• Mother's Day "faux-stess" Cupcakes
• German chocolate cupcakes
• zucchini spice cupcakes
• chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes
• coconut cupcakes
  

Ice Cream

• ice cream sandwich dessert
• chocolate sorbet
• key lime pie ice cream
• turtle ice cream pie, revisited
• turtle ice cream pie
• vanilla-cinnamon ice cream
• oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwiches
• brownie batter ice cream
• dastardly mash ice cream
• mocha-toffee terrine
• coconut almond ice cream drumsticks
  

Icing & Frosting

• royal icing
  
• homemade fondant
• brown sugar cookie dough frosting
  

Muffins

• banana cinnamon chip muffins
• chocolate pumpkin mini-muffins
• chocolate banana spa muffins
• pumpkin cheddar muffins
• vanilla pumpkin muffins 

Pies & Tarts

• Texas peach pie
• turtle ice cream pie
• honeyed yogurt blueberry tart (link)
• pumpkin whoopie pies
• milk chocolate pretzel tart
• cranberry apple pie
• mini pecan pies
• not-so-Key Lime Pie
• graham cracker crust
• caramel pecan pie
  

Scones

• meyer lemon-vanilla scones
• peanut butter-banana scones

Other sweet stuff

• chocolate quesadillas
• pretty in pink krispies
• caramel apple salad 
• alien juice smoothies 
• valentine conversation heart bark
• peppermint chocolate bark

Savory stuff

• goat cheese & leek tart
• gouda biscotti
• dijon potato salad