DECORATING COOKIES
I once had an assistant who put flooding icing on cookies using the back of a spoon instead of a brush. Another held the piping bag with one hand. And while I always suggested using two hands, I could not get her to change her ways, which turned out fine because her cookies were beautiful! There are basic techniques that will make decorating with a piping bag a pleasurable experience, but you will eventually find methods that are ultimately comfortable for you and result in beautiful creations. The point is not whether your technique is perfect but rather that you get the results you want. When there are five different people working in my studio, no two are using exactly the same techniques. The most important thing is to get started, keep at it, and don’t let the process intimidate you. Sometimes accidents turn out to be the most memorable cookies. In fact, I once was working with children, making gingerbread houses, and the icing was so tight that the roofs popped off. The kids decided to decorate the insides of the houses by making tiny furniture out of candy and painting the walls!
PIPING BAGS
I use parchment paper bags exclusively because I find them easier to work with, I like the way they feel in my hand, and they’re biodegradable. Admittedly, they are less convenient than plastic bags, but on the other hand, they are less expensive—a consideration if you are going to make lots of cookies in dozens of colors the way I do. Whatever bag you choose, get comfortable using it by practicing—a lot. I sometimes even use a bag and tip instead of a pencil when sketching out ideas. I like the three-dimensionality of the icing line compared to the flatness of a pencil. The more you use a piping bag, the better at it you will become.
HOW TO MAKE A PARCHMENT PIPING BAG
These are remarkably simple—and satisfying—to make, once you get the hang of it. The first few may not be perfect, but persevere—after several successes, putting them together becomes second nature and goes quickly. Before I mix any royal icing, I fold a bunch of cones and stack them in a tall glass carafe so that they are ready when I need them. You can buy pre-cut parchment triangles or make your own from a 13-inch-wide roll of parchment.
1. Cut a 13-inch square piece of parchment from a roll. Fold it in half on the diagonal and run your finger or the flat side of a knife along the fold to make a sharp crease. Cut along the crease to make two triangles. Hold one triangle in both hands so that the longest side is at the top.
2. With your left hand, bring the left point down to meet the right angle to form a cone shape.
3. Turn the cone right side up and hold it in your left hand.
4. Using your right hand, grab the remaining point and wrap it around to meet the other points, fiddling with them so that they overlap. You will have three points at the top.
5. Fold the three points into the cone and make a sharp crease to create a smooth rim. Flatten the crease of the fold with your fingernail. The cone should stay together when you let go.
6. Using a pair of scissors, snip ½ to ¾ inch from the tip of the cone.
7. Drop the piping tip into the cone.
HOW TO FILL A PIPING BAG
1. Set the parchment bag, tip side down, into a carafe, vase, or paper towel tube (anything with a narrow neck will do). If using a disposable plastic piping bag, snip off about ½ inch of the tip of the cone with scissors, drop in the piping tip, and roll the top half of the bag down to form a cuff to make it easier to spoon the icing into it.
2. Spoon the icing into the center of the bag. Do not fill it more than halfway to prevent it from oozing out the top when you use it.
3. To seal the parchment bag, bring the top edges together, fold the corners down toward each other, and roll down until you reach the icing. Squeeze the bag gently from the top to remove any air pockets inside the bag. To seal a disposable plastic bag, cinch it shut with a rubber band, sealing it as close to the icing as possible to remove any air pockets.
4. Test the consistency of the icing by trying out a few lines on a piece of paper, the table, or a spare cookie.
Tip: A Tip About Tips. If you run out of tips, you can try to use the parchment bag without a tip. Just be sure that when you make the bag, the pointed end is entirely closed. Using small scissors, snip the smallest hole possible at the tip. This won’t give you the same precision as a metal tip, but it works in a pinch.
Timesaver: What’s in the Bag? It can be difficult to see color through a parchment piping bag, especially when colors are similar. To make it easier to distinguish one from another, use a Sharpie to write the name of the color on the outside of the bag.
HOW TO HOLD A PIPING BAG
Grasp the bag from the top only. You will find the bag far simpler to use holding it this way than if you apply pressure in the middle or anywhere else. Holding the bag this way serves two purposes: It puts pressure on the icing, pushing it down into the bag and out through the tip. It also serves to hold the top of the bag shut so that the icing doesn’t ooze out the top.
1. Grasp the piping bag at the top with your dominant hand and wrap your fingers over the top, holding it tightly shut with your grasp. Use your thumb to apply added pressure to the side of the bag. Hold the bag so that the tip is at a 45-degree angle to the cookie.
2. Use one or several fingers of your other hand to support and steady the pastry bag while you work. Resist the temptation to work one-handed!
USING LINING ICING
Otherwise known to many as piping icing, I have always called the icing used to outline shapes and re-outline cookies lining icing. Using lining icing is a real pleasure when it is flowing smoothly out of the tip.
SEEING THE SILHOUETTE
My cookie decorating instructions invariably begin with outlining the silhouette of the design on the cookie without any interior lines. For example, the silhouette of the bow of the Gift Box (here) does not include the interior loops. Likewise, the silhouette of the box does not include the lines made to create the middle corner or the lid. The simplest example is the Kitty (here); the silhouette does not include the lines that delineate the arms and all of the interior details.
LINING: OUTLINING, RE-OUTLINING, AND MAKING DETAILS
Getting lining right relies on balancing three components—speed, icing consistency, and applied pressure—every time you pick up the piping bag. Outlining, typically the first decorating step, is always done in the same color as the flooding icing (except if you are Speed Outlining, here), so that when viewed from the side, you see the same color that’s on the top of the cookie. For some people, it takes weeks of practice to become proficient at lining, but others pick it up instantly. As with every other aspect of cookie decorating, practice makes perfect. Make sure the tip is clean by wiping it off between your fingers before you begin and as you decorate the cookies.
1. Starting a line. As a right-hander, I find it easiest to begin lines on the left and move right (the opposite is true for lefties) or start at the top and go to the bottom. This allows you to see the icing coming out of the bag and gives you a better chance to drop it in the right place. Touch the piping tip to the surface of the cookie and squeeze gently. The icing should attach to the cookie and should not form a tiny ball when you begin.
2. Dropping a line. Continue to squeeze gently while lifting the tip about ½ inch above the cookie and holding the bag at a 45-degree angle. The icing should fall in a smooth line from above the cookie as you move the piping bag in the direction you want to go. The longer the line you are making, the higher above the cookie the tip can be.
3. Ending a line. I always say that learning how to do this is much like learning how to stop on a bicycle. Eventually, muscle memory takes over. Ending a line involves anticipating at what point you should ease pressure on the piping bag and ultimately stop squeezing it altogether. To do this, you must reconcile the length of the line of icing falling from the tip with how much more cookie it needs to cover. Once you begin to ease pressure on the bag, guide the line of icing into place while lowering the tip down to touch the surface of the cookie. When you touch the piping tip to the surface of the cookie to end a line, do not squeeze the bag at all, and pull the tip away. If you continue to squeeze, a tiny ball of icing will form at the end of the line. Mastering this technique means that no one will ever know where your lines begin and end.
4. Making sharp corners. I use a technique called “touching down” to make sharp corners and avoid curved ones. To make sharp corners, always end your line by touching the pastry tip to the cookie and then continuing on until the next sharp angle. If you try to turn the corner without stopping, you will get a curve where you want an angle.
5. Outlining curves. Use the same techniques you would for outlining straight lines, but keep your eyes on the icing where it meets the cookie to help you better place the line. To outline short curves, bring your tip closer to the surface of the cookie; this gives you more control over where the line drops than if you are working higher above it. Slowly guide the icing to fall around the curve.
6. Drying. Let outlines dry for 5 minutes before painting them in with flooding icing. At times, I have waited just 2 minutes or so and painted inside them very gently. If you are making two dozen cookies, by the time you are finished outlining the last cookie, the first cookie will be dry.
Tip: In a Word, Practice. I love to practice on spare cookies because I often end up with a design that really pleases me when I wasn’t trying to design anything at all. If you don’t have any cookies, practice on paper. Trace a cutter onto a piece of paper and outline the shape with the lining icing. Practice dropping horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and curved lines of all lengths.
TROUBLESHOOTING: IMPERFECT OUTLINES AND DETAILS
Wiggly line: You are holding the piping tip either on or too close to the cookie. It should hover about ½ inch above the cookie and the bag should be held at a 45-degree angle. There are times, however, when you want to make a jagged line (see Leaf, here; and Flower, here)—in which case, holding the piping tip close to the cookie does the trick.
Broken line: If you move your hands too quickly and are not squeezing the piping bag hard enough, you can pull the line of icing to the point where it breaks. Slow down and squeeze harder.
Thick, wavy line: This is generally caused by moving too slowly and/or squeezing the piping bag too hard. Speed up and ease up on the piping bag.
Timesaver: Speed Outlining. As mentioned, outlining the silhouette and interior details is usually done in the same color used to flood that space. But to save time, especially if a cookie features many different colors, use white lining icing to outline everything. Paint in with the specified colored flooding icing, taking care to cover up the white lines.
DRAWING WITH A PIPING TIP
I use the term drawing to describe a technique I use to make thin or short lines and small details on a cookie that’s been painted in and thoroughly dried (see the Ball Pin Test, here). Drawing with a tip is a lot like using a pencil. Set the tip directly on the cookie and squeeze the bag more gently than you would if you were outlining. Drawing comes in handy when writing a word in very small letters: Use the technique when you have less space to work in and you really want to make thin lines. Drawing also allows you to get a thinner line from a fat tip.
Tip: Steady On. To keep the cookie from sliding around while you are pushing the tip against it, place it on top of a small terry cloth towel.
ERASING A LINE
Imperfect lines shouldn’t be a cause for worry since by the time the cookie is completely decorated, this kind of mistake is barely noticeable. But if you put a line in the wrong place or just want to start over, remove it with an X-ACTO knife. To do this, scrape the errant line away by sliding the side of the blade underneath the line and working along the line; it will come off in pieces. Once the line is removed, scrape away any sign of the line with the side of the X-ACTO.
RE-OUTLINING
Almost every single cookie in this book is re-outlined, which means that I go over the silhouette and make any interior details with a colored lining icing (usually a shade darker, but not always). Generally the final step in the decorating process, it is similar in concept to framing a photo—re-outlining tends to pull together the look of the cookie. It is not absolutely necessary; there are times when I am certain I will re-outline, but when I get to that point and the cookie doesn’t look like it needs it, I don’t do it. It’s really a matter of taste—there are no hard-and-fast rules. Re-outlining is especially useful when you want to define specific parts of the cookie (for instance, the tie on the Balloon, here; the veins on the Leaf, here; and the individual fries in the French Fries, here). The technique for re-outlining is exactly the same as that for outlining.
Timesaver: Speed Re-Outlining. To save yourself some time in the final step, re-outline the cookies in all black. This gives the design a graphic, illustrated look. That said, you have to be confident piping lines this dark because every single one shows. Make sure your lining icing is tight enough to make a nice thin line.
USING FLOODING ICING
Flooding icing is used for painting in the cookies, a technique most cookie decorators call flooding. Painting in the cookies is a very soothing, relaxing process, particularly when your icing consistency is just right, the brush feels good in your hand, and there’s a good program on the radio. The trick here is to get the icing to cover the cookie so that you see no cookie through it but in as thin a layer as possible. Throughout, I give generous drying times for flooding icing. These are general guidelines; drying times depend on many factors, including how thick or thin you’ve painted on the icing, humidity, and the room temperature. Use your best judgment.
PAINTING IN WITHIN AN OUTLINE
Painting in a lined cookie is the technique I use to fill in an outlined area with flooding icing. The trick here is to apply a solid layer of icing onto the cookie but not more than is necessary. This is very important to the success of the cookie—it’s crucial to its good looks—and satisfying when done well. Invariably, I am asked how I get my icing to look so smooth, and this is how. I call it painting, but it’s really pushing.
1. Depending on the size of the area you are painting in, choose the appropriate-size brush (see Decorating Supplies, here). Dip the brush into the bowl of prepared flooding icing and load it up so that the bristles are completely covered. Do not let the excess icing drip off; twirl it around to prevent this.
2. Hold the cookie with the fingers of your non-painting hand so that it is level. Very quickly lay the brush on its side onto the cookie and twirl the bristles, applying gentle pressure, to release all of the icing onto the surface. If it looks like it is not enough to cover the area, dip the brush back into the flooding icing and repeat.
3. Working in one section at a time, gently push the icing around, gliding over the surface of the icing without touching the brush to the cookie itself. Paint the icing in so that it is as high as the outline—no lower or higher (hold the cookie up at eye level to accurately check this). If you paint it on too thinly, the cookie will show through; too thickly, and the icing may flow over the lined edge. Push the icing into tight spaces using the tip of the brush. As you approach the edge near the outline, nudge the icing so that it just covers the line to create a seamless painted surface.
4. Let the flooding icing dry 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Cookies are hard when a ball pin, pressed into the icing surface, will not puncture it. (See Ball Pin Test, here.)
PAINTING IN WITHOUT AN OUTLINE
There are instances when there is no outline into which you paint in the flooding icing. For example, the grass on the Building (here) and the grass on the Tombstone (here) are not outlined before the flooding icing is applied.
1. Depending on the size of the area you are painting in, choose the appropriate-size brush (see Decorating Supplies, here). Dip the brush into the bowl of prepared flooding icing and twirl to coat the bristles. Do not overload the brush with icing. Twirl the brush over the bowl a few times to let the excess drip off.
2. Hold the cookie with the fingers of your non-painting hand. Lay the brush on its side on the cookie and twirl the bristles, applying gentle pressure, to release all of the icing onto the surface. When painting in features that will be painted over, press the brush firmly against the surface of the cookie and brush the icing onto it in a thin layer, thinning it out beyond the area that will show on the cookie. Let dry to the touch, about 30 minutes. When painting in entire cookies without an outline, carefully paint to the edge of the cookie, pulling away from the edge with your brush so that the icing ends up slightly thinner around the edge. Let dry overnight.
Timesaver: Quick Dry. Decorated cookies dry best in a dry environment. Air-conditioning or a fan will help (any time of year!), as humidity can cause the icing to dry slowly and can result in splotchy colors.
Troubleshooting: Popping Air Bubbles. Sometimes, small air bubbles form in the icing as you paint it onto the cookie. To get rid of them, gently glide your brush across the surface of the icing a few times. If large bubbles form, pop them with a toothpick or pin.
APPLYING TWO DIFFERENT COLORS NEXT TO EACH OTHER
There are two main techniques for applying two different colors next to each other on a cookie: thinning out and butting up.
Thinning Out
This is the deceptively simple term for one of the key techniques in making these cookies look the way they do. It’s the basis of a building process with lines and different colors of icing that I developed to add dimension, which makes the decoration look more realistic, lively, and animated. It also makes it very difficult to detect how the cookie was made. For example, the beard and hat on Santa (here look like they are actually sitting on his face because I thin out the pink icing for his face, then paint the beard and hat on top of the pink. This makes sense visually because in reality, his hat and beard would sit in front of his face. The cone on the Ice Cream Cone (here) is painted on this way, too.
To thin out flooding icing, use a paintbrush to push some icing beyond the area you are painting into the areas that will be covered with other colors. Make sure to extend the thinned-out icing far enough on the cookie: It shouldn’t show on the finished cookie. Paint it in a thin layer and let dry thoroughly.
Timesaver: Color, Side by Side. Though thinning out is my preferred method for applying two different colors of icing next to each other, if I am strapped for time, I will butt up the colors next to each other (see Butting Up, below). The cookies do not have the same dimensional look as when the icings are thinned out, but you don’t have to wait for layers to dry before putting more icing on top.
Butting Up
Butting up is a technique used to paint one color next to another so that they exist on the same plane. It makes sense in such cases as the red and white stripes on the Cookie Jar (here), the beak on the Chick (here), and the black and orange on the face of the Swan (here). Once you’ve outlined the areas for each color, the corresponding flooding icings can be painted in at the same time.
1. Outline the different areas of color on the cookie with lining icing. It can be tricky to put two different outlines next to each other, but do the best you can.
2. Using the appropriate brush for the size of the area you are painting, paint each section with the corresponding flooding icing, using the Painting In Within an Outline technique (here). Paint in the area so that the icing sits at the level of the outline without covering it. You don’t want the icing to overflow the outlines.
SPECIAL DECORATING TECHNIQUES
WET-ON-WET DOTS
This is an easy technique for making dots that are flush with the surface of the surrounding flooding icing. Because the dots are dropped into wet icing, they settle into it instead of sitting on top of it the way they would if piped onto dried icing. (Keep in mind that dark colors may bleed into light colors, so avoid putting dark dots on a light background if you want to ensure that color bleeding doesn’t happen.)
1. To make wet-on-wet dots, prepare the flooding icing for the background color and the dots at the same time, thinning the icing for dots to slightly tighter than flooding consistency. Spoon it into a piping bag fitted with a #1 or #1.5 tip, depending on the size of the dots you want to make.
2. Paint in two or three cookies at a time with the flooding icing, and while the background color is still wet, squeeze the dots onto it (holding the piping bag at a 90-degree angle to the cookie), with the tip as close to the surface as possible without touching it. Gently squeeze the piping bag to release the icing; the dot will spread slightly and settle smoothly into the background icing. Keep this in mind when spacing the dots.
3-D DOTS
If you love dots but don’t want to use the wet-on-wet technique, make them on a dried, painted-in surface instead. They will stick up off the cookie and will be smaller, but you have more control over the end result. What’s more, they are brilliant for camouflaging splotches and a multitude of other icing sins such as bumpy icing. I use this kind of dot to add texture to a design: the center of the Flower (here), the berries on the Wreath (here), and anywhere there is an eye (Bird in Nest, here; Turtle, here; Spider, here).
To successfully make a dot, fill a piping bag fitted with a #1 or #1.5 tip with lining icing. Touch the piping tip to the surface of the dried flooding icing, holding the bag at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze gently until you get the size dot that you like. Stop squeezing the bag before removing the tip from the cookie. If packing in bags or shipping, the dots must be thoroughly dried, 6 to 8 hours or overnight. If serving the same day, let dry until they are crusted over, about 15 minutes.
Troubleshooting: If your 3-D dots have pointy tips, you can eliminate them by wetting a small brush with a little water and carefully patting the points on the dots with the brush to make them disappear.
CREATING DIMENSION WITH BLACK FLOODING ICING
There are instances when a cookie can really benefit from a thin layer of black flooding icing, in particular when you want to create the illusion of depth. For example, the earhole in the Football Helmet (here), the inside of the Hippo’s mouth (here), the interior of the Bird in Nest (here), and the space behind the keys of the Typewriter (here). In each of these cases, black flooding icing is used to create the illusion of a hole.
WATERCOLORS
This technique is a nice alternative when you want to give your cookies a painterly look. It’s a super-easy way to make them look just as special without having to mix different colors of icing, so it is especially useful if you do not have enough time for several steps of lining and flooding. All you need is a white iced cookie, your gel food color, a plate or ceramic mixing palette, a cup of water, a watercolor brush, and a paper towel.
Watercoloring an Entire Cookie
1. Mix a small bowl of white royal icing and add whitener to make white icing. Thin to lining consistency and spoon ¼ cup into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip. Thin the remaining icing to flooding consistency and cover with plastic wrap. Using the lining icing, outline the cookie and let dry for 5 minutes. Using a paintbrush and the flooding icing, paint in cookie and let set until hard, 6 to 8 hours or overnight. It is essential that the icing be rock solid (do the Ball Pin Test, here).
Tip: When using watercolors, always make an extra cookie to use as your tester cookie. This way you will know if you like the color and consistency of the “paint” before you apply it to the main cookie. These tester cookies are always among my favorite by-products of cookie decorating.
2. Squeeze dots of desired food gel colors onto a plate or a ceramic palette. Dip a paintbrush into a little water, then gently touch the brush to the gel and swipe the brush onto the plate next to it to create a swatch of watercolor. The watercolor should be primarily water because if you paint with too much gel paste, it does not dry on the cookie. Test the color on your tester cookie. If you want it to be more intense, repeat the process.
3. Dip the brush into the watercolor, then lightly dab it onto a paper towel before applying to the cookie. Too much water in the watercolor can dissolve the icing on the cookie. The brush should be wet enough to paint with, but the watercolors should not puddle on the cookie. Lightly brush the watercolor onto the cookie. Let dry at least 30 minutes.
4. Leave the cookie as is to look more like a watercolor or, to make it look more graphic, re-outline in black lining icing. Spoon black royal icing thinned to lining consistency into a piping bag fitted with a #1 tip and use the drawing technique to make lines as thin as possible.
Timesaver: To speed up the process of making cookies decorated with watercolors, paint in the flooding icing early in the morning. It will harden sufficiently to paint on by evening.
COMBINING STYLES: A MIX OF FLOODING ICING AND WATERCOLORS
Sometimes I like to include the watercolor technique in flooded cookies because it simply makes the design better and more interesting. For instance, on the Seashell (here), I flooded the entire cookie first. Then, to make it look opalescent, it made sense to apply color with watercolors. On the Cat and Fish cookie (here), I painted the water and fish in the bowl with watercolors to distinguish them from the solid elements of the other parts of the cookie. I also used watercolor to paint the cat’s stripes.
ADDING SHIMMER: EDIBLE GOLD AND SILVER LUSTER DUST
There is no combination of gel colors for making gold or silver icing that can compete with the metallic effects of gold and silver luster dust. I never cease to be amazed by the magical transformation that happens when I squeeze a drop of lemon extract or vodka onto the dust and a gorgeous metallic liquid ball forms.
Using gold and silver luster dusts for details on cookies is fun and can bring certain cookies to life, especially if used very sparingly (see the decorations on the Wedding Cake, here; the metal parts on the Stacked Luggage, here; and the halo on the Angel, here; and you could use it on the buckles on the shoes of the Witch, here, here; and the button of the Graduation Cap, here). Because luster dust is not water-soluble, you must dilute it with colorless alcohol-based extracts or vodka, which evaporate very quickly, making cookies featuring them still child-friendly.
Tip: Vodka or Extracts? You can use either to dilute luster dust. With vodka, the dust adheres to the cookie and will not rub off when touched. If you use extract, the dust does tend to come off on your hand if you touch the cookie. It’s not really an issue unless you’re packaging the cookies in cellophane bags or stacking them.
How to Paint In with Luster Dust
1. Using the flat end of a spoon or the tip of a knife, put a little luster dust in a small bowl. Using a liquid medicine dropper or the cap of the bottle, add a few drops of either vodka (cheap is fine!) or an alcohol-based clear extract such as lemon or clear vanilla to the edge of the pile. Using your brush, gradually draw the dust into the liquid until the mixture is the consistency of nail polish. If it is too thick, add more vodka or extract. If it is too thin, add more luster dust.
2. Using the watercolor brush, paint in the desired areas with the liquefied luster dust. If the coat looks too transparent or thin for your liking, let it dry and paint over it. Let the luster dust dry completely, about 5 minutes.
3. When finished, wash the paintbrush with dishwashing soap, massaging the bristles gently until all of the dust is washed away.
Tip: The alcohol in the mixture evaporates quickly, so the paint may dry out while you are decorating your cookies. Just add more vodka or extract.
Tip: Leave the diluted luster dust out and uncovered when you are finished using it to allow the remaining alcohol or extract to evaporate. A dry powder will remain in the bowl, which you can use the next time you use luster dust.
EDIBLE MARKERS
There are instances when edible markers can save time, especially for making details on cookies. I generally opt not to use them, but in a pinch, you might find them convenient when making a black dot for an eye as on the Stork (here); drawing in stripes as on the Chair (here); or writing words, as on the Gift Tag (here). Use the finest-tipped version you can find to get the most control.