Royal Icing and Icing Bags

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    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.

    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

Christmas Wreaths

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    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.

    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

Tips on tips

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    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.
    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

Dotty

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    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. :)
    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

Gobble, Gobble

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    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)
    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

I can't live without...

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    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.





    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

Give Thanks

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    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!

    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

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).

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    Source URL: https://policfashion2011.blogspot.com/2007/11/
    Visit Police Fashion for daily updated images of art collection

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