“Be inspired to create masterpieces from
your own kitchen”. |
Decorating Sugar CookiesDeccorating sugar cookies has been a wonderful past time to me for years. I never needed a special holiday to make them, but special occasions always inspired the mood.
If you're in a cookie baking and cookie decorating mood, then you are in the right place. Here at Sheila the Pastry Chef, I've got the perfect Buttery Sugar Cookie recipe for you. I've got an easy royal icing recipe. I even have a recipe to make your own fondant. All the recipes you need to get you started on your cookie decorating adventure.
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Traditionally, Christmastime is when these cookies become the most popular. But I have to tell you, there are some cookie artist out there on social media who have taken sugar cookie decorating to a whole new level. Proving that decorated sugar cookies are not just for the holidays anymore.
"Here, I'd like to share with you four easy and simple ways to decorate your sugar cookie cut out.”
Sheila the Pastry Chef
The Tradition of Royal Icing
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Royal icing is the traditional decoration used for sugar cookies. It's design versatility and the fact that it dries rock hard makes it very desirable. So, before you get started you need to start with the royal icing recipe. |
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The Royal Icing
This recipe will yield you about 4 cups of royal icing. This may seem like a lot, and you may have some left over. If so, keep it covered in the refrigerator up to two weeks.
When making a batch of sugar cookies, you need enough royal icing to take into consideration how many colors you need. You can also flavor the royal icing with the same flavoring you used in the cookie. Always sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps. Merigue powder can be substitute for the egg whites. Actually, meringue powder is all I used when making royal icing for sugar cookie decorating. It is extremely easy to use. You can find meringue powder at arts and crafts stores, Like Michaels, or Jo Ann Fabrics. You can even find it at Walmart. This recipe can easily be divided in half, or even doubled. 
Meringue Powder
Tip: Substituting Meringue Powder Use 3 tablespoons of meringue powder Add 4 cups of powdered sugar. |
Royal Icing
Procedure 1. Add the sugar to your mixer, first. 2. Add remaining ingredients. 3. Whip until fluffy. You want the icing to be stiff. So add more powdered sugar a little at a time, if necessary. 4. Divide the icing as necessary 5. This recipe yields 4 cups of royal icing. 6. When not in use, always keep royal icing in a covered container, with a wet paper towel laying directly on the icing. During use, keep royal icing in the mixing bowl, covered with a damp cloth. This is all done to prevent the royal icing from drying out. |
You are more likely to use multiple colors, so keep in mind that you will need multiple containers to hold the icing. I always recycle those little margarine spread containers, because they really come in handy specifically for this use. So, in Step 4 where you divide the icing, you are prepared. Once the royal icing is divided, go ahead and add your coloring. Use a gel food color, the liquid food colors with thin our your icing.
To prevent your icing from drying out, lay a damp cloth, or paper towel over the surface of the royal icing, then place the cover on the container. Do this for each container of royal icing. Once the icing is in your pastry bag, wrap the bag with a damp cloth to prevent the icing from drying out.
To prevent your icing from drying out, lay a damp cloth, or paper towel over the surface of the royal icing, then place the cover on the container. Do this for each container of royal icing. Once the icing is in your pastry bag, wrap the bag with a damp cloth to prevent the icing from drying out.
The Cookie is Your Canvas
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For your canvas, start out with a sturdy cookie. The cookie needs to support the weight of the icing. Especially, if you're adding a lot of designs on your cookie. Follow the guidelines in the Basic Buttery Sugar Cookies recipe to make the perfect cookie for decorating. |
Outline the Cookies First
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Along with your pastry brush, your piping tip will also be an important tool for you. To pipe the outline you will need a round tip. The size you choose will determine how thick you want your outline to be.
For the cookies on this page, I used a No. 3 round pastry tip. |
Tip sizes No. 6, 5, 3, & 2.
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You need to create an outline of your cookie first. This outline will hold your run out icing. Run out icing is simply thinned royal icing. When creating your outline, the royal icing must be thick enough to hold its shape. Always have extra powdered sugar on hand to thin and thicken your royal icing as needed.
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You may need to add a little water to the royal icing used to outline. Not much, just a teaspoon at at time. Enough so that the icing will flow when piping. While piping, you'll notice that as you pipe, the icing will fall onto the cookie almost on its own. You're just guiding it in place.
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Sometimes, you may have straggly edges. Just take a toothpick, dip it in water, then smooth out those edges.
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Filling it In
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Once you have outlined your cookie, you are going to filling it in with the run out icing. However, make sure the outline is completely 'set', or dried. It should take about an hour.
Once dried, you will have your 'well' to hold in the run out icing. While the outline is drying, you could work on coloring. Or prepare other details. |
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Run Out Icing
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Run out icing is thinned royal icing. For about 1 cup of your royal icing , thin it with 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the icing 'runs'.
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You don't want to make the icing too thin. Too thin, once dried the icing may crack. Add a little more powdered sugar if necessary. But only approximately a teaspoon at a time
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It should be a little thinner than pancake batter. Thin enough to flow. Thick enough to hold.
Once dried, your cookie will have a matted look to it. Just like a canvas. |
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Gadgets and Tools
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A decorator's bottle will be your best tool for filling in. But, if all you have is a pastry bag, that will work, too. |
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They Need Time to Dry
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They do need to dry. Drying time is 24 hours. Yes, you have to plan out this activity accordingly. Especially, if you're planning to decorate cookies with children. It would probably be best to make the cookies and the royal icing one day. Then set up your decorations the next day. To be honest, making the cookies is its own procedure of making the dough, refrigerating the dough. Then there's the rolling, cutting and baking. The cookies need to be completely cooled before icing. |
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So, if you're having a cookie decorating project with children, I would suggest to not try to do the baking and making of icing all on the same day. The cookies and royal icing can be made days in advance. You could even freeze the cookies up to three months ahead of time. It will be enough of your time having your decorating station organized for the children. Children are too impatient to wait on the necessary process of cookie baking and decorating.
Adding Embellishments
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Now that your icing is dry, your cookie can become a canvas to add on your embellishments. To sprinkle on colored sugar, thin out about 2 tablespoons of royal icing with water. This will become your 'glue'. With a small brush, brush the 'glue' where ever you want the sugar to be. Then sprinkle on the sugar. Dust off the excess. Pipe details with royal icing. Fondant is great for adding on those minute details. Use thinned royal icing to glue on embellishments. |
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Another Use with Royal Icing
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This is a very easy decorating technique to use with royal icing. The only equipment you'll need is a shallow pan that will be filled with royal icing that has been thinned. A recycle pie tin is perfect for this. Add drops of food coloring gel onto the surface of the icing. With a toothpick, create swirls. Don't go too deep into the icing. You should be able to create these swirls just by skimming over the surface with your toothpick. Once you get started, you will easily get into the rhythm of the process. |
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This technique is great to use when adding color to your royal icing. But even more fun when multiple colors are used. Use no more than two colors, however. After the first one or two dippings, the colors will blend into the royal icing some. Using more than two colors would make your designs a little messy at that point, so keep it simple.
Dipping it & Doing it!
Follow these three simple steps for some spectacular looking cookies. Allow them to dry overnight before handling them. You wouldn't want to mess up your design. To cover the two dozen cookies I made, here, I only made half of the royal icing recipe, shown above. Two cups was just enough.
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Step 1
Place the cookie, face down onto the suface of the icing. Don't allow the cookie to fall, or drop into the icing. Wear gloves to keep your hands clean.
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Step 2
Allow the excess icing to drip back into the pan. Immediately, flip the cookie over, face side up. You can see the colors blending in the pan. That's okay.
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Step 3
Set the cookies aside on a parchment or silicone lined cookie sheet to prevent the iced cookies from sticking. Allow 24 hours to dry.
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See how pretty they came out?
If you felt like it, if, you can outline the edges of these cookies with some royal icing to complete the look. They are pretty as they are. |
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Thinking Beyond Royal Icing
Royal icing is not the only game in town when it comes to decorating sugar cookies. These next two techniques are the most easy and convenient methods you can use. Neither requires the work that the royal icing does.
Fondant is Convenient
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Fondant is convenient because all you do is cut and glue. There's no 24 hour drying time to wait on either. |
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Your only 'work' is getting your colors in and rolling it out. When adding color to your fondant, make sure to use the gel paste food coloring. To use fondant, just use the same cutter used to cut the cookie. This ensures the perfect fit.
Tips for Using Fondant
Roll your fondant 1/8" thin. Assembly line fashion, cut out your fondant pieces, making sure to use the same cookie cutter you used to cut out your cookie. Thin out your royal icing and use it to glue your fondant pieces on. Brush the royal icing onto the cookie, then lay the fondant piece onto the cookie. For piping in details, use a thickened royal icing. The icing should be the same consistency as when you're piping your well.
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Use royal icing to glue on pieces.
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Use fondant to add details.
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Pipe in details with royal icing.
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See how easy that is? See how cute these came out? Check out the piping details. Don't use buttercream for piping details. Use royal icing instead. Once dried, the royal icing will set hard and not smear when touched.
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Sometimes you may cover you cookie with royal icing, then complete the details with fondant. This was a special cookie cutter that not only was shaped like a house, it also included a stencil for the details.
The process to cut out the details using fondant was a little tedious. But, it was worth it. Look how these came out. |
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Cookies Covered with Sugar Crystals
This technique is the easiest of them all. Not as versatile as the other techniques. But with the many color options found with colored sugar, you can create a wide variety of designs based simply on the type of cookie cutter you use and the colors you choose.
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What you Need
One egg white with two teaspoons of water. Colored sugar crystals Raw cut sugar cookies Pastry brush 
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Brush the cookie lightly with the egg wash. Don't saturate the cookie with the egg wash. You can use a small spatula to hold the cookie. That way the cookie can hold its shape
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Using a small spoon, sprinkle the sugar over the cookie. The egg will act as 'glue' to help the sugar stick to the raw dough.
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Shake off the excess sugar.
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Now, the cookies are ready to bake. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. The sugar will crystallize on the cookie during baking.
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Just like you find at the grocery store, but even better. You made them.
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Packaging & Gifting
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Show someone some love with decorated sugar cookies. With all of the work involved from making the cookies, preparing the decorations, to decorating and packaging them , you will have put in some time to each process. Every step needed to make these is an act of love.
Decorated sugar cookies make wonderful gifts. Every method shared here will package very well without any worry of damage to your decorated cookies. |
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The royal icing, the fondant, and even the sugar coated cookies will keep their design once packaged and will reach their destination unscathed. Wrap each cookie in cellophane to protect them.
