Musical Cookies

These Musical Cookies are for the celebration of a very talented friend of mine.

I could have used piping consistency icing to add the musical notes and symbols but because I needed to make a lot of cookies it was essential that I simplify the process without skimping on the design.

My solution was to use a black edible ink marker and it worked like a charm not to mention, I'm sure I had a lot more control in adding the design.

One tip I can offer is to practice drawing the musical notes and symbols on paper before adding them to the cookies.

Here's how I made them:

Outline your cookies with piping consistency white icing and let it dry before moving onto the next step.

Fill the cookies with flood consistency white icing and let this dry completely before moving on. Don't skimp on the drying or the pressure of the edible ink pen will crack the icing.

Practice drawing your designs on a piece of paper and then go for it. I must also mention that not all edible ink markers are created equally. In the photo is an edible ink pen from "Yummy Art" and it didn't work as well as my pen from AmeriColor which had a finer tip that was easier to control and the ink was less translucent.

Cookie closeup.

Colorful Dot Cookies

These colorful dot cookies are a perfect project for first time cookie decorators. You'll get lots of practice outlining and filling cookies with royal icing and you'll get some cute cookies in the end.

The secret to success is using flood consistency royal icing that isn't too thin. These dot cookies are small at 1.5 inches in diameter, and if your icing is too thin it will be hard to control and want to run down the sides of the cookie. Aim for 15 second icing which is icing that settles into place in 15 seconds after drawing a line through it with the back of a spoon.

Another tip is to take your time choosing colors. These cookies are simple so you want pleasing colors that look good together. I chose complimentary pastel shades of green, blue, yellow and pink mixed using electric colored Americolor gel pastes.

Here's how to decorate them using the 15 second flood icing and a #2 pastry tip:

Outline the cookie.

Immediately fill the cookie.

Use a skewer or scribe tool to help evenly distribute the icing and give the cookie a gentle shake to help the icing settle.

Keep working until you have decorated all of the cookies. Let the cookies dry completely before serving or packaging. This usually takes about 8 hours depending on the humidity.

Double-Decker Valentine Cookie

Just two colors of royal icing and a black food safe writing pen are all that are needed to make these neat Double-Decker Valentine Cookies.

Not all food writing pens are created equally. I have a cheaper set that I bought at a craft store and a more expensive AmeriColor set and the latter is far superior. The AmeriColor  pens write darker and more evenly than the less expensive pens that go on lighter and can look translucent.

My favorite set of food writing pens. They can be found online at Amazon and in specialty decorating shops. You can also buy the black pens separately.

To make these cookies all you have to do cut an even number of large cookies and mini hearts. Outline and fill the large cookies with white royal icing and outline and fill the hearts with red royal icing.

Here's how to add the writing and stack the cookies.

The royal icing on your cookie needs to be completely dry before adding the writing.

Write the word "love" in rows across the cookie. Start and stop at different points in the word so it looks like a continuous loop.

Let the ink dry for at least 30 minutes before adhering a mini heart to the top of the cookie using royal icing as glue. Let the cookies dry completely before packaging.

Coloring Tips

Choosing and creating colors is a huge part of cookie decorating and it can be frustrating when you have the perfect color in mind but you just can't seem to mix it up.

Here are few tips that I know will help.

One:  Have a visual of the color you want to create. 

It can be anything - an object, a clipping from a magazine or a color chip from the paint store.  When you actually see the color you want, it is so much easier to mix.

My friend Shannon gave me a handy color mixing chart that she clipped from the May 2012 issue of "Food Network Magazine." I use it so much that I think I just need to frame it and hang it on the wall of my kitchen.

The color mixing guide from the May 2012 issue of "Food Network Magazine."

The mixing guide even tells you how much coloring you need to add.

Two:  Use high quality colorings. 

I swear by the AmeriColor brand soft gel paste colors. The colors are vibrant and easy to mix. They also don't bleed or separate on your cookies like liquid colorings tend to do.

Black and red are the most difficult colors to mix and if you are using poor quality colors it could take the whole bottle. You'll hit every shade of gray and pink before you get to black or red.

So if you only buy two AmeriColor colorings get these: Super Black and Super Red.

You can fine AmeriColor at specialty baking shops and online.

Three:  Add a coloring just a touch at a time. 

You can always add color but you can't take it away. I use skewers and toothpicks to add just the smallest touch at a time. Absolutely never ever hold the bottle over your icing and squeeze it right in.

Four:  Be patient. 

Don't expect to get the color you want right away. Take your time and work to get the exact color you want.

I sometimes have to add more than 20 touches of a color before I'm satisfied. It's worth your time and effort because it will show in your final product.

Easter Cookies Are Coming

I'm getting my supplies together to make decorated Easter cookies and will share the results soon.

One supply that is a must is good quality food coloring and the best is AmeriColor soft gel paste. The colors are vibrant and easy to mix.