How do you decorate cookies?
Here are your to-dos of cookie decorating: 1 Bake and cut-out cookies. 2 prepare and divide royal icing with just the right consistency, color it, and prepare decorating bags. 3 Outline your cookies, fill your cookies, and add details. More ...
What do you need to make cookies at home?
Yes, you need a mixer and a rolling pin. You’ll also need piping bags, baking sheets, and cookie cutters. There are a few other things, but decorating cookies doesn’t have to break your budget.
How to decorate cookies with royal icing?
basic cookie decorating instructions. 1 Bake and cut-out cookies. 2 prepare and divide royal icing with just the right consistency, color it, and prepare decorating bags. 3 Outline your cookies, fill your cookies, and add details.
Why do you put decorated cookies on a cooling rack?
Placing decorated cookies on a cooling rack helps you move the cookies from one place to another without messing up the icing. Be careful because they’ll slide and we all know that’s not a good thing. When I was a kid the only thing I remember seeing people decorating with was piping bags.
What supplies do you need to decorate sugar cookies?
Here's what you need:cookie cutters – I love this set. ... couplers – only needed if you're using the same icing color, but need to switch tips.piping bags – I prefer the 16 inch size for decorating.gel food coloring – get the whole set. ... round piping tips.
What supplies do I need to make royal icing cookies?
Mastering the Art of Royal Iced CookiesRolling pin with thickness rings. ... Piping tips and couplers. ... Piping bags. ... Piping bag ties. ... Scribe tool. ... Gel food coloring. ... Edible paint pens.
What's the best way to decorate sugar cookies?
My favorite way to decorate sugar cookies—especially for holidays and special occasions—is by using royal icing. The secret to getting precise lines, dots, and other details with royal icing is using a squeeze bottle.
How do professionals decorate cookies?
0:171:39How to Decorate Cookies Like a Pro - CHOW Tip - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSimply outline the edge using the thicker icing. Then to fill in the area you've outlined flood theMoreSimply outline the edge using the thicker icing. Then to fill in the area you've outlined flood the center with the thinner icing using a toothpick to gently fill in any gaps.
How do you decorate cookies with royal icing for beginners?
1:071:46How to Decorate Cookies with Royal Icing - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipInterest. And there we go a nice fun simple cookie. Some clean decoration great for maybe a wedding.MoreInterest. And there we go a nice fun simple cookie. Some clean decoration great for maybe a wedding. But very easy very simple to do and that texture from the stiff icing.
What tool is used for fine piping decorating?
Piping bags Piping bags are an essential cake baking tools while you decide to decorate your cake. They are used to swirl buttercream on your cake and make it more appealing. However, you need to learn how to use them appropriately.
What's the difference between frosting and icing?
Icing is thinner than frosting but not quite as thin as a glaze. Typically made with powdered sugar and liquid, such as water, milk, or juice, icing can be drizzled or spread. Icing has more shine and a smoother consistency than frosting.
How do u put sprinkles on sugar cookies?
Sprinkles should be put in the cookie dough prior to baking. If you would like sprinkles on top of your sugar cookies too, then press them on with your finger tips before baking. This will ensure the sprinkles stick to the sugar cookies.
How can I decorate like a pro?
How To Decorate Your Home Like A ProfessionalSplurge on high-quality furniture. ... Don't skip on window coverings. ... Art is always worth adding. ... Rugs are an absolute must. ... Avoid being too matchy matchy. ... Make sure that you know all important measurements and scale. ... Add a gallery wall. ... Be bold and brave with wallpaper.More items...•
What is the easiest way to frost cookies?
The secret is to scoop your frosting into a ziplock bag, clip the corner, and then pipe the frosting onto each cookie. Since you don't have to pick up each cookie, scoop up frosting, and spread it out with a knife, the piping process is a MUCH quicker way to get lots of cookies frosted.
How far in advance can I make decorated sugar cookies?
Although I've tested them for longer and the batches I've tried seem fine for up to 4 weeks, my general rule of thumb is up to 2 weeks. I know they're fine to eat at 4 weeks, but I feel better about giving the cookies away when the recipients don't need to eat them right away.
How long do sugar cookies stay fresh after baking?
about two to three daysIf stored properly, most homemade sugar cookies have a shelf life of about two to three days from when they were baked.
How do I make the perfect royal icing consistency?
When you mix the royal icing, keep your mixer on medium-low speed (I use speed 2 on my stand mixer) and mix the icing for no more than 5 minutes. The icing should hold a stiff peak and have a thick and creamy consistency. It looks a lot like softened cream cheese.
How do you decorate sugar cookies with royal icing?
3:158:25How to Decorate Cookies with Thinned Royal Icing | WiltonYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRoom we'll outline all the cookies. First then go back and flood them all in now make sure that you'MoreRoom we'll outline all the cookies. First then go back and flood them all in now make sure that you're working on a level surface. And think about where you're going to dry your cookies.
What is the easiest way to frost cookies?
The secret is to scoop your frosting into a ziplock bag, clip the corner, and then pipe the frosting onto each cookie. Since you don't have to pick up each cookie, scoop up frosting, and spread it out with a knife, the piping process is a MUCH quicker way to get lots of cookies frosted.
How do I decorate my wedding cookies with royal icing?
0:5019:32Wedding Cookie Tutorial - FIVE Designs! - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd now I'm ready to pipe the details. I love the look of the white on white on the wedding dressMoreAnd now I'm ready to pipe the details. I love the look of the white on white on the wedding dress and to keep the folds of the dress. Looking very delicate. And I had lots of little detail.
Cookie Recipes
First, you’ll want to start with the right cookie recipe. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of cookie recipes online, but many of them might not be right for making a decorated cookie. The cookie needs to hold its shape and have a flat surface so that the icing doesn’t run off of the edges.
Royal Icing Recipes
Just like with the cookie recipe, you might have to go through some trial and error to find a royal icing recipe that you love. By nature royal icing is super sweet and dries hard, so it’s not right for everyone. But, its versatility makes it the best icing for making intricate designs on cookies.
Cookie Decorating Tools
You don’t really need special tools to start decorating cookies. You can start with sandwich bags and toothpicks instead of decorating bags and a scribe tool! If you feel like you want to upgrade your tools, take a look at this post to see my favorite cookie decorating supplies.
Cookie Decorating Tutorials and Classes
Just do a quick google search and you will find thousands of helpful cookie decorating tutorials. There are so many talented cookie decorators out there teaching what they know, and, just like the cookie and icing recipes, it’s going to take some trial and error to find a teacher that you love.
How to store decorated cookies
Once you’ve finished your edible masterpieces, you’ll want to make sure they stay fresh for the recipient! This post on how to pack decorated cookies for shipping shows you how to package your cookies and it lists my favorite cookie packaging supplies.
Can you sell cookies from home?
Many of us cookie decorators started out by baking cookies in our home kitchen to sell to friends and neighbors. As your business grows, you’ll want to look into the licensing rules in your area to find out whether or not you can sell cookies from your home kitchen.
how do you decorate sugar cookies?
For tips on finding cookie decorating supplies. And here more cookie decorating recipes.
Preparing and Coloring Icing
To test the consistency, take a spoonful of icing and turn it over the bowl. It should cling to the spoon before slowly falling back into the bowl.
Assembling and Filling a Decorating Bag
Using a coupler with your decorating bag enables you to easily change decorating tips while decorating cookies.
how to flood cookies
The “flooding” method of cookie decorating is similar to above, but by piping an outline to serve as a dam and then filling the cookie with a thinned icing, your cookies will have a smooth, finished look without showing the lines of icing from piping.
Choosing a Decorating Tip
Here is a general guideline for choosing the right size decorating tip. These are all “round” tips. Textured tips are better for cake and cupcake decorating with buttercream frosting.
Helpful Cookie Decorating Hints
Hi! I’m Meaghan, owner, photographer, fun food creator, video editor, and writer for The Decorated Cookie. My site is about decorated cookies, marshmallow art, and other easy, fun food crafts for every occasion and holiday. You’ll also find lots of everyday food and crafts for kids and grown-ups. Read more...
Recipes
Add a Little Drama to Your Cookies – Here’s another great cookie recipe from Sugarbaker’s Cookie Cutter Cookbook.
Sprinkles
I hope my little beginner’s guide to cookie decorating will help you get comfortable decorating cookies. My blog is full of information and I’m updating it every day. If you’ve got questions please ask because I’ll point you in the right cookie direction!
Explore
Pumpkin and cream cheese are proof that opposites attract. Pumpkin brings a natural sweetness — often flavored with warm, earthy spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger — while cream cheese is rich, tart, and tangy. Put them together and you have a classic fall flavor combo that turns their contrasts into complements.
Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
If you wake up with an aching sweet tooth, you certainly need to try one of these dessert-inspired breakfasts as soon as you climb out of bed. From pancakes studded with Funfetti to cheesecake stuffed French toast, you'll have a hard time saying no to these decadent dessert-inspired breakfast dishes.
Lunch Recipes
Lunch gets a bad rap: Breakfast holds the title for most important meal of the day, and we pull out all the stops for dinner. But what about lunch? It's time we stop neglecting lunch and start treating it with the respect it deserves — it's the meal that gives us the mid-day boost we need to keep going.
Bread Recipes
Spoon bread is comfort food perfection — it's irresistibly soft, moist, and carbohydrate-laden enough to elicit a nice warm nap. It stands at a crossroads between cornbread and casserole: soft yet gritty, subliminally salty and sweet.
Dessert Recipes
Pie may seem straightforward, but it's one of the most versatile and creative foods out there. Pie can take on a number of flavor profiles and celebrate all kinds of ingredients, from cognac to crackers and even crawfish. Best of all, pies can take the simplest of ingredients and alchemize into rich, unforgettable tastes.
Side Dish Recipes
Sweet potatoes are a staple in many kitchens, but especially when grandmothers are involved. Starchy and sugary, these spuds are often featured in beloved family recipes like casseroles, pies, breads, and more. It doesn't need to be the holidays to cook up a batch of sweet potatoes just like Grandma.
Soup, Stew & Chili Recipes
There's nothing like a cozy soup to warm you up on a chilly night. If you're on the hunt for a new seasonal soup to add to your fall rotation, try one of these delicious ideas that start with fresh acorn squash.
Use our simple cookie decorating tips to make homemade treats look almost like a pro baker's best
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Use a guide for even thickness
For cutout cookies, try using a thickness guide on your rolling pin to create uniform size. (You can use rings that slide onto your pin or ruler-type guides .) This will not only make your cookies look more professional, but they’ll taste better if they all cook through at the same rate.
Cut custom shapes
Use the top of a drinking glass or champagne flute to cut circular shapes of various sizes. For squares or rectangles, use a pizza cutter to slice right through rolled-out dough.
Use gel food coloring
There’s no shortage of types of food coloring for your cookies. For vibrant hues, try using a gel food coloring or even more concentrated gel paste. The liquid drops are handy for making light or pastel colors, but loud, saturated or neon colors are easiest to make with gel.
Allow cookies to cool completely
Plan. Ahead. First, your cookies should be completely cooled before any icing is added. If you’ll be adding details to a base layer of icing, give your first color a few hours to dry before adding on. Then, let your final product dry overnight or up to 24 hours to let them set up before stacking or wrapping.
Temper your chocolate
For dipping cookies (or fruit or anything else, for that matter), tempering chocolate is the best way to melt it. It results in a shiny finish and a snappy texture. To temper, bring a pot of water to boiling and remove from heat. Place a heat-safe bowl on top of the pot and add chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts and reaches 88°F.
Smooth edges with a microplane
Get rid of rough, bumpy or too-brown edges with a microplane. Pick up a completely cooled cookie, and gently “sand” the edges to make clean, smooth lines. Brush extra cookie crumbs off before adding your decorations.
Christmas-Themed Cookie Cutters
Start with the basics and use festively shaped cookie cutters ($20) to craft picture-perfect cutout cookies. Since each cookie will be the same size, they’ll be even more irresistible thanks to their bakery-window uniformity.
Cookie Turntable
Like a lazy Susan specifically for decorating cookies, this rotating surface ($20) keeps awkward reaches out of the cookie decorating equation. Since you don’t have to rotate cookies with your hands, it prevents smudges and mistakes when making even the most impressive cookie arrangements.
Bag-Free Icing Tool
Forget hassling with cumbersome plastic bags and use a convenient icing pump ($15) to adorn cookies with sugary sweetness. With a variety of nozzles, you can create decorated treats that will wow the entire family—like a happy sweater-wearing gingerbread man.
Christmas Stencils
Take the guesswork out of precise decorations by using pre-made stencils ($13). Spread over them with royal icing or melted chocolate, or sprinkle them with cocoa or colored sugar to add fuss-free details to any cookie. Before you start to decorate, read up on these cookie decorating tips.
Holiday Shapes Cookie Pan
Pans with Christmas-themed molds ($18) make it a cinch to whip up a dozen cookies with festive shapes. Use them to add effortless flair to decoration-free recipes like our fruitcake Christmas cookies.
Scriber Needle Set
These thin needles ($6) can be used to gently drag icing to create ornate swirling patterns and subtle textures. Their fine points are also handy for popping air bubbles, prying decorations from parchment and removing fondant shapes from molds.
Edible Markers
If piping isn’t your thing, go freehand and use edible markers ($8) to draw any design you see fit. Just coat cookies with a layer of royal icing and get in touch with your creative side to make one-of-a-kind decorations. Here’s how to use them like a pro.
cookie sheets
This one seems like an obvious tool and you may have a hodge-podge of sheets around your kitchen. Let me tell you something, you’re going to need a lot! And more importantly, good cookie sheets can make all the difference in how your cookies turn out. So, I highly suggest having quality cookie sheets that you only use for cookies.
parchment paper sheets
Another key to ensuring your cookies turn out perfect is parchment paper. It will also be useful in a variety of other ways – decorating on, practicing icing on and more.
rolling pin
If there is one tool that I LOVE and would buy a thousand times over, it’s THIS rolling pin! This baby does the math for you when you’re rolling out your cookies to ensure they are the perfect thickness you want, consistent and perfectly flat! Just adjust the rings on the ends to roll out any thickness you want. Genius.
cookie cutters
Well duh?! While I’m sure you have random cutters, because who doesn’t, it’s important to acknowledge that buying quality cutters makes a huge difference! Not only will they produce better cookies, but they’ll make your life easier, last forever and save money in the long-run.
mixer
Unless you have crazy-strong arms, you’re going to need some kind of mixer. A consistently mixed dough is absolutely key to baking perfect cookies. If you want to see how much you enjoy this whole cookie baking thing before investing in a stand-up mixer, THIS is a great hand-mixer. I’ve had this mixer for YEARS and I love this trusty, little buddy.
decorating bags
Here is where your creativity will flow from!!! There are lots of different types of bags out there and I’ve tried MANY. But THESE have always treated me well. I prefer tipless bags which give you more freedom and versatility to use them in many different ways.
decorating tips
For beginners, I do recommend starting out using tips. This will give you much more control and consistency starting out. And you’ve probably seen tips at Michaels and other stores and think “a tip is a tip”. Well, I’m here to tell you, that is not the case and THESE tips are a game changer.
How to Decorate Cookies Like a Pro
Cookie icing is a baking basic, but one that is oddly enough sometimes difficult to master. Getting creative with icing to decorate a fresh batch of cookies is a surefire way to impress guests and family as they dig in to your newest homemade creations this holiday season.
Tips and Tricks for Cookie Icing and Decorating
Covering a cookie with icing, also known in the cookie world as “flooding”, is a simple technique to decorate cookies with thinned icing. Using the beginner-friendly method below, you can create gorgeous cookies your guests will think were done by a professional baker.
Cookie Icing Troubleshooting Tips
Is this your first time trying to decorate your newest batch of cookies like a pro? Let the Wilton team lend a hand with a few handy troubleshooting tips to ensure they, and you, come out looking like rock stars. We think it’s always a good idea to be aware of some stickier situations of cookie icing and flooding as you start decorating.
1. Avoiding Air Bubbles
Air bubbles are a common issue in cookie decorating. During the drying process, trapped air can rise to the surface, creating small craters on an otherwise smooth finish.
2. Creating the Puffy Look
To achieve a puffy look, squeeze a little bit more icing on the surface—just enough that it doesn’t overflow. Once the icing dries, water will evaporate from the surface and the look of wet icing will flatten. Overfilling a little makes up for the flattening effect and ensures that your cookie maintains a puffy, pillowed look.
