Brushed Embroidery Valentine Cookies

I like how the hot pink flowers on these cookies look against the cream colored base - bright,  but still refined.

Brushed embroidery is easier than it looks. It just takes some practice and the correct consistency of icing.

The icing needs to be of a soft piping consistency so that it's soft enough to pull a brush through yet solid enough to show the ridges and edges of your strokes.

The best way for me to describe the desired consistency is that it's the same as sour cream. It's always a good idea to test the consistency by piping a bit onto a plate and testing it before decorating your cookies.

Be judicious when you thin your icing. A few drops of water go a long way and you can always add water but you can't take it away.

Only two icings are needed to make these pretty cookies.

Here's how to do it:

After your base coat of icing has completely dried, outline your flower.

Use a square-tipped brush that is slightly damp to pull in the edges of your flower. Periodically, clean and re-dampen your brush.

It will look like this. Notice how the brush never broke through the outside edge of the piping?

Pipe another layer of petals.

Pull that icing inwards just like before.

Pipe a center on the flower.

With the same icing, add a few random dots for interest.

Add dots around the border and that's all there is to it.